In 1896 Alexander Rarig established Rarig Engineering Company in Columbus, Ohio. In 1901 he built the Rarig Manufacturing Plant which at that time was one of the most complete and modern manufacturing plants in America. The plant was two acres under roof and it’s first product was 400 tons of steel work for St. Clair Avenue viaduct in Columbus. Seventy-two railroad cars of machinery were put in place before the plant was complete. The plant produced Corliss engines, gun carriages for military uses, blast furnace machines, rolling mill machines, boilers, bridge girders, stacks, and all kinds of heavy structural iron.
Later, Alexander moved to San Francisco and his son, Clarence raised a family and the tradition of building continued with his son Jack Rarig. Jack’s father-in-law Thomas Moran founded a plumbing supply wholesale business and built his first warehouse in Oakland in 1933. Thomas Moran spent 70 years in the business. Jack Rarig had an uncanny insight into the real estate market and along with Thomas’s sons and daughters helped Moran Supply expand and developed 13 branches for Moran Supply throughout California and Nevada.
Jack Rarig raised four sons who became involved in building and remodeling the Moran Supply warehouses throughout California in the 60’s and 70’s. In 1969 Moran opened a new branch in San Luis Obispo in an old SP Milling warehouse near the railroad. In 1975 Jack needed to expand the San Luis Obispo branch and bought a vacant five acre piece of farmland across from the San Luis Obispo Airport. Brothers John, Steve, Nick and Chris moved to Cayucos in 1976 and remodeled an old garage to use as their construction office. Rarig Construction’s first large project on the Central Coast was to build the new warehouse and office for Moran Supply in 1976. Rarig Construction continued to grow during the 70’s and 80’s and in 1989 the brothers built their current offices in San Luis Obispo. The family-owned company has continued to focus on designing and building steel buildings for commercial and industrial clients.