Richard Rodriguez once rocked the stage…

now he rocks our workplace

Our Employee Spotlight series aims to highlight the many talented individuals who work at Elite Tape. 

Richard joined our Production Team in the fall of 2024. With years of experience as a Machinist and Set up Operator, Rich brought a strong customer focus and quality control background to our Elite Tape team.  Rich is our resident extrovert, full of personality and daily good cheer.

Rich knows a great team when he sees it. “Elite Tape has a fantastic team environment. The friendship among team members is great. I feel a mutual respect with leadership which is hard to find at most businesses. As a self-driven person, I enjoy the ability to get a job done independently and see how my work contributes to the overall success of the company.”

Richard spends free time with friends and family. He is a doting father to a pre-teen daughter whom he adores (just ask him).  He loves documentaries on history and movies based on true stories. His summer vacation at the lake is a highlight of his year. He also enjoys the moonlight bike riding events organized by Elgin Community Bikes. Most excitingly, Rich spent years as the drummer in a touring band.  If you’re lucky you might catch him beating out a drum riff on a box of tape as he packs it.  The man has led an exciting life – it’s a wonder he has time to work!

When asked what advice he might give his younger self, he said, “Stay focused on the more important things in life.”

As a family man with a deep spiritual life, Rich supports charities that focus on support in many areas including family, community, natural disaster relief, education, health and more.

In celebration of Richard Rodriguez and his contributions to our company, Elite Tape will be contributing $1,000 to his favorite charity JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES.