Over the last nine decades, the Raymond Group has grown from a small lath and plaster company in Orange, Calif., to one of the regional wall and ceiling industry’s leading design-assist, specialty finish and theming contractors.

Today, the company has 1,200 field employees and offices in San Diego, Northern California and Las Vegas as well as its headquarters in Orange. And in addition to plaster and drywall, the Raymond Group’s self-performing capabilities include metal framing, drywall systems, acoustical ceilings, fireproofing, prefabrication, virtual design and construction and more.

The company is still run by the descendants of founder George Raymond, as granddaughters Kirsten Potter and Nicolle Winsor took over operations in 2017.

“Kirsten and I have each held various roles within the company over the years and have been on the board of directors since the 1990s, playing a role in shaping the company’s strategy and financial success,” says Nicolle (Nikki) Winsor, principal/owner. “Since 2017, Raymond has been majority women-owned and operated, and we are proud to have recently been recognized as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE).”

Work on the 8th & Figueroa residential tower project in downtown Los Angeles included drywall and framing as well as intumescent fireproofing.
Photo courtesy The Raymond Group

She says being certified as a WBE is an “important part of what we stand for—diversity, integrity and teamwork.”

The firm furthers its commitment to encouraging women in construction by participating in the Future Construction Leaders Foundation (FCL) Camp for Teen Girls in the San Diego region. The program hosts an annual summer camp for high school aged girls where they are introduced to different construction activities.

Kirsten Potter, principal/owner, says Raymond is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse work environment and, as part of that, employs many women across various levels of the organization—from leadership roles to operational positions and field labor.

“This culture directly influences our end product and our relationships with our clients. To stay busy, we rely on the strong, long-term relationships we’ve built with our clients and our commitment to delivering high-quality work,” says Winsor.

The Raymond Group installed the low walls and the substrate for tile in the 12 unique bars at Snapdragon Stadium, as well as handling intricate soffits and ceilings to complement the lighting.
Photo courtesy Clark Construction

Building on Firm Foundations

The firm, started by George Raymond in 1936, got its start helping complete some of the first planned residential communities in the country.

In the 1950s, the firm expanded into commercial construction. In 1964, George’s son Carl Raymond took over the company, further growing its operations to include a commercial drywall division.

Today, Raymond stays at the forefront of technology and helps streamline field operations by utilizing an in-house virtual design and construction department that specializes in BIM. The firm also offers extensive prefabrication techniques for building components and exterior wall systems.

“We’re constantly expanding our scope, exploring new opportunities and clients when it aligns with our goals,” Winsor says. “We work hard to stay ahead of, and embrace, industry innovations and improvement, and we take on a mix of large, major projects as well as smaller specialty tenant improvement projects.”

Thanks to its varied services and solid reputation, the Raymond Group has seen a noticeable increase in business recently, reporting $335 million in 2023 revenue, up 11% from 2022.

Raymond Group CEO Travis Winsor says major projects such as 8th and Figueroa in downtown Los Angeles, the new Sacramento courthouse, the IQHQ in San Diego and the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas have led to the strong volume the firm has experienced in 2023. He says while 2024 has been a challenging year for construction, he is projecting 2025 to be at or above 2023 levels.

Current hot markets for the firm include health care, senior/assisted living, college/university, warehousing, hospitality and entertainment venues. “There has also been a notable emphasis on sustainability and energy efficiency, with increased growth in LEED-certified buildings,” adds Nicolle Winsor.

Helping Raymond increase revenue are projects such as Echelon Studios, a 550,000-sq-ft film studio project with MATT Construction that is just getting started in Los Angeles. On this job, Raymond is performing framing, drywall, fireproofing, firestopping, plaster, EIFs, insulation, fiber cement siding as well as budget assisting.

Another large current project is the Gateway at UC Berkeley, which will be the new home of the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society—the first new college at UC Berkeley in 50 years. Raymond is performing framing, drywall/sheathing, insulation, taping, acoustical plaster, scaffold, GFRG, structural engineering and BIM for Turner Construction.

North City in San Marco is also worth noting. This is a 204-acre mixed-use development where Raymond is performing framing, gypsum board, taping, fiber-reinforced polymer, fire caulking, safing, plaster and spray applied fireproofing.

The Raymond Group performed extensive interior work on the Chicken Ranch Casino project in Jamestown, Calif., for Suffolk Construction.
Photo by Moonshot Photography

A Sterling Reputation

Because of its strong work ethic and commitment to quality and innovation, Raymond has built strong relationships with general contractors and clients.

Rick Solomon with Clark Construction is one of these contractors. He worked with Raymond on SoFi FIFA World Cup Modifications, Avenger’s Campus Disney California Adventure, Pixar Pier Disney California Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout Disney California Adventure.

“Raymond is a top-tier contractor who helps the team out in any way possible, even if it is a little out of their comfort zone,” says Solomon. “As a general contractor, having subcontractors like Raymond Group who make my life easier is a dream. They are industry leaders in safety, quality, schedule certainty and are just exceptional partners.”

On the SoFi project, he says the project team faced an extremely tight window to work within to complete the scope in between the end of the football season and the beginning of concert season. “It was clear that Raymond was going to be the trade partner of choice,” says Solomon. “They had crews working in every area to make sure material and sub-tier crews were adhering to the schedule. At the end of the day, the project was an overwhelming success with a very satisfied client.”

The Raymond Group has built a reputation for reliablity and collaborative problem-solving.
Photo courtesy The Raymond Group

Steve Evanco, project executive with Bernards, who worked with the Raymond on the Viejas Casino floor expansion project in Alpine, Calif., says from the estimating job walk through completion, he felt the full backing of the Raymond team to support the execution of the project.

“The estimating effort was collaborative and complete, and the execution of the work was well coordinated and of the highest quality,” says Evanco. “Being a major trade on the project performing framing, drywall and fireproofing, Raymond understood the challenges of the compressed project schedule and overcame those challenges by openly creating work plans, being nimble and collaborative with other trades and always provided proactive input on how to best sequence and attack work.”