(MENAFN Editorial) DEERFIELD BEACH, FL / ACCESSWIRE / February 7, 2018 / After more than doubling company revenue from 2016 to 2017, Richard and Rice Construction is ready to dominate the industry once again. The company was founded in 2004, but nearly shut down through no fault of their own. In January of 2016, owners Gaetan Richard and Murray Rice were surprised and shocked when their Deerfield Beach offices were raided. The raid, seizure, and arrests took place before the government had examined their computers, cell phones, and office files and documents. Richard, Rice, and four other colleagues were taken into custody on suspicion of workers compensation fraud. Their pictures were plastered on local newspapers and TV.

Richard & amp; Rice immediately proclaimed their innocence and would later learn that the actions of a sub-contractor is what roped them into the mess. Richard & amp; Rice Construction and its owners had no reason to believe there was any wrongdoing and believed the sub-contractors they were working with were following all laws. As it turned out, the sub-contractor had been caught in workers compensation fraud and mislead the police into believing Richard & amp; Rice had knowledge of this, when in fact they did not.

Richard & amp; Rice retained counsel and confronted the allegations, ultimately forcing the state to announce that there was "no smoking gun" and decide not to pursue the case. Meanwhile, Richard & amp; Rice spent money on attorney's fees, lost millions of dollars in contracts, and their pristine reputation was compromised.

"After 25 years in the industry, I was shocked that everything we worked so hard for could be taken away in mere hours solely based on the accusation of another," said Murray Rice, President of Richard & amp; Rice. "I knew we did nothing wrong, but the damage was done."

Now, Richard & amp; Rice is ready to kick off 2018 with a fresh start. The company is leading the industry by taking extra precautions when working with sub-contractors. After consultation with experts in the workers compensation field, they have hired a full-time employee whose sole responsibility it is to vet sub-contractors and manage all workers compensation and insurance issues to insure full compliance with the all applicable laws. The company conducts surprise audits at its construction sites to ensure that all sub-contractor workers are vetted and on the payroll roster.

"We go above and beyond when it comes to what is required. We are very clear when hiring sub-contractors about how strict our policies are," said Gaetan Richard. "If they are not willing to hand over the information requested, then we will not hire them; it's as simple as that."

Richard and Rice is based in Deerfield Beach but has projects all across the state of Florida.

About Richard and Rice Construction

Founded in 2004, Richard and Rice Construction is a full-service general contracting company that specializes in foundations, masonry, and carpentry. Co-founders Gaetan Richard and Murray Rice have nearly 40 years of combined leadership experience and strongly believe in giving every customer the maximum value for their investment.

Headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Florida, R & amp;R job sites pan across the state, ranging from Miami to Naples and Pensacola. Since the inception of their business, the client list has grown to include Pulte Group, D.R. Horton, Lennar Homes, Standard Homes, Toll Brothers, Taylor Morrison, Beazer Homes, K. Hovnanian, David Weekley, Kolter Homes, Minto Homes, Mattamy Homes, Centerline Homes, WCI Communities, and many other regional custom builders and General Contractors.

For more information, visit or call 866-343-9831.

SOURCE: Richard and Rice Construction

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