Case Study: Richardson International achieves rock-solid reliability and simplified, low-cost network management with RUCKUS Networks

Ruckus Switches Foster Trust with Corporate IT and Acquisitions

Richardson International, Canada’s largest grain and food-products provider, grew rapidly through acquisitions across North America and Europe and needed a dependable, easy-to-manage network that wouldn’t disrupt manufacturing operations. Their existing HP switching infrastructure proved unreliable and maintenance-intensive, making standardization difficult and causing acquired mills to distrust corporate IT’s recommendations.

Richardson replaced the legacy switches with about 500 Ruckus ICX units, centrally managed by a three-person team across 140 locations. The new network delivered simplified management, a single spare hardware strategy, and dramatically improved reliability—three years with only one failure (lightning)—and enabled a high-profile UK mill cutover with just five minutes of downtime, which helped build trust for further standardization.

Richardson International

Jeff Stacey

Manager, Infrastructure