Raining Rose expanding, plans new facility

CEDAR RAPIDS -- A fast-growing Cedar Rapids producer of natural and organic lip balm and body care items is leasing additional manufacturing space as it prepares to construct a larger permanent facility.

Raining Rose, 407 Nine Ave. SE, has signed a contract to lease a building at 1420 Mount Vernon Rd. SE that formerly housed Crescent Electric Supply Co. With that building and space the company leases in the Primus Construction building at 405 Eighth Ave. SE, Chuck Hammond, Raining Rose owner and president, said the company will occupy a total of about 45,000 square feet at the three locations.

"We have purchased the former Allis-Chalmers plant (2920 First Ave. SE) and our intention is to build a new facility there," Hammond said. "We're looking at somewhere between 60,000 and 100,000 square feet. Hopefully we will start work this fall and occupy it next summer."

Hammond said Raining Rose will consolidate all manufacturing and business operations at the new building. He said Raining Rose recently became the exclusive distributor for Ballmania, lip balm in the form of basketball balls, golf balls, soccer balls and similar sports gear.

"We have just over 100 employees and it's really a crazy time," Hammond said. "As we've grown, we're having a hard time tracking down commodities in the quantities that we require. We have a couple of customers that are growing like crazy and the numbers we have our suppliers for inventory don't match up.

"We're having to find additional sources and that sometimes can require a new formulation."

Raining Rose was selected as one of 2011's Inner 100, a list of the fastest-growing inner city companies in the United States, by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City and Fortune magazine. The Inner City 100 program recognizes successful inner city companies and their CEOs as role models for entrepreneurship, innovative business practices and job creation in America's urban communities.

Hammond, who recently accepted a Blue Ribbon Small Business award from the United States Chamber of Commerce on behalf of Raining Rose, is a Central Midwest finalist for the 2011 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year.