| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1999 as Richlund Ventures, Inc. |
| Founder(s) | Rick Lundbom |
| Headquarters |
Austin, Texas, United States 8606 Wall St. Ste. 1800, Austin, Texas 78754 |
| Key people | Rick Lundbom (CEO) Jason Roussos (President) Drew Leakey (VP) Peter Keller (VP) |
| Employees | 49 |
Living Direct is an online retail company, specializing in consumer appliances, indoor air quality products, and lawn and garden furniture. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Living Direct encompasses a network of specialty eCommerce websites including CompactAppliance.com, LivingDirect.com, PortableAirShop.com, Kegerator.com, SimplyDehumidifiers.com, HotWaterSource.com and WineCoolerDirect.com. The company also designs and manufactures two product brands, EdgeStar and KoldFront.
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Living Direct, previously known as Richlund Ventures, was founded in 1999 by entrepreneur Rick Lundbom, who decided to implement his knowledge and previous experience to bring to the market hard-to-find appliances for modern, small-space living. The company started in his home with no outside investors and Lundbom as the sole employee.[1]
He began by launching Living Direct's first retail website, CompactAppliance.com. It was followed by PortableAirShop.com in 2004 and HotWaterSource.com in 2007. In 2008, LivingDirect.com was launched. Since then, Kegerator.com, SimplyDehumidifiers.com, WineCoolerDirect.com and IceMakerDirect.com have been added to the Living Direct network. Today, Living Direct is a multi-million dollar eCommerce enterprise consistently ranked in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide of America’s largest e-retailers,[2] as well as a respected member of the Better Business Bureau.[3]
Entrepreneur Magazine selected Living Direct as a 2007 Hot 500 Fastest Growing Business.[1] In 2008, Living Direct was listed in Inc.com's "5,000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America," which determines ranking based on revenue growth.[4]
The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas ordered Living Direct's wine coolers for its ritziest suites, and the Philadelphia Eagles have its compact refrigerators in the VIP boxes.[5]
EdgeStar and Koldfront are the private-label brands for Living Direct, Inc. They are focused on portability and innovative use of small spaces.