Mr. Phillips started his own machine shop in 1967 before being drafted into the Army in 1969. Upon his return from Vietnam, he reopened Phillips Machine and Welding and continued in the tool and die business. Ralph also acquired and purchased new businesses, and in 2000, his annual sales for the Phillips Family of Companies exceeded $60 million, and he employed over 200 people. The success of his companies gave him the means to help a tremendous number of people in the Shelby, Ohio area and beyond. He participated in international humanitarian efforts through Rotary International in Guatemala, Haiti and Belize.
Ralph also participated in the AMVETS, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion posts in Shelby. He sat on several boards of directors: Shelby Chamber of Commerce, Shelby Foundation, Richland County Foundation, North Central State Foundation, and the Community Improvement Corporation. He was a contributor and mentor to the Boy Scouts of America and Future Farmers of America.
Ralph’s legacy is truly alive in his community and in the people whose lives he touched.