There’s a modern twist to the legend of Rosie the Riveter, the iconic symbol of the American military spouse.
Lakeland, Fl.-based handbag and accessories company R. Riveter is giving a new generation of military spouses remote working opportunities while their soldiers are serving the country.
“We started in 2020 as two young military spouses tired of moving frequently, and having a very difficult time finding sustainable work,” Lisa Bradley, co-founder of R. Riveter, said in an interview with Military.com. “It seemed like our resumes were getting put at the bottom of the pile. So we had to do something.”
Bradley and her co-founder, Cameron Cruse, created R. Riveter as a handbag and accessories brand with a work-from-home business model. The idea was born after they noticed a pile of military-grade uniforms, tents, and other materials that were durable and high quality, just like the bags they envisioned.
“They’re very classic, a mix of canvas and leather. We really try to be that middle ground between carrying an everyday bag and dressing up for evenings too,” Bradley said. “That pile of military materials in the corner was our inspiration. It made for a really great baseline to cut from.”
But instead of doing all the work themselves, Bradley and her partner developed a remote working platform where other military spouses could receive a handbag kit through the mail, follow the patterns and then construct the bags roughly. Final assembly happens at the R. Riveter production and fulfillment center in Lakeland.
“In 2020, remote work was not very common. And for military spouses, moving every 2–4 years was not sustainable,” Bradley explained. “What we needed was a business that could operate from anywhere, with labor that was cost-effective.”
Bradley said the business model is a win-win for the military spouses or ‘Riveters,’ they employ, and for the company, by providing an American labor force for American-made products.
“Our bags are assembled in the U.S., which is very difficult to do. Labor costs are high in this country,” she said. “Trying to find and compete against companies that are manufacturing overseas is very tough. But there’s a difference between where our products come from and who’s making them.”
The company’s website has a testimonial section, where military spouses who work for the company share their success stories. One of them is a Gold Star spouse identified as Ashley, a military widow with four children.
She was initially gifted an R.Riveter creation that she used as a diaper bag. Ashley later became a Riveter, which led to other opportunities in product support, design and work in the R.Riveter flagship store in Southern Pines, NC.
“The brand already felt personal to me because it represented creativity, resilience, and community in a military lifestyle that often requires constant change,” Ashley said. “It is truly an honor to continue this journey in the store, connecting with customers every day and sharing a mission and story that has become such a meaningful part of my own life.”
Today, ‘Riveters’ span across the U.S., with each one getting a special RR I.D. that is stamped on the product from start to finish. Prices range from $30 for a small handbag to $300 for a large briefcase.
“This special RRID is a mark of our community and pride for the product,” she said. “When the pieces all come together to make up a bag, customers carry a story with them wherever they go.”
The handbags have inspired support from all walks of life, including the ‘Riveter Nation’ of military spouses across the country. Other support came from the hit television show “Shark Tank”, where R. Riveter appeared on Season seven in February 2016 and scored a deal from investor and businessman Mark Cuban for $100,000, in exchange for 20% equity in the company.
“Shark Tank gave us such a great start in our online sales,” Bradley said. “Since the show, we’ve created 150,000 bags and earned $33 million in sales. It’s all thanks to the 120 or so ‘Riveters’ we employ, as part of a staff of 240 hardworking individuals.”
They’re all working to develop and manufacture different handbag and accessory ideas, with a personal touch. R. Riveter’s new ‘Heirloom” program allows families of military members and veterans to send in materials to make a keepsake that reminds them of the loved one. The special service is garnering rave reviews on the company’s website and “Bags on a Mission” blog.
“People love it. They can send in an old jacket or part of a uniform, a chain or a hat, and we’ll make a bag out of it,” Bradley said. “It’s a great program for families to be able to tell the story of someone that’s very special to them.”
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