Community members give back

Published: 10/29/2018

Vials and labels in the pharmacy at the Center for Healthy Living were donated by RX Systems, Inc. This is one of many classrooms to receive educational equipment thanks to Richard and Linda Jensen.

Entrepreneurism and family go hand in hand for Richard and Linda Jensen. They believe that if we want a qualified workforce, we need to invest in the education of future generations.

Early in his life, Richard’s service in the U.S. Air Force sparked an interest in medicine, and he said a community college chemistry professor later cultivated that interest. He earned an Associate of Arts in chemistry and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology.

While at the college in Rochester, Minn., he met his future wife Linda, who had just become a Licensed Practical Nurse. After getting married and graduating from the University of Minnesota, Richard was fortunate to find a good job in the health field. It wasn’t long, however, until he developed a strong desire to become an entrepreneur.

Richard turned his original interest in medicine into a successful family business when he started RX Systems, Inc., in 1979. Today he is CEO of the St. Charles-based manufacturer and provider of pharmacy packaging and supplies, which has grown to 270 employees, including his three children.

Because of his own experience starting at a community college, Richard recognizes the role it plays in education of his employees and knows first-hand the importance of providing scholarships along with the proper equipment for student education. That’s what motivates him today to help raise funds for students through the SCC Foundation, where he serves as a board member and co-chairs the golf committee.

Richard and Linda have two sons, Jason and Derek, one daughter, Eve, and eight grandchildren.

This story was featured in the 2018 Foundation Annual Report.