American Ramp Company
Encyclopedia
American Ramp Company is an skatepark
design and manufacturing company founded in Joplin, MO, USA. The company's main focus is building modular skateboard
ramps manufactured from steel and precast concrete.
and during college in the mid 90's he built a wood-and-steel halfpipe in his backyard. He named the skate spot Bemo's Barnside Skatepark. The skatepark was later moved to an indoor location and was operated for five years.
In 1998, Bemo partnered with Daman schuber and formed his own company, the American Ramp Company, in Joplin, MO. However, instead of building skateparks for the private sector, the company decided to focus on building skateparks for municipalities and military bases. For the first two years after incorporation the company built its products onsite.
In 2000, the company developed and produced the all-steel Pro Series ramp system. This was a major shift in the company's direction because no longer were products manufactured onsite but were preengineered and premanufactured prior to shipping. Additional ramp lines followed in the same premanufactured build method.
In 2008 American Ramp Company became the first skatepark manufacturer to intall over 1,000 skateparks worldwide. Additionally, in August 2008, it was announced that American Ramp Company had purchased Solo Ramps from Nicolet, Quebec
, Canada for an undisclosed amount and would move production of the precast concrete operation to their facility in Joplin, MO. There had been speculation that the acquisition of Solo Ramps would spell the end of the Pro Series product but American Ramp Company CEO, Jim Moss, confirmed that the Pro Series product would continue because of demand, unaffected by the purchase of Solo Ramps. The company also holds skatepark demonstrations to raise awareness for the need of community skateparks.
In 2009 American Ramp Company acquired Skateparks International formerly a division of BCI Burke, LLC, as well as Academy Skatepark Design, a landscape architecture firm based in San Diego, CA which specialized in the development of action sports facilities.
Currently American Ramp Company manufacturers five product lines and remains a privately held corporation.
Skatepark
A skatepark is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, aggressive inline skating and scooters. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, quarter pipes, spine transfers, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, pools, bowls, snake runs stairsets,...
design and manufacturing company founded in Joplin, MO, USA. The company's main focus is building modular skateboard
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
ramps manufactured from steel and precast concrete.
History
During the 1980s Nathan Bemo began skateboardingSkateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
and during college in the mid 90's he built a wood-and-steel halfpipe in his backyard. He named the skate spot Bemo's Barnside Skatepark. The skatepark was later moved to an indoor location and was operated for five years.
In 1998, Bemo partnered with Daman schuber and formed his own company, the American Ramp Company, in Joplin, MO. However, instead of building skateparks for the private sector, the company decided to focus on building skateparks for municipalities and military bases. For the first two years after incorporation the company built its products onsite.
In 2000, the company developed and produced the all-steel Pro Series ramp system. This was a major shift in the company's direction because no longer were products manufactured onsite but were preengineered and premanufactured prior to shipping. Additional ramp lines followed in the same premanufactured build method.
In 2008 American Ramp Company became the first skatepark manufacturer to intall over 1,000 skateparks worldwide. Additionally, in August 2008, it was announced that American Ramp Company had purchased Solo Ramps from Nicolet, Quebec
Nicolet, Quebec
Nicolet, Quebec is the county seat of Nicolet-Yamaska Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 7,827...
, Canada for an undisclosed amount and would move production of the precast concrete operation to their facility in Joplin, MO. There had been speculation that the acquisition of Solo Ramps would spell the end of the Pro Series product but American Ramp Company CEO, Jim Moss, confirmed that the Pro Series product would continue because of demand, unaffected by the purchase of Solo Ramps. The company also holds skatepark demonstrations to raise awareness for the need of community skateparks.
In 2009 American Ramp Company acquired Skateparks International formerly a division of BCI Burke, LLC, as well as Academy Skatepark Design, a landscape architecture firm based in San Diego, CA which specialized in the development of action sports facilities.
Currently American Ramp Company manufacturers five product lines and remains a privately held corporation.
American Ramp Company Management
- Nathan W. Bemo, President
- John D. Schuber, Vice President
- James C. Moss, CEO
- William J, Isenberger, CFO