Where Strength and Flexibility Meet

Incorporated in February 1999, DT&J, Inc. has rapidly developed, prototyped, and brought to market an idea that began as simple sketches on paper. Using the age-old concept of a ramp, DT&J innovated a design that incorporates both the strength of ramp technology with the flexibility of movement not seen before in any product. Take a look at Roll-A-Ramp's competitor comparison.

DT&J, Inc. plans to bring to market a number of products that make use of the innovative design of the Roll-A-Ramp.

MANAGEMENT

Thomas E. Kenville - President / CEO

In addition to being the President and CEO of DT&J, Inc., Tom Kenville is also the President and CEO of Mid-America Aviation, Inc. Mid-America Aviation overhauls and repairs critical aircraft components for the U.S. Air Force, NASA, and 16 foreign countries. MAA was awarded the 1999 SBA "Prime Contractor of the Year" for Region VIII and the 2000 SBA North Dakota Exporter of the Year.

Tom also spent 32 years in the United States Air Force and the Air National Guard, retiring in 1995 as a Colonel. During that time, he spent over 5,000 hours in military flight, and was also the key individual in securing all federal funding for all six armories in North Dakota.

Tom is committed to excellence and prides himself on the company's commitment to world-class customer service. Many of Roll-A-Ramp's various markets and uses come from his willingness to develop and enhance products to meet the demands of the market; truly an innovative thinker.

Greg Moll -  International Sales and Export Manager

Greg's background is in sales and marketing. He has been with the company since its early days.

Greg brings a unique perspective, as he himself is disabled, suffering an accident where he fell from a tree, leaving him partially paralyzed as a result. He truly appreciates and understands the needs and challenges of accessibility.

Greg has empathy and a passion for the product, helping to gain global distribution of Roll-A-Ramp.

Tim Capouch - General Manager

Tim has been with Roll-A-Ramp since inception. He has a vast knowledge of all operations within the company.

Tim oversees all daily activities and production logistics within the company, and assures the smooth flow of information among all departments within the company.

Don Schmaltz - Secretary/Treasurer

Don Schmaltz was the original designer for the Roll-a-ramp. He has a B.S. in Industrial Arts from the University of North Dakota and an M.S. in Vocational Rehabilitation from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. For the past 25 years, Don has been employed by the Fargo Public Schools working with Developmental Disabled adults. He holds the position of Facility Coordinator at the Evaluation and Training Center in Fargo.

ADMINISTRATION

Samantha Heth - Shipping, Receiving and Logistics

Sam is in charge of the Logistics Dept, and oversees the daily activities that go along with production; preparing build orders, overseeing assembly, managing the shipping & freight activities.  Sam is also involved in the International side of the company working with freight forwarders for quotations, and making sure Roll-A-Ramp is compliant with all procedures mandatory by the US Government for exporting.  These include Export Document Compliance, Records, and up to date regulations on various countries Roll-A-Ramp exports to through the network of distributors worldwide.

Jill Baer - Administrative Assistant

Jill works in the Administrative Department and provides support to all areas within the company - Sales & Marketing, Logistics, Accounting among others.  In addition, she is the receptionist and first point of contact for customers calling the company, and works with customers to make sure they are routed to the proper support area, or to an authorized Roll-A-Ramp dealer in their area.

 Tyler is the primary liaison to the veteran community to help meet accessibility needs of disabled veterans. He is very knowledgeable about anything VA related and works with various military service organizations. Service and non-service connected disabled veterans may be eligible to receive money for a wheelchair ramp through the HISA grant program and other VA funding sources. Tyler served with the US Marine Corps in Afghanistan and medically retired as a Corporal. He was awarded a Purple Heart and Combat Action Ribbon for his service. He has a true passion for helping disabled veterans get the benefits they are entitled to because his own life was saved while in combat. Prior to joining Roll-A-Ramp, Tyler worked at the VA Regional Hospital in Fargo in the claims office.

Ryan Griggs - Assembly

Ryan is in the Assembly & Logistics Dept.  He is responsible for assembling ramp orders, and he is an expert at constructing the many different types of ramps the company offers.  Ryan also assists with the logistics of loading and unloading of the many containers of material that go in and out of the facility. 

History

Occasionally, we have the fortune of being able to develop an idea that has merit for many people. Hopefully many of our ideas will assist making our jobs easier and safer. With this in mind, Donald J. Schmaltz developed the concept of a ramp that would roll up. The first challenge was to design a ramp that would be easily portable, lightweight, and strong enough for the purpose intended. The second challenge was to design a ramp that would roll-up so it could be used in tight quarters. Thus the Roll-A-Ramp was created as a sketch on paper. After sitting on the idea for a year, Don approached his friend Tom Kenville and presented the idea to him. We began experimenting by designing a number of wooden models and based on our results we felt the idea had strong possibilities. Engineering development was done by Dr. Joseph Stanislao, P.E.

With the assistance of Bruce Gjovig, Director of the Center for Innovation at the University of North Dakota, a market survey was completed. This provided positive feedback and encouragement to continue pursuing the project. We then began to pursue funding to build a prototype. Our initial funding came from the three partners, Donald J. Schmaltz, Thomas E. Kenville, and Dr. Joseph Stanislao, P.E. with additional funds received from the Lake Agassiz Regional Council in the form of a mini grant.

Dr. Joseph Stanislao's major contribution was the engineering design and developing structural integrity in the Roll-A-Ramp. He created the functional design and improved the strength-weight ratio in order to make the ramp a producible and marketable product. He continues to conduct the research and development for DT&J, Inc.

Once initial funding was in place, Tom contacted Jim Balcom, who has developed several inventions of his own, and Mark Neary, a machinist, enlisting their expertise. While the prototypes were being developed, Jim Balcom did additional research on existing patents and patent procedures. With all these elements being favorable, DT&J, Inc. became a reality.

The Roll-A-Ramp is becoming a reality. And it is with pride that this reality is a product of North Dakota.