2010

Why You Shouldn’t

Work with American
Ramp Company
An in-depth analysis of why skaters,
skatepark advocates, parents and
municipalities all agree that American Ramp
Company is not the right choice for your next
skatepark project
Why You Shouldn’t Work with American Ramp Company

Document Outline

1. Company Overview

a. Introduction
b. The Sales Machine
c. Pushing Religion on Young Skaters
d. Poor Industry Reputation

2. 10+ Years of Low Quality Metal Ramps

a. Aggressively Pushing Steel Ramps

b. Discrediting Concrete Skateparks
c. Design Flaws
d. Specifications to Lock Out Competitors
e. Misleading Warranties

3. Experimenting with Concrete

a. A System Designed for Selling Components
b. Purchasing a Failed System
c. Disastorous Results with Pre-cast Concrete
d. Hardcore Shotcrete & Misleading References

4. Conclusion
Section 1 Company Overview

Introduction
American Ramp Company (ARC) is a skatepark equipment provider based in Joplin, Missouri.
The company was formed in 1998 and is primarily focused on selling pre-fabricated skatepark
equipment to municipalities across the US.

The Sales Machine

The majority of skatepark companies began with humble roots and usually sell their services
through a few key employees. This usually includes the founder/owner of the company,
supported by a modest staff of a few dedicated employees. American Ramp Company on the
other hand, has an estimated 15-20 employees who focus solely on making telemarketing calls
to cities across the US.

In early 2008, ARC issued a press release announcing that they were expanding their
telemarketing efforts by implementing a “call center solution” from Five9, Inc.

“ARC wanted a powerful predictive dialer to complement their existing email and marketing
campaign tools but they also wanted a complete solution that would help distributed sales
teams win new business.”

To get a better idea of what Five9, Inc. does, here is a description of their company from that
same press release:

“Five9 is the leading global provider of on-demand call center software for telemarketing,
customer service, and business continuity.”

Here is an example of how other companies use Five9:

“Alva Pacific Franchise Corp. uses Five9 to turn internet cafes into profitable night-time call
centers.”

Source: 1. Business Wire - April 7, 2008 – “Skatepark Leader American Ramp Company Boosts Productivity,
Efficiency, and Cost Savings in Record Time with Five9” 2. www.five9.com
With this sales machine in place, ARC calls
several hundreds of cities every single day and
gets their foot in the door before any other
skatepark builder or advocacy group even has a
chance. Once they are in the door, they begin
discrediting every other skatepark builder and
make exaggerated claims about their skatepark
equipment and company abilities. This means
that by the time another skatepark company
finds out about a project, their reputation has
already been tarnished by ARC. These Photo Source: www.americanrampcompany.com
companies are then faced with an uphill battle
with a city that wants nothing to do with them.

This also means that ARC is able to persuade cities to use their over-the-top proprietary
information for bid purposes and lock out all other competitors.

“These past few years have been a rough ride for Rampage and other freestanding equipment
builders. Most of the bids that came across our desks had the same cut and paste proprietary
ARC boiler plate with their exclusionary yes or no questionnaire that we couldn’t meet.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Concrete vs. Pre-Fab Steel – Anytown, USA
User: Dinosaur Date: 19 Aug 2009

Pushing Religion on Young Skaters

Although there is clearly nothing wrong with having strong religious beliefs, it becomes a
problem when you emphasize it where it doesn’t belong and push your beliefs onto other
people. Christianity has nothing to do with skateparks, so why does it play such a huge part in
American Ramp Company’s sales tactics?

“We wanted to put God first in all that we did,” Bemo says, “so from the very beginning we
dedicated this business to God. A small way that we show this commitment is by our ‘Jesus'
link. We get a lot of Web traffic from kids that haven't heard the ‘good news,' so hopefully it
has made some type of impact…We simply love God and want others to know that is the
priority in our business.”

Source: http://www.dalatalumni.com/news/25457/Alumni-News-Divine-Direction---Nathan-Bemo-92.htm
Here is an excerpt from American Ramp Company’s website:

Who's Jesus and why should I care?

You should care because you're a screw-up. Please don't take it the wrong way; it's not just
you. You see we're all screw-ups. This includes you, me, our friends, our parents, teachers,
preachers and the pope! So what does that mean? That means no matter how bad your life is,
you can be sure that eternity will be worse.

You are guilty of breaking God's laws and the penalty for that offence is hell. But, when Jesus
died on the cross, he took your screw-ups on himself and was punished for them. Your screw-
ups have been marked "paid in full", all you have to do is believe in Jesus for this payment to
take effect.

You can click on the next link or go out and skate and totally forget about this "Jesus". But don't
be fooled, if you choose this route when you die and stand in front of God, you will hear the
words "I never knew you, Away from me" and you will be assigned a place with the unforgiven.

Source: www.americanrampcompany.com/about

American Ramp Company’s president and founder, Nathan Bemo, also sits on the Board of
Advisors for a religious organization called Splinter Skateparks. This organization uses
skateboarding and skateparks to convert young kids into Christians through the use of splinter
cells.

Evangelism is the sub plot to the whole purpose of Splinter Cells, bringing in non-believing
skaters and introducing them to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the
dead, for our salvation.

Splinter Cells are aimed at skateboarders twelve years old and above, but again it may be that
11 year olds who are not plugged into the church, but do come and skate would fit in too.

Source: www.splinterskatepark.com

“I sent them a message saying that I was truly interested in the product they had to offer, then
I had religious beliefs forced upon me and now have decided to go somewhere else. I hope
they like it.”

Source: Aggressiveskateforum.com - User: Doogal Date: Dec 3 2009

The Walmart of Skateparks – Quantity over Quality
Since forming in 1998, American Ramp Company and its telemarketers have been on a mission
to litter the entire country with as many of their parks as possible. Their website boasts “250
skateparks installed last year alone”. While most skatepark companies complete 15-30
skatepark projects per year, American Ramp Company is basically producing a skatepark per
day. To undercut the competition, their model has always been low cost and high-volume.
When you are producing almost 300 skateparks per year, there is no way you can have the kind
of planning and thoughtful consideration that leads to a high-quality skatepark.

“American Ramp has built skate parks locally and around the world, including in Neosho and at
The Bridge in Joplin. It is on track to complete 220 parks at the end of this year.”

Source: The Joplin Globe - “Skateboard ramp company celebrates recent acquisitions, tenth anniversary” – Joe
Hadsall, November 24, 2008

“Nobody is claiming you haven't sold a lot of product. I wish you were emphasizing the quality
over the quantity, though.

The very nature of 'prefab' prioritizes mass production at the cost of quality. Companies like
ARC don't seem to be striving to make each skatepark great. Neither are the customers (cities)
who purchase these products out of catalogs. It's a sad case of shortchanging the end-user
because the vendor and the purchaser just don't care. “

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: American Ramp Company “Skate Park” – Red Hook, NY
User: Seth Johnson Date: 10 Aug 2009

“I do not have an agenda with ARC, it is only to see better parks built. In my opinion, you have
keep the quality low and the quantity high. I hope you guys can change that.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: American Ramp Company “Skate Park” – Red Hook, NY
User: Carter Dennis – SPS Board of Directors Date: 25 Aug 2009.
Poor Industry Reputation
You would think that if American Ramp Company created such bad skateparks, how could they
have stayed in business for over 10 years? The answer is clear though. The end users of
skateparks are usually between the age of 12-16 years old. This age group is typically apathetic,
uninformed and have trouble speaking up for themselves. So when these skaters get an ARC
skatepark, they have no idea who ARC is or why their town purchased that kind of equipment.
All they know is that it is terrible for skating. With skaters 18+ who know a little bit more about
how the world works, they know exactly who ARC is and the kinds of park they produce. With
these well-informed skaters, American Ramp Company has a reputation for design flaws, low
quality ramps, and terrible skateparks.

“I would remind all of our readers that you and your employees at American Ramp Company
have exerted no small amount of effort to prevent people from seeking skatepark
development advice from SPS. Furthermore, you state that you are unwilling to engage in
conversations with the nation's most passionate and dedicated advocates here at SPS for
several reasons. In fact, I believe you feel threatened by the lack of support you detect from
groups like SPS.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: American Ramp Company “Skate Park” – Red Hook, NY
User: Peter Whitley – SPS Board of Directors Date: 11 Aug 2009

What this indicates to me is that ARC management and marketing do not respect the advocacy
community and consider their peers not as partners in skatepark advancement but rather as
fierce competitors that can be treated as unethically as they choose.

For the sake of everyone, I hope that ARC considers this an opportunity to mend some of the
damage that's been done and improve their fading reputation among the skatepark industry
and activist community.

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Hardcore Shotcrete – what’s the deal?
User: Peter Whitley – SPS Board of Directors Date: 25 Oct 2009

“Your company currently engages in business practices that we generally disagree with on the
points above; we feel that your company has done things within skateboarding that has been
bad for skateboarders, for their communities, and has presented skateparks in a bad way.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Concrete vs. Pre-fab Steel – Anytown, USA
User: Peter Whitley – SPS Board of Directors Date: 11 Aug 2009
“I made much effort to discourage hiring them and have absolutely no faith in their ability to
successfully build this skatespot, but they were the low bidder, their references were deemed
to be credible by Seattle Parks following a detailed review, and they got hired. I am very familiar
with the ARC backstory, which is described elsewhere on SPS.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Dahl Skatespot (North Seattle)
User: Scott Shin – Parents for Skateparks Board of Directors Date: 27 Aug 2009

“First off I can have fun skating anything, but to be honest with you I’ve never skated a good
ARC park.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Portland, Maine Chooses ARC?
User: Carter Dennis SPS Board of Directors Date: 13 Feb 2010

“With your ill-conceived little empire under constant attack, you with so little respect in the
industry that you would be pummeled for showing up at most parks in the country (including
the prefab jokes that you built).”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Concrete vs. Pre-fab Steel – Anytown, USA User: Grinch
Section 2 10+ Years of Low Quality Metal Ramps

Aggressively Pushing Steel Ramps

American Ramp Company figured out early on that most cities thought skateboarding and
action sports were just fads that would die out within a few years. Cities didn’t want to make
large and permanent investments into an activity they thought would soon become unpopular.
The solution was the cheapest and easiest-to-transport skatepark equipment – steel ramps.

By preying upon these fears, steel ramps became the bread-and-butter of ARC. Through mass
production, ARC’s steel ramps did in fact fill the void of cheap and easy-to-remove skatepark
components. At the same time though, these steel ramps were made with low-quality, offered
zero creativity and provided the worst possible skateboarding experience.

Despite all the obvious negatives of using steel ramps for a municipal outdoor skateparks, ARC
was able to use its telemarketers and misleading claims to litter the country with over 1,000
steel skateparks.
Other than the cookie-cutter nature of pre-fabricated steel skateparks, there are three major
problems with steel skateparks: they get very hot, they are loud and they are very slick.
Knowing any obvious consumer would identify these problems with steel ramps, ARC devised
pre-written responses to all of these issues. This way, their telemarketers and brochures could
easily address the issues if they ever came up.

TOO HOT:

First, ARC claims “whether or not

Skatelite could burn a rider on a hot
day is never an issue.” Why is this
not an issue? Instead of addressing
this legitimate issue, they say it isn’t
one and feel like they’ve proven
their ramps aren’t scorching hot.
They also show a simple graph with
an arbitrary number of 110 for heat
threshold. What does this 110
mean? This graph supposedly
comes from an unnamed “third
party engineering” firm.

TOO LOUD:

Once again they cite a simple graph

from an unnamed “third party
engineering” firm. They also say an
all-steel park is about as loud as all
other styles of skateparks.
Source: American Ramp Company Product Catalog

TOO SLICK:

Here they say their president, Nathan Bemo has personally tested over 30 types of powder
coating and come up with the perfect solution. How is Nathan Bemo qualified to perform
scientific tests on polyester powder coating? And what happens when the powder coating
wears off, as we’ve seen with every single ARC steel skatepark?
American Ramp Company’s vague responses and questionable graphs from unnamed “third
party engineering firms” do not hold up when compared to the real life stories that are seen
all over the news once an ARC steel skatepark is installed.

TOO HOT:

The City of Tulsa, Oklahoma purchased steel ramp equipment from American Ramp Company.
Upon completing the installation, the City posted skatepark rules on their website. The 8th rule
on this list states:

“The SkatePark surface is extremely dangerous when wet or hot.”

Source: www.cityoftulsa.org

TOO LOUD:

The City of Westport, Washington purchased skatepark equipment from American Ramp
Company. After it was installed, the neighbors surrounding the park got together and filed a
lawsuit against the City because of the very loud noise being generated by the steel ramps.

“Noise complaints from neighbors have shut down a skateboard park at Westport where the
city used metal ramps to save money. Neighbors of Dorland Municipal Park filed a $250,000
damage claim against the city because of the loud and annoying noise. City officials removed
the ramps last week to avoid a lawsuit.”

Source: The Seattle Times – “Metal Skateboard Ramps Too Noisy for Westport” June 24, 2008

TOO SLICK:

In 2009 a young boy died while riding his bike on American Ramp Company skatepark
equipment in Plainfield, Connecticut. It had been raining earlier that morning and when the
boy started riding on the equipment he slipped and hit his head. Photos from the park show
the powder coating had worn off.

“Police said witnesses told them the boy was attempting a maneuver at the top of a ramp at
the skateboard park in the Little League complex on Lions Drive when he lost control and fell,
striking his head.”

Source: Norwich Bulletin – “Family grief-stricken at boy's death in Plainfield bike accident” May 3, 2009
Discrediting Concrete Skateparks

With the popularity of skateboarding and action sports on the rise, it was becoming clear that
these activities were not just a fad. At the same time, it was becoming very apparent that the
lowest-cost, easiest-to-transport equipment was not adequate for providing skaters with a safe
and enjoyable place to ride. Concrete skateparks are a lot quieter, do not get scorching hot,
require less maintenance, are more durable, and are preferred by 99% of skaters. Despite all
the advantages of concrete skateparks, ARC only knew how to sell steel ramps. Through their
literature and telemarketers they would intentionally discredit concrete skateparks with false
claims.

“There are a few things that you should consider before going with an in-ground concrete park.

1) Poured-in-place concrete is not maintenance free.

2.) The cost of a concrete skatepark is going to be many times more than steel. Often you can
get a complete steel park installed for the same price as what a concrete design alone will cost.

3.) We have visited many parks that local concrete contractors or cities have built and have
seen wavy transitions, misplaced coping, and incorrect radiuses.

4.) Concrete parks cannot be modified or moved if the need ever arises.

Our recommendation: With an all-steel park you can get a more versatile park, more
equipment, at a lower cost and still avoid maintenance issues common with other materials.”

Source: American Ramp Company 2010 Product Catalog

Instead of advocating for the highest-quality skateparks, ARC was aggressively pushing the
cheapest and easiest-to-move skatepark equipment.

“No legitimate skatepark builder co-opts the 'engineered to fail' possibility the way ARC has. What
does their "moveable pieces" pitch imply other than a pending decline in popularity? There is no
reason to rearrange a well conceived skatepark.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Newton, CT User: Bill Helene Date: 27 March 2009

“I’ve been advocating for skatepark for twelve years, it is very rare a city takes down a skatepark.
Usually the ones they take down are modular parks because they are falling apart and replacing
them with concrete parks.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Warren, PA

User: Carter Dennis – SPS Board of Directors Date: 3 April 2009
Design Flaws
Instead of focusing on the quality of each of one of their skateparks, American Ramp Company
has produced hundreds of uninspiring skateparks with design flaws that are obvious to skaters.

“The problem I see with ARC is the designs are usually out dated, and the poor quality on the
equipment. The Woodlands, TX is a perfect example. The design for Tamarac Park looks like
something from 2002 compared to what some of their competitors are doing. Plus these ramps
have major kink and kickplate problems.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Portland, Maine Chooses ARC?
User: Carter Dennis – SPS Board of Directors Date: 13 Feb 2010

“A handful of in-line skaters and skateboarders doing tricks Sunday morning in the park
doubted the park would be an extreme sports magnet unless some improvements were made.
"There are a lot of design flaws," said Vince Morrentino, 28, Indianapolis. "There's no fluid
movement through the park, and some of these metal edges need to be ground down. My
skates already have some weird grooves in them from skating here." Morrentino, who said he's
been skating more than 13 years and has visited more than 100 skate parks, said but unless
improvements are made, it's unlikely to draw skaters from outside Lawrence.”

Source: The Indianapolis Star Nov 2, 2009

“In the photo there are obviously huge design flaws such as kinked flat banks (no tranny at the
bottom), the hubbas are RIDICULOUS and that handrail is just a joke. There is no normal
handrail or ledge near the stairs and no step up or manny pad anywhere in sight. For the
budget (according to the newspaper) of $320,000 this is just another take-the-money-and-run-
but-blame-the-kids-for-a-poor-design ARC job.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Lawrence, Indiana User: Grinch Date: 27 March 2009

“Skaters in the Portsmouth, VA. area are making a public push to have more of a say in the
construction of the Cradock Skate Park. They say the current plan is far too generic and has not
nearly enough concrete. There is $200,000 in the bank for this project and how the money is
spent should be up to those who will use it everyday. To rally support for a design change,
skaters should write to Mike Morris, at the Dept. Of Parks & Recreation, to let him know that
the skaters want concrete.”

Source: www.skatedaily.net Feb 23, 2010

Almost every ARC steel skatepark is designed with one of these kicker ramps. It is designed
with a very sharp edge to it that can easily injure skaters as they jump into the ramp.

Here ARC dumped a bunch of steel equipment on a slab without any design consideration. There is not
enough space to get proper speed to approach or land a trick on any of these features.

These two features are virtually unskateable. The rails are too low to grind when coming off the ramp
and the ramps are too short to perform simple tricks. These are mistakes that are obvious to skaters.
Specifications to Lock Out Competitors
Through their army of telemarketers, American Ramp Company reaches most cities before any
other skatepark company even has a chance. Once they’ve started communicating with a City,
they immediately provide a rigid set of specifications that will only allow them to win the
project. They use lies to convince cities that steel is the best from the very beginning, and since
other companies can’t match their tight specifications – ARC is always the winner.

One of the most absurd statements in this specification is the “20-year warranty”. Any
company that doesn’t have a 20-year warranty on their equipment is automatically excluded
from the bid. If you look at any ARC skatepark that is more than a few years old, you will see
that this “warranty” is just a sales pitch used to lock out competitors, not an actual guarantee
of a quality product.

“However, my discussions with any client are in regards to product that I have personally seen
fail, methods that I personally know don't work and bid specs which I know for a fact allow your
company to enjoy a fantastic margin since no one else can bid. This series of foolish bid specs
have been discussed here and elsewhere many times and we needn't waste time doing it again.
Fact is your minions take the low road as much as anyone and you're a fool or liar if you claim
otherwise.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Hardcore Shotcrete – What’s the Deal? User: Grinch

“The fact is that these special specs, offered by only one vendor, are as archaic and unnecessary
as slalom boards and 78mm wheels in today's skate scene. Yet they survive for one reason- to
bar others from bidding on publicly funded projects. Advertising dollars and well-trained
salesmen have trumped creativity and the pursuit of quality and creativity.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Mattoon, Illinois User: Grinch

Misleading Warranties
American Ramp Company offers a 20-year warranty on its steel ramp equipment, which goes by
the name “Pro Series”. To a city, this 20-year warranty assures them they have made the right
decision and that they will be protected in case anything happens. When you read the fine
print of the warranty though, it becomes very clear that their “20-year warranty” doesn’t
amount to much.
"Equipment should be inspected weekly to ensure that all screws, nuts, blots, and nails are
firmly in place. Should the purchaser neglect any suggested maintenance, this warranty is
rendered invalid. Purchaser assumes all liability for site location and any and all problems
resulting from such placement (noise, vandalism, traffic, etc.)."

Source: American Ramp Company – Pro Series Warranty & Maintenance Schedule

This statement basically states that if you aren’t keeping detailed records of your weekly
skatepark inspections, your warranty becomes invalid and you have no protection against faulty
equipment.

"Your steel components have been coated polyester powder coating or galvanized. However, if
scratched deep enough, the steel underneath will rust. Although there is no structural danger
in this, spend an hour or so touching up with ARC provided color/texture to match paint to
maintain aesthetics."

Source: American Ramp Company – Pro Series Warranty & Maintenance Schedule

This statement basically admits that your skatepark equipment is going to rust and it will not
look aesthetically pleasing. They say rust doesn’t create structural danger, there is clearly
danger from skaters falling and cutting themselves on rusty edges.

“My personal opinion is that ARC warranty does far more to protect ARC than it does to protect
the purchaser or the end users.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Pitfalls of Vendor Warranties User: Tim Gordon

“That seems to be a warranty that would never cover any claim. This is pretty bluntly telling
the customer that this company won't fix anything that breaks during the product's expected
usage. Imagine Ford telling customers they won't replace a head gasket on an engine with only
3,000 miles because it's a "repair required by normal wear."

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Pitfalls of Vendor Warranties User: Seth Johnson
Section 3 Experimenting with Concrete

A System Designed for Selling Components

For ten years, American Ramp Company was exclusively focused on pre-fabricated ramp
equipment. In late 2008, they saw the writing on the wall. Word was finally starting to spread
around the country that steel skateparks did not hold up and were hated by skaters. Realizing
this, ARC began pursuing ways in which they could offer concrete skateparks to their
customers. With zero years of experience, ARC would soon begin using Cities as guinea pigs as
they tried to figure out how to build concrete skateparks. Their army of telemarketers was built
around selling components (a basic commodity) and was not prepared to handle the complex
concrete skatepark projects that could last years and involve very technical approaches.

“I’ve seen some good precast installations and I’ve seen some bad ones. This one is
particularly interesting because the company who installed it has been installing metal parks
for years. However, these metal ramps parks require very little creativity on the builders
part. You throw some ramps down on a slab. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don’t.
The attitude seems to be, "Throw the ramps down and on to the next town." Quantity over
quality.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Summit, Ill – Precast Eyesore
User: Carter Dennis – SPS Board of Directors Date: 13 March 2009

“Regardless, it is my opinion that ARC does best selling 'components'. Their business structure
is designed to deliver components.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: ARC/SOLO Skateparks

User: Carter Dennis – SPS Board of Directors Date: 24 June 2009

Purchasing a Failed System

In late 2008, American Ramp Company purchased SOLO pre-cast concrete ramps from Tessier
Recreo-Parc Inc. Tessier was a manufacturer of playground equipment that had been
unsuccessfully dabbling in skateparks for the past few years.

“Before the Solo acquisition, American Ramp’s product offerings were made mostly of steel,
wood and composites, said Jim Moss, chief executive officer. That meant the company was at a
disadvantage when it came to serving clients who wanted concrete products.
“We were getting about five bids a week for concrete parks, and all we could do was send bid
alternates,” Moss said. “This acquisition opens up a whole new segment of the market for us.
We can now give clients the only product we didn’t have access to before.”

Source: The Joplin Globe - “Skateboard ramp company celebrates recent acquisitions, tenth anniversary” – Joe
Hadsall, November 24, 2008

Unfortunately for American Ramp Company, SOLO was a terrible product that had been poorly
engineered and none of the company’s prior installations were holding up. Tessier was not a
skatepark builder and had very little understanding of how their system would function from a
skater’s perspective. Despite all of these problems, ARC pushed forward and used their army of
telemarketers to convince cities that SOLO was the best concrete skatepark solution.
Disastrous Results with Pre-cast Concrete
After ten years of selling pre-fabricated ramp components, American Ramp Company began
selling concrete skateparks. Concrete skateparks and pre-cast concrete technology are very
technical processes that cannot be learned over night. Not having built a single concrete
skatepark though, ARC would claim SOLO’s old references as their own. When people
questioned the low quality and skateability of SOLO though, ARC would say they didn’t build
those parks.

“First ARC/Solo is a new company. They have yet to install any solo skate parks in the US. Nor
have they made any of the Solo products in the US. Solo was a division of Tessier Recreo-Parc
Inc. A Canadian company that I use to rep for. As far as I know, ARC has no experience working
with the Solo product.”
Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: ARC/SOLO Skateparks User: Dedrec Date: 6 Jan 2009

“I have heard that they are claiming that warranties under the previous SOLO ownership are
not valid so the customer needs to contact the OLD owner in Canada. At the same time ARC is
claiming that they are remedying all of the issues with the former iteration but I ask this- if they
are not warrantying the old product, are they still using the completed projects in their
reference list? And while they're experimenting with these solutions whose really footing the
bill? The clients buying more prototype equipment? THESE ARE THE WARRANTY QUESTIONS
THE WORLD WANTS ANSWERS TO ARC!!!”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Summit, ILL – Precast Eyesore User: Grinch

“This same company also bought ANOTHER concrete ramp company and we have seen many,
many examples of them claiming that the OLD product wasn't warrantied but that no changes
have been made to the NEW product.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Hardcore Shotcrete – What’s the Deal? User: Grinch

“They use those Solo parks as references to boost their concrete credibility, but when they get
called out on them because they suck - then they say "oh, those aren't our parks". You can't
have it both ways!!! And those engineering flaws have not been corrected, Carter proved this
point over and over again.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Newtown, CT User: Vincent Onel
The following are recent skateparks built by American Ramp Company using the failed SOLO
system.

Summit, Illinois

“However the largest problem with the park is there’s seemingly no drainage system. I was
there the other day and half the park was completely under water and unusable, only leaving
a small run up to the quarter and euro.

I spoke to the locals there that claimed that at least some part of the park is always under
water, and if it isn’t it’s still covered with mud and debris from previous water coverage. It
seems to pool at the bottom of the stairs next to the wall ride.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Summit, ILL – Precast Eyesore User: Ruggnation
Woodlands, Texas

“I skated the Solo equipment this weekend in The Woodlands, TX at Tamarac Park. This is the
third time I’ve skated there and it still has problems. The Solo precast equipment has a severe
flaw in the kickplate.

Then the city called in ARC and they repaired the kickplates. Here is the picture of the same
ramp after it was repaired in September. Two months later. Notice how the concrete piece
under the kickplate is cracked. This is what is causing the anchors to come loose.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: St. Clair, Michigan
User: Carter Dennis – SPS Board of Directors Date: 23 Nov 2009

“However, the kinks are really bad. Especially the bank ramp. Even if you repaired the kickplate.
The way the ramp is designed you would still have a major kink. Talked with Kelly and she said
ARC will be back on the 14th to do a second round of repairs on the precast equipment.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: prefab crete in the woodlands
User: Carter Dennis – SPS Board of Directors Date: 19 Dec 2009
Woodlands, Texas (continued)

So I have skated two of the new precast concrete parks. The new ramps were added to existing
prefab parks, and frankly the metal ramps are better than the precast. They are maybe the
absolute worst thing I have ever skated on that are meant for skating.

• Kickplates = chunks of wheels and potentially flesh gone instantly.

• The surface is so slick that they might as well have made them out of ice.
• There's some fairly large chips from installation, making the razor sharp kickplates even
worse.
• The new stuff definitely adds to the park, but the problems with the equipment are
already starting to show (mere days after it was installed).
• Flimsy metal kickplates that have some sort of coating that make them slick as ice.
• Large bolts taking chunks out of wheels and potentially skaters.
• Seams at the top of stairs.
• But the biggest problem is the kickplates. Hit em at an angle and you slide. And you can
see em flex when even the smallest kid rolls over em.

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: prefab crete in the woodlands User: Kevinthehesh

Then in October of 2009, the Woodlands Community Association rescinded their contract with
American Ramp Company and hired a different skatepark builder for future phases on the
skatepark.

“In other WCA news, board members voted to rescind an extension of contracts with LDF
Construction and American Ramp Company for Bear Branch Skate Park phase two and approve
a bid from Parthenon Custom Concrete for the work.”
Source: The Courier of Montgomery County – “WCA gives expansion of community garden a go”
Lucretia Cardenas Oct. 15, 2009
Mt. Rainier, Maryland
Hardcore Shotcrete & Misleading References
After struggling with pre-cast concrete for a few months, American Ramp Company purchased
Hardcore Shotcrete, a skatepark company that had gone out of business in 2005.

“Hardcore seems to have gone by the wayside some years ago and the use of their name seems
to bring little to the table in today's market.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Hardcore Shotcrete – what’s the deal? User: Grinch

In an attempt to boost their credibility in the eyes of cities, ARC began including misleading
project references in Hardcore’s catalog. They were hoping they could make this company that
hadn’t been built a skatepark in years look a little bit more legitimate if they added some new
references. The skatepark industry quickly got on to these deceptive tactics though.

“As I understand it ARC's marketing materials included Hardcore Shotcrete's past work.
Unfortunately, some of those examples had little or no involvement by Hardcore Shotcrete. The
fact of the matter is that ARC's marketing materials have been distributed with erroneous and
misleading information.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Hardcore Shotcrete – what’s the deal?
User: Peter Whitley – SPS Board of Directors

“I really hope you change your catalog. It's full of misinformation and misleading sales
tactics. Both Kanten Russel and Seth Johnson have said that Mark Leone of Academy Skatepark
was not involved with the Pascagoula, MS project. If Mark was involved he definitely did not do
all that is stated in the catalog.

Lastly, I spoke with Matt Fluegge and Micah Shapiro of Grindline Skateparks. They think maybe
Mark had worked on some designs for Silver City and Aztec before the park was built. However,
these plans were discarded, and a new design was developed by Grindline to build Silver City
and Aztec. Therefore, you should remove those references entirely.

And according to him falsify references and taking credit for others peoples work is "petty". He
says we need to take a step back and look at how "negative" and "petty" we are. I am sorry you
feel that way Nathan, but everything I pointed out I backed up with facts straight out of your
catalog.
Tonight I received an email from Joe Caglia and Colby Carter of California Skateparks, and they
both said they did not give Hardcore Shotcrete permission to use Venice as a reference. In fact,
Joe told me he confronted ARC/Hardcore about this last week at NRPA, and told them to stop
handing out an ARC catalog with California Skatepark references in it.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: American Ramp Company “Skate Park” - Red Hook, NY
User: Carter Dennis – SPS Board of Directors Date: 19 Dec 2009

“Yes. I spoke with Kanten Russel at SDG and Matt Fluegge at Grindline. Both have said that
Mark Leone from Academy did not work on Pascagoula, MS; Aztec, NM or Silver City, NM. In
fact, Kanten has said that Micheal McIntyre of SDG has sent ARC a legal notice not to use
certain references by SDG.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Concrete vs Pre-fab steel – Anytown, USA
User: Carter Dennis – SPS Board of Directors Date: 19 Dec 2009

“If you read the fine print in their new concrete catalog it says one of their employees who used
to work for California Skateparks (the company that actually built the park) laid some
underground drainline for the park. This is incredibly misleading because a City council person
will look through this catalog and see the nice pictures without reading the fine print - thinking
that ARC built this $3 million dollar park and is qualified to handle $3 million of their city's
money.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: American Ramp Company Takes Credit for Venice Skatepark
User: Vincent Onel Date: 10 Sep 2009

“I’m just joking and making fun of ARC's Christian like cut throat tactics. I mean seriously read
that PDF closely and it will create nausea. Some of the concrete parks featured in there they
didn’t even build.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: Summit, ILL Precast Eyesore
User: Carter Dennis – SPS Board of Directors Date: 19 Dec 2009

“Please do me a favor and remove the Pascagoula Skate Plaza from your sales brochure. Your
new hire was invisible to me on that project. His name NEVER came up during the many
meetings we held during the construction process. If you're going to claim his portfolio as your
own, at least filter it for the projects he had a significant role in.”

Source: Skaters for Public Skateparks Forum - Thread: American Ramp Company “Skate Park” – Red Hook, NY
User: Seth Johnson
Malakoff, Texas

In late 2009, American Ramp Company won a skatepark project under the Hardcore Shotcrete
name by using false references and misleading information.

If you go to Hardcore Shotcrete’s website, it says “skater owned and operated since 2001”. To
persuade the city of Malakoff, Texas though, ARC claimed Hardcore had more than 20 years of
experience with building skateparks.

“According to its literature, Hardcore has more than 20 years of experience in "shotcrete
applications and site work for the construction of custom skateparks, swimming pools,
waterfalls, and other complex concrete structures."

Source: The Malakoff News – “Skating Forward on Park Project” Michael V. Hannigan

Once construction began on the Malakoff skatepark, it immediately became clear that ARC had
done very little planning and was very new to the world of concrete skateparks. Several change
orders halted the project early on.

Hardcore requested approval for three change orders from the Malakoff City Council last
Thursday. The required work was completed before the change order was brought before the
council, and the price tag represented actual costs, according to Hardocre's Chris Fredricks.

Although the council unanimously approved the change after nearly 30 minutes of discussion,
council members were not happy about the need. Councilwoman Jerrilyn Tarver and
Councilman Tim Trimble in particular questioned why a site soil survey, a typical precaution,
was not conducted.

Source: The Malakoff News – “Theft, change orders impact Jake’s skatepark” Michael V. Hannigan
Section 4 Conclusion

In conclusion, American Ramp Company has done a great disservice to the skateboarding
community in their 10+ years of business. They have repeatedly demonstrated a lack of
concern for quality, legitimate business practices, proper skatepark design, safety and a positive
relationship with the skatepark advocacy community.

After ten years of building low quality metal ramps, they have transitioned into the concrete world with
disastrous results. Their company and its sales machine were designed to sell components. They have
very little understanding of what it takes to complete a high-quality concrete skatepark.

Their reputation has somehow escaped them for some time, but the photos and testimonials from cities
across the country are finally starting to catch up with them.

Hopefully this document makes it very clear that you should not choose American Ramp Company for
your next skatepark project.
* This document is not affiliated with the organization Skaters for Public Skateparks (SPS). It
was used only as a source for important discussions and information related to skateparks.