Jamison Ramboldt started his company in 2007 at 21 years old.
Based out of Eldon, Missouri, which is just north of Lake of the Ozarks, Ramboldt Excavating had its work cut out as the company experienced strong demand almost from the get-go.
“There were months we were pushing out 2,500 loads when we first started, and I had to start buying equipment just to keep up with production and the market for aggregates,” Ramboldt says.
Eventually, Ramboldt Excavating opened Lake Ozark Quarry in 2022, landing what Ramboldt says was one of the largest jobs at Lake of the Ozarks. Ramboldt wanted the best setup he could buy, so he contacted Horton Supply Co., an equipment dealer based in Springfield, Missouri.
The initial reachout ultimately turned into a mutually beneficial partnership between Ramboldt Excavating and Horton Supply, as well as an affinity for Screen Machine equipment.
The very first interaction between Ramboldt Excavating and Horton Supply still sticks out in Ramboldt’s mind.
“I like how they treated me on my first RPO for the [Screen Machine] 4043TR crusher since I was new and just renting,” Ramboldt says. “It was awesome to have a chance to work with someone that has [a wide range of] equipment and to know he was willing to give me a chance. What this family had to do to build their company up to what it is today is unbelievable, and they went out on a limb for me and my family. It was an awesome experience.”
As Ramboldt Excavating rented its 4043TR, it also acquired a Spyder 516T double-deck screening plant from Horton Supply to help open up Lake Ozark Quarry. Since then, Ramboldt has added two other Screen Machine plants through Horton Supply: a JXT mobile jaw crusher and a Spyder 514TS triple-deck screen.
At the quarry, Ramboldt produces 1- and 2-in. base, along with multiple sizes of clean material and riprap. The company feeds about 3,000 tons of material a day into its plants, producing more than 525,000 tons of aggregates in its first year operating.
As passionate as Ramboldt is about working with Horton Supply, the leadership at Horton Supply feels just as strongly.
“It’s been a lot of fun [working with Ramboldt Excavating],” says Jerry Freitag, partner at Horton Supply. “They’re great guys. They’ve thrown their trust in us, and we treat them right.”
Playing such an integral role in the growth of a young producer is something Freitag relishes.
“We’ve kind of become specialists in that area,” Freitag says. “Guys that are opening up small pits need to learn the business while they’re growing the business. They seem to gravitate toward us. We put a little more time into making sure we’re doing this right and helping with the cost of ownership.”
Dealer details
Horton Supply was founded in 1987, with Freitag-Swifts purchasing it in 2014.
Freitag was part of the purchasing company alongside Randy and Collin Swift. The dealership, however, has operated under the Horton Supply name since the changeover.
Until 2018, Horton Supply was a parts-only company. That changed when the company began to add equipment to its product offerings.
“When we bought the company, Randy and Collin were asphalt producers [and] I was a capital equipment salesman,” Freitag says. “Since I had the capital equipment background, we had manufacturers come to us right out of the gate. We didn’t have the backing, service trucks or training, [but we realized] this will be over before it starts if we [took equipment on too early].”
In 2018, Horton became an Eagle Crusher dealer. It added Screen Machine to its offerings in 2020. The company now also represents Conn-Weld Industries and Gator Machinery.
Horton is based in southwest Missouri, supplying equipment and offering service throughout the state. It also serves all of Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
And just as Ramboldt Excavating has grown of late, so, too, has Horton.
“It’s been a fun six years,” Freitag says. “We’re having a blast out here. We’ve grown from 13 people to 48 people. We’re eight times larger than we were when we bought the company 10 years ago. We’ve added field service trucks, and we’re adding capital salesmen. It’s a good story. The teamwork with the manufacturers and them working with us and putting faith in a small parts company has been paramount.”
Freitag says having Screen Machine as a partner has been great for Horton Supply.
“[Screen Machine] really trusts us to take it and run with it,” Freitag says. “The great thing about Screen Machine is that in that relationship, because we handle everything so well, when we call, they know it’s serious. They get the hoops out and start jumping. Our contacts at Screen Machine – Billy Stump and Mike Zamiska – answer their phones for us day and night.”
Ramboldt Excavating’s experience with Screen Machine has largely been the same.
“Working with Screen Machine equipment has been mechanic friendly and, with regular maintenance, very dependable,” Ramboldt says.
