Published: November 08, 2006 11:48 pm         

Business specializes in nondestructive testing

About four years ago, Fred Raco Jr. and Allan Thomassy were working together in a commercial testing lab in Pittsburgh in what both called the best jobs of their career to that point.

At the same time, they, along with Fred’s wife, Jimma, were sending out more than 500 postcard surveys to businesses in the Johnstown area. What they found as each card returned is a need for their proposed nondestructive testing services.

In August of 2002, RNDT Inc. was born. And before the three partners could establish the company in a space in Johnstown, work already was rolling in.

The company X-rays materials for the government and private sector, including components of tanks and steel welds on construction projects.

“Spiritech (of Windber) was our first customer,” Jimma Raco said. “We were still living in Pittsburgh at the time and we ended up doing that first job in our basement.

“We were just so excited to get our first $60 check.”

The business eventually settled into a space at 228 Maple Ave., in Johnstown’s Woodvale neighborhood.

The former warehouse initially was rented from one of RNDT’s biggest clients, JWFI Chief Executive Officer Bill Polacek.

RNDT was first business of its kind to be established between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and a client list grew almost instantly.

Thomassy and Fred Raco put their combined 40 years of experience in the field to the test and Jimma Raco learned all about operating the business end of the company.

“Right out of the gate, we had an instant client base,” Fred Raco said.

“Before we arrived, all the companies here had to go to Pittsburgh for nondestructive testing services, but now we offer them a local option that cuts costs.”

That’s not to say everything went perfectly smoothly.

While the three agree that the company is pretty well established in its fifth year, when asked about the learning curve they answered in unison:

“It’s continuous.”

What helped them over the hurdles, Thomassy said, was having a firm grasp of their work before making a go of it on their own.

“You need to know the business you’re getting into,” Thomassy said.

“If you want to own a bakery, you better work in one for a while.

“The 20-plus years of experience Fred and I each had was so beneficial to us when we started this business. Having had the opportunity to work in management before, for instance, really taught me a lot about the operations of a company outside of the hands-on testing work.”

The future looks bright for the entrepreneurial trio and their company. After growing a client list that stretches from one coast to the other and being able to employ 13, there’s little reason to believe RNDT will not continue to grow.

In fact, the company is hoping to bring on as many as three special new employees during the next few years; special because they’re not just new hires, but the potential heirs of the company.

“Long term, between the three of us, Fred and I have two sons and Allan has one son and we hope they will keep this business going,” Jimma Raco said.

“It would be great if we could keep this going as a family-owned and operated business.”

     

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.