RIPLEY, WV - One out of every 10 American businesses today is owned by a veteran. Most veterans are self-starters. They are risk-tolerant. They are loyal, disciplined and focused. And they are used to wearing many hats and managing stress. It just so happens these traits also describe America’s most success entrepreneurs like this year’s winners Chad Ranson and John Roberts. 

Ranson, a veteran of the U.S. Army, and Roberts, a veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves, started Ranson Inspection Services (RSI) five years ago out of their homes. Their services include quality control management and programs, weld testing, procedure qualifying and writing, and much more. Soon after opening their business they leased a 6000 square foot building with offices and test space.

In 2016, RSI signed an agreement with Signalman’s Safety Sleeve, LLC in Johnstown, PA to become 25 percent owners. The business has a pending patent on a safety sleeve and needed financial assistance getting to market.

A good way to sum up what the effects of what RSI does is best put by a quote from Chad, “The quality of what we do today will determine how safely it performs or does not perform tomorrow”.

The attention to detail they use every day is a quality they both said was instilled with them during their military training.