Prime Design Ladder Racks Aligns with R·O·M

BELTON, MO and WEST SAINT PAUL, MN (April 2012) – Prime Design Ladder Racks is pleased to announce a strategic alliance with R·O·M Corporation that furthers its ability to provide market-leading products to a wide customer base. Prime Design will become a subsidiary of R·O·M and maintain its presence in West Saint Paul. Prime Design President Avi Levi will continue in his current role and will also assume the role of Chief Development Officer of R·O·M. The transaction will allow both companies to continue to provide superior products and service to their customers well into the future.

The alliance continues R·O·M’s long-term strategic initiative of growth through new product introduction, geographic expansion, strategic partnerships, and acquisitions. Jeff Hupke, CEO of R·O·M, expects the partnership to produce immediate tangible benefits for Prime Design’s customers. Together, R·O·M and Prime Design will implement Continuous Improvement with Lean Six Sigma strategies to further enhance Prime Design’s already strong quality and on-time delivery performance. This partnership will further expand Prime Design’s customer relationships and outreach performance.

“Prime Design has used its exceptional engineering talent to build the best product in the marketplace,” Mr. Hupke says. “Our alliance gives Mr. Levi additional resources to concentrate on growth, product development, and meeting specific customer needs.” He added, “Mr. Levi’s future role as R·O·M’s Chief Development Officer speaks to his extensive expertise in engineering world-class products, and to our collective commitment to innovation at both Prime Design and R·O·M.”

Mr. Levi also noted that the alliance is an excellent opportunity for both companies to better address customer needs. “Our alliance with R·O·M will allow Prime Design to accelerate the pace of innovation and product improvement that has won accolades from our customers,” he stated, adding that “with the added resources that R·O·M brings to the table, the possibilities for both companies are immense.”

With a stated goal of increasing exposure for Prime Design’s products and enhancing product development for R·O·M, Mr. Hupke and Mr. Levi envision no major changes in facility operations, as both companies prepare for continued growth to keep up with demand. R·O·M currently has 180 employees at its Belton, MO and East Stroudsburg, PA facilities. Prime Design currently has 50 employees at its location in West Saint Paul, MN.

No financial terms were disclosed as part of the announcement, which was made jointly by Mr. Levi and Mr. Hupke.

About R·O·M

R·O·M Corporation, founded in 1947, is headquartered in a 65,000 sq. ft. facility in suburban Kansas City, MO. The company’s truck and trailer access and food distribution product line includes insulated bulkheads, safety walkramps, trailer platforms, trailer ladders, LED lighting, and self-closing strip doors. The company also manufactures roll-up compartment doors, scene lighting products, truck and hose bed covers, and LED compartment lighting for the fire service industry and service and utility fleets. ISO 9001-certified and owner of 10 U.S. and Canadian patents, R·O·M serves its national and international customer base with a field staff of territory managers and an internal customer development team. For more information on R·O·M please visit .

About Prime Design Ladder Racks

Prime Design develops, manufactures, and distributes lightweight ladder racks for vans and trucks. The company’s ergonomic “ErgoRack” products feature a patented design that greatly reduces operator stress and fatigue, and reduces the risk of work-related injury.