Tim Ruckman

Co-owner and Chief Operating Officer of Soil Nail Launcher, Inc., Tim continues to be the mastermind behind SNL’s innovations in tools, equipment and techniques.  These concepts and techniques are utilized in repairing landslides more efficiently in remote locations in the US, New Zealand, and Canada. Tim has over 15 years of construction management and soil stabilization experience, serving as project manager and field superintendent on projects as large as $30 million. As the previous president of Rock Creations, Inc., Tim is also an expert in dry stacked stone and block faced GCS walls. Tim combines his experience with his superior skills in planning, scheduling, and teaching to ensure job quality every time. Tim lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife Shaunda and their son Nash.

Contact: tim@soilnaillauncher.com

Ted Ruckman

Ted is our field general and the man who gets it done. He lays out the jobs, coordinates the equipment transfers all over the U. S., makes the travel schedules and then gets the job done. Ted has repaired hundreds of slides – sometimes 3 a week. Not many folks can claim that distinction.

Contact: ted@soilnaillauncher.com

Sikot “C” Mahaxay   

Sikot Mahaxay was born in Champasack, Laos and then moved to Thailand with his family at an early age. As the eldest and only son, tradition dictated that Sikot support his family until he married. Sikot knew that if he stayed in Thailand, he would not be able to support his parents and his four sisters, so he sought sponsorship to come ot the United States. A sponsor family in Lake Park, Iowa invited Sikot to join them on their farm, and taught him the basics of equipment operation. While attending high school in Lake Park, Sikot worked as a full-time heavy equipment operator, finally making enough money to move the rest of his family to Iowa from Thailand. 

Sikot has over twenty years experience as an equipment operator, and over ten years experience in soil nailing, GCS wall construction, and is a world-class rock mason using mortarless construction techniques. Sikot is also an expert driller and has repaired landslides across the United States. Sikot lives in Denver, Colorado with his family, his wife, and his daughter. When he is not fixing landslides, Sikot enjoys outdoor sports, camping, boating, fishing, and hunting.

Contact: sikot@soilnaillauncher.com

Phivane “A” Romyen

The other half of the "C & A dreamteam," Phivane has managed projects across the United States and has constructed GCS walls over a half-mile long and 50 feet in height. His masonry skills and capacity for hard work are unrivaled.

Kim Ruckman

Kim is one of the bright stars at SNL. She coordinates and leads our U. S. marketing effort including trade shows, workshops, and brochures and videos. Kim handles contracts, insurances, bonding, warranties, and supervises the financial group. And she has a talent for design. She routinely visits potential sites and prepares proposals as well. A one-stop shop for talent. When you need something right now, call Kim.

Contact:  kim@soilnaillauncher.com - 970.210.6170

Colby Barrett

Co-owner and President of SNL, Inc., Colby has worked for Bob and Al for over 10 years, managing projects throughout the continental United States, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica. After studying Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley and Oxford University on an NROTC scholarship, Colby served as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps, leading both infantry and Scout/Sniper platoons throughout the Pacific Rim and the Middle East. Colby also holds Juris Doctor from Yale Law School and is currently wrapping up the requirements for his Professional Engineer License. He handles marketing, site visits, proposals and project management assignments. Colby lives in Grand Junction, Colorado with his wife Leslie and their son Lachlan

Contact:  colby@SNL1.com - 303.909.6083

Keith Bender

A native of Akron, Ohio, Keith Bender has over 25 years experience in construction, construction management, and construction sales.  Beginning his career as a draftsman, then an iron worker, Keith put himself through school at Bowling Green State University, graduating in three years with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Technology.  After college, he worked heavy marine construction, international heavy construction, segmental post-tensioned box girder bridges, various plant facilities & renovations, and restaurant construction, as well as construction sales.  Keith has lived and worked throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.  Keith’s experience and expertise made him a perfect choice to head SNL’s sales and consulting effort in the Eastern United States.  Keith lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with his wife and two sons.

Contact:  kwbender@gmail.com

John Steward

It is no stretch to say that John Steward “wrote the book” on Launched Soil Nails. In 1992, he arranged and managed the demonstration project to introduce the Soil Nail Launcher to the U.S. and was the lead author of the U.S. Forest Service/Federal Highway Administration Application (Design) Guide for use of launched soil nails in roads.  John holds both a B.S. and a M.S. degree in civil engineering from Oregon State University, and has been a senior project engineer on numerous major projects throughout the Pacific Northwest for over 30 years. John served as the Senior Geotechnical Engineer for the Pacific Northwest Region National Forests, and has been a pioneer in research related to geotextiles, soil nailing, retaining walls, horizontal drains, the use of wood residue as lightweight fill, and is an industry expert in value engineering strategies. He designed the first Forest Service access roads using geotextiles, and designed and instrumented the first geotextile reinforced retaining wall with a geotextile face in North America. John was the lead author “Guideline for Use of Fabrics in the Design and Construction of Low Volume Roads,” which was reprinted by the Federal Highway administration and is still in use today. In conjunction with Dr. J.R. Bell of Oregon State University, John developed the first design methodologies and construction specifications for geotextile reinforced retaining walls. John also introduced the use of horizontal drains installed by commercial drillers and drafted the first specifications for their use. John heads SNL's sales and consulting efforts in the Northwestern United States.

Contact:  dcstew@msn.com - 360-521-7683

Cameron Lobato

Cameron Lobato is President of Geosolutions International, LLC. and is a professional engineer registered in several states.  His partner company specializes in stabilizing difficult terrain.  SNL calls on Cameron when the challenges get really tough.  His web site is www.geosolutionsinternational.com

Contact:  cameron.lobato@geosolutionsinternational.com - 970.985.1066