I have to admit, I’ve driven by RAM Mechanical, Inc. in Ceres hundreds of times, often wondering what type of mechanical business it was. It never occurred to me, until a recent tour of their facility, how wrong I was about what I presumed the company did and exactly who they are. I am so amazed by this company that most locals don’t even know about and I am proud that they call Ceres home.

There are several components to RAM Mechanical, Inc. – a company that is serving a vast number of industries both domestically and internationally. RAM Mechanical’s work spans across 35 states and 12 different countries, with its main headquarters located at 3506 Moore Road, Ceres.

Ninety percent of their business leverages the expertise of union employees in the millwright, pipe-fitter and sheet metal trades, making them a single-source solution for contracting jobs in almost any industry including food and beverage, bottled water, cannery, container and material handling, packaging, processing, wine, glass and dairy.

Next, RAM provides services in fabrication and engineering. With years of experience in carbon, steel, aluminum, stainless steel structures, chutes, frames, piping and production equipment the possibilities are limitless on what can be produced for their clients.

A third component to the RAM lineup of services are in the areas of electrical and controls, helping clients improve production through automation and/or robotics, which makes up the other 10 percent of what RAM Mechanical does.

“Our clients range from E.&J. Gallo Winery and Del Monte to Frito Lay and Tesla Motors,” said Rory Kelly, Director of Integrated Systems.

A project for Tesla Motors encompassed designing, building and installing two state-of-the-art robotic cells and modifying a fleet of 42 automated guided vehicles. The project involved over 1,500 man-hours of engineering and electrical design to provide a system that integrated into the company’s existing system. Workers also spent nearly another 3,000 hours fabricating, installing, field programming, start-up and training to the Tesla staff.

A few of RAM’s other projects has included:

• Designing a robotic production line for a five-gallon water bottle facility in Bangkok;

• Designing, building and installing an almond mill line system in Modesto;

• Installing three gas emission cleaning systems which entailed nearly 40,000 man-hours and 805 tons of steel and was completed in less than a month in Tracy. 

The biggest challenge RAM Mechanical faces is like many other industries where the demand is great – a shortage of skilled labor from tradesmen to mechanical engineers. When contracting in other areas, RAM hires tradesmen local to the job sites.

Renee Ledbetter is the Executive Director of the Ceres Chamber of Commerce, a freelance writer & former journalist, and a licensed real estate agent who frequently writes on business and real estate.