My professional journey began in 2009 as a welder at Trinity Trailers in Boise, ID where I honed my skills in stainless steel and mild steel mig welding. I gradually worked my way up from a production welder to a King Pin and Landing Gear Specialist. I then attended Boise State University as a full-time student studying Civil Engineering, but left early to join the US Navy as a Sonar Technician on submarines stationed in Groton, CT. After my time in the Navy, I worked as an auto mechanic for a year and then as a truck lift kit installer. I later landed a job with a government contractor, installing advanced perimeter security for military bases, prisons, and US embassies.
The next chapter of my life took me on a romantic adventure as a backcountry guide and ranch hand at Sheep Ranch on the Salmon River. This idyllic ranch, nestled in the middle of the Gospel Hump Wilderness and surrounded by the Frank Church, could only be accessed by jet boat or airplane. During my two years at Sheep Ranch, I met my future wife Nia, who worked as the ranch cook. Spring and fall were spent guiding hunting and packing camps with mules, while summers were spent entertaining guests and providing horseback rides in the wilderness. My winters were spent alone, hunting and trapping wolves, and I even achieved the feat of trapping a full limit of wolves in one season.
Leaving Sheep Ranch, I found work with a former boat mechanic at White Water Marine, due to my love for the river and the “river community.” I spent five years at White Water Marine repairing and building jet boats. In 2018, I used the money from my wedding to Nia to buy my first mini boat hull and when I ran out of cash, I maxed out my credit card to buy the parts needed to finish the boat, with the hope of finding a buyer. The boat sold before it was even completed, and word of my quality work spread, leading to orders coming in. In late 2018, I founded RMJ and left my job in June of 2020, starting Rocky Mountain Jet with just three initial orders, a welder, and a spool of wire. The first two years of my business were spent working out of a friend’s garage.