Our Company
"OUR TOOLS SAVE LIVES." These words are printed on an 8-foot sign in our manufacturing facility in Elmira, NY as a reminder of what rides on our products. Our employees, many of whom have served as volunteer responders, know the importance of the products we produce, and this shows in all we do.
We build each rescue strut by hand in our shop, from proven and predictable materials. From hand-welds to high-end machining, all of our struts are built with care, and inspected and tested to ensure years of performance in the field.
Our tools were born through first-hand experience in the field and have been refined to suit the needs of responders through communication with responders.
Our philosophy is simple: "Simple tools, advanced training." We believe in providing responders with tools that are as intuitive as they are effective, and providing in-depth training to maximize effectiveness in the field.
We’ve kept our products simple for a reason. We want responders to be confident and successful using our tools. We don’t use complicated hydraulics, unpredictable “space-age” plastics, or overly-complex set-ups.
We design our struts to be user-friendly, effective and dependable. We choose materials for strength and predictability, and we design our systems to be simpler, yet more capable than more complex equipment. We design our struts to be ready to go, right off the truck, to save time when it matters most.
While our tools are intuitive by design, we also believe a great rescue tool is only as good as the training behind it. That’s why when your department purchases from Res-Q-Jack, we provide free in-service training, at your facility, on both our equipment and techniques.
From basic set-ups, to advanced techniques, Res-Q-Jack is committed to training your department until you are comfortable using our products. Understanding our pioneering stabilization and lifting techniques will help your success in the field.
We pride ourselves on being an approachable company who cares about the responders who use our tools just as much as the reason they use them.
You won’t find any phone trees at Res-Q-Jack, no automated lines, and no run-around. We’re here for our customers when they need us and will do our best to help any way we can. From free demonstrations and training to customized products, we want you to have the best tools and the best training to do your job.
We’re small enough to be reachable and provide individual attention, but with a vast network of hand-selected dealers who believe as much in our brand as we do, we’re big enough to be there with training and support, wherever you’re located.
Our History
Following his master's degree in mechanical engineering and several years in the consulting and design engineering field, Cris Pasto created the Cepco Tool Company. Cepco Tools began with a product for easy installation of warped decking boards, plywood, and tongue and groove materials. This product, the Bowrench Deck Tool, is often on the best-selling hand tools list at amazon.com, and brought much success to the company.
The Bowrench's success brought about a product called the QuikJack, a hardwood flooring jack. With Cepco Tools developing and growing significantly, Cris was able to take a step back. So, he did something he had wanted to do for a while - he joined his local fire department.
As part of the department, Cris was exposed to many interesting and creative tools in the fire service, but he saw much room for improvement, particularly in the field of passenger vehicle stabilization. Frustrated when they responded to roll-over type vehicle accidents, Cris never felt comfortable with the degree of stability they achieved with the resources they had available.
Over the next several months Cris developed prototypes, and Cepco Tools manufactured the first Res-Q-Jack Model RJ1. The original intention was simply to supply the one fire department with adequate tools for stabilization, but much more was to come.
After developing the RJ1, the neighboring fire department asked Cepco Tools to build them a set. From there, Ron Moore of Firehouse Magazine and Plano Fire Dept. in Texas caught wind of the Res-Q-Jack.
He called Cris asking if he could test the design and include his findings in a special article for Firehouse Magazine about stabilization. The article essentially launched the Res-Q-Jack line of products head first into the market. Ron also continued to give valuable input, furthering the company as well as its product development.
When John Meier bought the company in 2004, Res-Q-Jack became its own company, separate from Cepco Tools. Since then, we've continued to develop and improve our products in order to maximize versatility, increase setup speed, make it more user and patient friendly, and keep it affordable.
While the goal of the Cepco Tool Company products was always to make contractors' lives easier, Res-Q-Jack now makes rescuers' jobs easier; and, better yet, we help save lives every day.
Now, the company has evolved into what you see on our website today, and continues to set the bar in vehicle stabilization and lifting.
