Rocky Mountain Construction: The Company Behind Hybrid Coasters

Rocky Mountain Construction, known throughout the industry simply as RMC, is an American roller coaster manufacturer founded in 2001 by Fred Grubb and Suanne Dedmon and headquartered in Hayden, Idaho. What began as a company doing maintenance and construction work for amusement parks reinvented itself into one of the most talked-about names in the coaster world after it partnered with veteran designer Alan Schilke, a former Arrow Dynamics engineer, in the late 2000s.

That partnership produced the I-Box and Topper Track systems, steel track profiles that bolt onto or replace the wooden structure of aging coasters, eliminating the rough ride and heavy maintenance of traditional wood track while preserving the original layout’s bones. The technology debuted commercially on New Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas in 2011 and has since been used to convert or build dozens of coasters, transforming RMC from a niche contractor into a manufacturer with a passionate global fanbase.

Stats at a Glance

• Founded: 2001
• Founders: Fred Grubb and Suanne Dedmon
• Headquarters: Hayden, Idaho, United States
• Signature technology: I-Box Track and Topper Track
• First I-Box conversion: New Texas Giant, Six Flags Over Texas (2011)
• Notable coasters: Steel Vengeance, Iron Gwazi, Lightning Rod, Goliath (Six Flags Great America)
• Recent development: Merged with Larson International in 2023

From Maintenance Crew to Coaster Innovator

RMC’s origin story is unusual for a major coaster manufacturer: the company started out performing maintenance, refurbishment, and construction work for parks rather than designing new rides. That hands-on experience with the structural problems plaguing older wooden coasters gave Fred Grubb and his team a practical understanding of what a fix needed to look like, which set the stage for the I-Box breakthrough once Alan Schilke joined the effort around 2008-2009.

Rather than tearing down failing wooden coasters, RMC offered parks a way to keep a beloved layout while swapping in steel track and new trains, often adding inversions and airtime moments the wood structure could never have handled safely.

Hybrid Coasters and Industry Reputation

Rides like Goliath at Six Flags Great America and Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point became enthusiast favorites and repeat winners in Golden Ticket Award polling for best hybrid or wooden coaster, cementing RMC’s reputation for delivering intense, smooth-riding conversions. The company also builds original wooden coasters, such as Outlaw Run at Silver Dollar City, and has expanded into steel-track single-rail designs.

In April 2023, RMC merged with fellow ride manufacturer Larson International, broadening its manufacturing capacity while continuing to operate out of its Hayden, Idaho base.

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Notable Rocky Mountain Construction Coasters on ThrillZing

• ArieForce One — Fun Spot America
• ArieForce One — Fun Spot America Atlanta
• Goliath — Six Flags Great America
• Hakugei (白鯨) — Nagashima Spa Land
• Iron Gwazi — Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
• Lightning Rod — Dollywood
• New Texas Giant — Six Flags Over Texas
• Outlaw Run — Silver Dollar City
• Steel Vengeance — Cedar Point
• The Joker — Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
• Twisted Colossus — Six Flags Magic Mountain
• Twisted Timbers — Kings Dominion
• Wildcat’s Revenge — Hersheypark

Browse every ride profile in our roller coaster guides.

Rocky Mountain Construction FAQs

What is Rocky Mountain Construction known for?

RMC is best known for its I-Box and Topper Track systems, which convert aging wooden roller coasters into smooth-riding steel hybrids, most famously on Steel Vengeance and New Texas Giant.

Where is Rocky Mountain Construction based?

The company is headquartered in Hayden, Idaho, and was founded there in 2001 by Fred Grubb and Suanne Dedmon.

Did Rocky Mountain Construction only build wooden coaster conversions?

No. While RMC made its name converting wooden coasters to hybrids, it has also built original wooden coasters like Outlaw Run and steel single-rail designs, and it merged with Larson International in 2023.

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Photo: elisfkc from Orlando, FL, United States / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.