About Us

Why We Started this Business

Todd Banks has taught forklift training classes for over 25 years and is a partner in a freight company with his business partner Jim Ruschman. One day he said to Jim “The people I train often have trouble knowing if their forks are level when working overhead. Why hasn’t someone invented a practical way to solve that problem?” And so it began. We were determined to invent something that was truly useful to forklift drivers, and that was also reliable and easy to work with.

Who We Are

Todd Banks, Founding Partner and General Manager – Todd has been in logistics, distribution, manufacturing and warehousing management since 1982. In 1987, he held a safety director position where he began instructing forklift operators and has trained thousands since. He has managed mail order/internet fulfillment centers for three different companies. He has managed direct store delivery, multi-site fulfillment, off site and on site inventory management, 24-hour shift operations, and pacific rim distribution. He has started or help start two trucking companies and a dot com fulfillment company. He currently manages a safety consulting company that specializes in forklift operator training and forklift instructor training. He holds a degree form Purdue University in Industrial Management with a minor in Industrial Safety. He holds OSHA forklift trainer certificates from Clarke Lift and Toyota Lift. He holds general industry safety certificates from OSHA. He has been awarded numerous safety awards from the insurance industry for his impact on reducing workman’s compensation costs.

Jim Ruschman, Founding Partner & President – Jim spent 19 years in sales and marketing positions for TJ Lipton and ConAgra Foods before becoming an entrepreneur. From 1999-2001 he managed a small salad manufacturing company. From 2001-03 he helped operate an automotive part manufacturing company. In 2001 Jim was a founding partner of a start-up refrigerated trucking business, which has thrived for over 11 years.  In 2009 he was a founding partner of EFX Performance, Inc.  All of those businesses are still operating successfully today. Developing a business around the FlatFork is his latest venture. Jim holds a BA degree in Business from Michigan State University and an EMBA from the Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University.

What We Stand For

  • Be straight-forward and honest, treating everyone with respect.
  • Design useful products and sell them for a fair price
  • Stand behind our products
  • If we make a mistake, to do our best to make it right.

Why it Matters

You can trust us and you can rely on our products.

Jim and Todd at the ProMat show in Chicago

Jim and Todd at the ProMat show in Chicago

Jim and Todd at the ProMat show in Chicago

Jim and Todd at the ProMat show in Chicago