Ransome History

The Ransome name is symbolic of quality, innovation and entrepreneurship and the Ransome Family has a long history in innovative thinking which is at the foundation of the world we live in. The Ransome Companies founder Dawson A Ransome takes this legacy seriously.

Dawson’s great grandfather, Ernest L. Ransome, was a pioneer in construction technology and began the family tradition of innovation and entrepreneurship in 1884 with his invention and subsequent patent (US Patent 305,226) of the reinforced concrete construction system known as “the Ransome System.” The system called for twisted steel bars to be interwoven with concrete to increase its strength, a revolutionary idea at that time, but one which is now commonplace (now known as “rebar”). The system allowed for the use of concrete in construction of multi-story buildings, bridges, and other structures traditionally thought more suitable for steel or wood construction. Many buildings and bridges constructed by Ernest Ransome using the Ransome System still stand around the United States today, while reinforced concrete construction is quite literally the foundation of the developed world.

In 1916, Percy A. Ransome, Dawson’s grandfather, founded Giles & Ransome, Inc., a construction equipment sales company. The company distributed concrete and masonry equipment throughout the Delaware Valley of Pennsylvania. In 1931, during the height of the Great Depression, Percy made the decision to become an equipment dealer for the Caterpillar Tractor Company. G&R remains a successful supplier of construction equipment in the northeast United States.

In 1966, J. Dawson Ransome, Dawson’s father, founded Ransome Airlines, the family’s commuter airline business. The venture was born out of hard work, determination, and his passion for aviation. Ransome Airlines was named “Commuter Airline of the Year” in 1980 by Air Transport World magazine and, at the time, was the largest commuter airline in the world. J. Dawson was a consistent innovator, creating several air transport and traffic control systems for use by the airline that were widely adopted and are still in use today. Most notable is the Separate Access Landing System. The SALS system allowed Ransome planes to navigate an efficient route to their destination and then land on the unused stub end of runways at busy airports, saving time and fuel and increasing the overall capacity and efficiency of the airports and of the Ransome operation. Ransome Airlines served commuter passengers in the northeast United States with a perfect safety record before being sold to Pan Am in 1986.

"From my family, I learned to embrace ideas, never dismiss anything without analyzing it objectively, and that all things are possible with creativity, vision, and hard work. We feel a responsibility to create solutions for our clients that are innovative and generate exceptional risk adjusted excess returns while creating sustainable value."

Dawson A. Ransome