Fort Schuyler Magazine Spring 2021

F E A T U R E

KEEPING IT ALL IN THE FAMILY

Indoctrination, what a surprise that was! I was totally not expecting the boot camp approach! It was very rigorous, but in time, I settled in. The education I received at Maritime prepared me quite well for industry. Of course, with my initial job on the dredge, the license was necessary, and I was fairly well prepared with all the basics as a third mate. The dredge was brand new, and the electronics were space- aged compared to the training ship, but the training was very good from Maritime. Later, when I went ashore to work for my father’s company selling container lashing equipment, I was very comfortable with the terminology and ship operations, making it real plus when talking with maritime people. Although with Tandemloc we are not as active in the maritime industry as in my former job, we offer some products to the maritime industry and I’m still rather comfortable in that because of my maritime education. The regimental life at Maritime, though miserable at times, was very good for getting used to answering to superiors and staying disciplined. The very aggressive curriculum (especially license seminar!) prepared me for the hard work that was ahead. Both of these aspects helped me in starting a new business with my father and

BY MATTHEW BONVENTO ’01

W hat happens when two brothers, both Maritime success. John and Bill DiMartino are the brains behind Tandemloc, a company that provides engineering and manufacturing solutions for unique applications pertaining to the lifting, securing and mobilizing of containers and other items. John DiMartino graduated from Maritime College in 1980 with a BS in Marine Transportation Management and a third mate’s license. Soon after graduation, he sailed as third mate on a hopper dredge graduates, go into business together? Inevitably

for North American Trailing Company, a division of Great Lakes Dredge and Dock. After a year and a half, he decided to go to work as a salesman for his father (John "Mike" DiMartino Sr.) whose firm designed and manufactured container securing and lifting devices. A few years later, in late 1983, his father’s company went out of business and they opened Tandemloc in the basement of their Bayport, NY home. John was the salesman, assembler, painter, and order packer while his father ran things. In the mid-1990s John took the reins as President. John had this to say about his time at the Dome, “I still remember my first day of

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