Our story
The Hitchmount-RACK is a Jeep, Bronco and Truck kayak and gear rack developed by a former Army Ranger and Special Forces Soldier. He found kayaking as a best replacement exercise for activities he was no longer able to do. As a Jeep owner, he was not satisfied with options for transporting his kayak and developed and patented his own approach.
After building a prototype for personal use he was routinely approached by other Jeep owners who looked for, and could not find a solution such as this. He knew a removable system that used the trailer hitch as an attaching point for an overhead rack would find customers. He set out to build a rack system made in the USA and found a group of suppliers from OH, MI, and SC. Fabrication, powder coating, assembly and fulfillment were all GA activities. Fortec4x4 added the product to their catalog and the family business began in earnest.
With over 1000 racks sold in the US, Puerto Rico, USVI, and Canada, Hitchmount-Rack has grown a unique product to meet the needs of adventure seekers. The Hitchmount-Rack is a simple and proven design that can be used on multiple vehicles. The system is poised to be the best option for vehicle owners who want a solution that is tough and non-permanent.
2016
Innovation
First Patent and Production2019
Expansion
Additional accessories and versions2025
Met Goals
Achieved market goals
Inventor
Peter VanAmburgh received a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership from Argosy University in 2003. He is the President of1Mission Leadership LLC, a consulting, training and professional services company located in the northern suburbs of Atlanta, GA. In 2012, he retired from the U.S. Army as a Colonel after 28 years of demanding leadership roles from company/team through brigade command in Long Range Surveillance, Special Forces and Intelligence units. He holds master’s degrees from Kennesaw State University and the U.S. Army War College, and is a graduate of a host of military schools including SpeciaForces, Ranger, Jumpmaster, HALO and the Counterintelligence Special Agent course. He has the benefit of possessing unique technical competencies as well as experience leading large organizations and highly skilled multinational teams in combat operations, humanitarian missions and other activities in over 15 countries around the world. In addition to his military service, he has three years of local law enforcement and 10 years as a Federal Agent, 14 years in business, and over 12 years of teaching experience at undergraduate through doctoral level. He has authored a book, numerous articles and holds three U.S.Patents.
Dr. VanAmburgh values integrity, loyalty, service and action. His work bridges the strategic to the tactical, and his teaching is as valuable for senior executives as to their first line supervisors. He is a master at strategic planning, deciphering culture, and developing action plans that deliver results. He is also a lifelong learner living his passion for passing on hard-learned lessons from the battlefield, boardroom, classroom and the street, to the next generation of global leaders.