About Us

GoTakeoff started in 1999 as a collaboration between building and design professional, Marinus Van de Kamp, and programmer/web developer, Robert Bajema. It has been online since 2002. In June 2005 a new partnership was formed to ensure continued improvements. Steve Hansen and Joel Clark joined Marinus as partners in the new company, Abacus Design.

Abacus Design will soon be posting additional downloadable software modules to assist building industry professionals in organizing their work projects.

Marinus Van de Kamp achieved a College Degree in Construction and Engineering at the MTS in Ede, The Netherlands in 1978. Since then he has worked in the construction field as drafts person and project manager for commercial projects, moved to the USA in 1987, and became co-owner of Landmark Enterprises, a company specializing in home remodeling and residential new construction, in 1990.

Steve Hansen has a Masters degree in Applied Mathematics and over 20 years in the areas of Systems Engineering and Software Engineering. Steve's broad computing background includes significant work in optimization. His family has a long history in the construction business, and Steve's brother in Colorado manages a custom lumber yard.

Robert Bajema has a technical degree in Computers and Electronics and has been actively involved in programming PCs for over 12 years. He formed his own consulting company, Woodbine Data, in 1999 and provides database and website development for his clients.

Landmark Enterprises has used GoTakeoff calculator for over 5 years. Landmark has found that by using GoTakeoff their construction crews make fewer trips to the lumber yard. GoTakeoff is not only a fast way to do a take-off, it is more accurate and complete than several estimating programs that do not give the level of detail needed to order materials. While we are now working on including modules to price materials, the current version leaves the ever changing pricing to our lumber yard.