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Management Team

From the President

Welcome to the Jacobs Vehicle Systems® website!  Our goal with this site is to provide you with the information you’re looking for in an efficient and comprehensive manner.  If we do not meet these objectives, please take the time to contact us.

At JVS our objective is to exceed our customers’ needs and expectations the first time, every time whether it is through efficient and courteous Service, timely Delivery, outstanding Value, or superior Quality, Reliability, and Durability of our products.

We’ve been serving the commercial vehicle market for over 50 years, providing uniquely developed technological solutions that create value for our customers and end users while improving the quality of the world we live in.  While our innovative spirit results in plenty of change, there are some things which won’t change.  Our core values remain….

  •         Building the Best Team
  •         Listening to Our Customers
  •         Continually Improving Everything That We Do
  •         Creating An Environment That Rewards Innovation and Creativity
  •         Providing Returns To Our Stakeholders That Outperform Relative to Our Competitors

We are excited about the new products we are developing and offering to the markets we serve, and our served market is expanding!  Demand for our products and technology is coming in from new places around the globe, and we are committed to supporting our customers where they need us to be.  I invite you to learn more about HPD, VVA, or our Decompression technologies.

Our brand and reputation are important to us, so you can count on us to provide products based on proven technologies and demonstrated reliability.  We also strive to be good citizens and neighbors, so we develop our products and processes with consideration given to their impact on the environment and those we share it with.

Jacobs’ associates are the difference so on behalf of all of us at Jacobs, thank you for your support and interest in our company and our products.  Don’t hesitate to contact us in any way if we can be of assistance.

Sincerely,
Rob Tykal, President
Jacobs Vehicle Systems


Our Team

Rob Tykal 1

Robert Tykal President

Robert (Rob) Tykal is the President of Jacobs Vehicle Systems. Prior to joining JVS, Rob spent four years as the President and CEO of MTU Drive Shafts LLC, where he led formation and start-up activities in Charleston, SC.

Before MTU, Rob was employed by Detroit Diesel Corporation for 18 years. During Rob’s tenure at DDC, he served as Vice President & General Manager leading the Series 2000 and 4000 business units with $200M in sales.

Rob played a key role in leading international joint development of two new engine families with German partners to enhance their global market. During his 18 years with DD, Rob held various positions of increasing responsibility in Production, Quality Assurance, Manufacturing Engineering, and General Management.

Rob earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University. 

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Joao 1

Joao (John) Cullen Vice President of Engineering

Joao Cullen, Vice President of Engineering, obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Fundacao Armando Alvares Penteado - FAAP, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and his Master’s degree in Naval Engineering at the University of Sao Paulo.

Joao's first job out of school was as a R&D Engineer for Metal Level, one of the world largest piston and bearings manufacturer at the time.

In 1989 he moved with his family to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to help Metal Level startup manufacturing plants and engineering centers in the US. Joao then moved on to positions of increased responsibilities at Cummins, Navistar and Ricardo. During his tenure at Navistar, he lived in Germany for a couple of years to lead the development of a new heavy-duty diesel engine for On-Highway truck applications in North America.

More recently, Joao accepted the position of Vice President of Engineering with Jacobs Vehicle Systems, Bloomfield, CT, and moved with his family to Simsbury, CT. Joao is the author of several technical papers and patents. He also served for several years as a member and instructor for the Society of Automotive Engineers. Joao is married and has two children.

 

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Debbie 1

Debra LeMay Vice President, Manufacturing Support

Debra (Debbie) LeMay is the Vice President, Manufacturing Support. Debbie joined the Jacobs Team in 1977 and has held multiple positions, including Manufacturing Manager, KaizenCoordinator, Operations Manager and Director of Manufacturing.

Debbie was part of the Jacobs team during the acquisition by Danaher and was involved in the transition from batch manufacturing to JIT. As part of the team at Jacobs, she helped to start to integrate the Lean Manufacturing tools, which have now evolved into the Danaher Business System.
 
Debbie graduated from Tunxis Community College. She is also a certified DBS Black Belt in Standard Work and 5S.

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Bob Perkins 1

Robert Perkins Vice President, Marketing and Business Development

Robert (Bob) Perkins is Vice President, Marketing and Business Development. Bob joined Jacobs in 1985 as a Product Manager, has held roles of increasing responsibility in the marketing department, and joined the executive staff of Jacobs in 1990.

Much of his career at Jacobs has focused on geographic expansion, leading the efforts to gain new business in Europe, Japan, Korea and China.

In parallel to his marketing and commercial responsibilities, Bob has held Board of Director roles at Jacobs Mexico, JacobsVIE China (JV) and was President of Jacobs Japan. 

Bob earned his B.S. in Finance from Quinnipiac University and an M.S. from the Hartford Graduate Center (now Rensselaer University). 
 

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Chris Mulhall Image

Chris Mulhall Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance

Chris Mulhall has been the Company’s CFO and VP of Finance since joining Jacobs Vehicle Systems in 2010.

Prior to Jacobs, Chris held various positions of increasing responsibility in both Finance and Operations with Danaher, 3M and Cannondale Bicycle Corporation. 

Chris holds an MBA from the University of Connecticut and is a CPA. 

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Kate

Kate Demitrus Director of Human Resources

Kate Demitrus is the Director of Human Resources for Jacobs Vehicle Systems. Prior to joining JVS, Kate held the position of Human Resources Manager at Pratt & Whitney.

While at Pratt & Whitney, Kate spent time in their labor relations group where she gained experience in contract negotiations and union relations issues.  Prior to Pratt & Whitney, Kate was a Labor & Employment attorney with Madsen, Prestley & Parenteu, LLC. 

Kate received her Juris Doctor from Western New England University School of Law in Springfield, Massachusetts and a B.S. in Business Administration from Myers University in Cleveland, Ohio.  

 

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Our Team

Our Story

Although the Jacobs Engine Brake has been on the market since 1961, the need for it was terrifyingly demonstrated to its inventor Clessie L. Cummins, some thirty years earlier. In August of 1931, himself, Ford Moyer, and Dave Evans driving a Cummins diesel powered Indiana truck from New York to Los Angeles...

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