Leadership Team

Jacob (Jake) Tornquist is president of The Jamar Company, a solution-focused specialty-services contractor with a regional presence and national reach. Jamar has delivered industry leading value, dependability, and field leadership for more than 100 years. 

Jake joined the company in 2007 as an engineering intern in the light commercial HVAC/plumbing department. He continued working for Jamar fulltime while he finished his mechanical engineering degree at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. In 2011, Jake transitioned into the industrial department as a field engineer and eventually a senior project manager. In 2016, he was promoted to regional manager, and in 2021 he was named vice president of Jamar. 

Jake is a purposeful and passionate leader who is focused on strategic growth by building Jamar’s core competencies and service areas. He credits the legacy of company leaders and the intense focus on building relationships – with employees and customers – for the company’s strong reputation, family-oriented culture and continued success. Jamar is headquartered in Duluth, MN, and has offices in Green Bay & Eau Claire, WI, Windsor, CO, Bismarck, ND, and Mountain View, WY. 

Jake lives in Duluth with his wife and four children. He’s active in his church and enjoys spending time with family and pursuing outdoor activities including hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling.

Jeff Hammes is the Vice President – Industrial Segment with The Jamar Company and President of Industrial Contractors, Inc. (ICI). Jeff is responsible for the industrial segment of Jamar’s business spanning from the Pacific northwest to the Great Lakes.  

Jeff joined the company in 2012 as the vice president of ICI and became the president in 2015.  In 2019, when ICI was integrated with Jamar, he was also named vice president of Jamar.  Prior to his time with the company he worked in several other industrial based companies as an engineer, project manager, and engineering department manager.  He received a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of North Dakota and later earned his Professional Engineer’s License.    

Jeff is married with one daughter and enjoys outdoor activities, woodworking, exercise, traveling, and spending time with family.  

Kevin joined the Jamar team as the Boiler Department Manager in 2001, before being promoted to lead the Industrial Team as VP of Industrial.  Recently, he transitioned to the role of Vice President. In his current position, Kevin is focused on company strategic initiatives and implementing best practices. Prior to joining Jamar, Kevin acquired valuable experience by working with different industrial firms, holding various construction management roles, including project manager, project engineer, and field engineer.  

Kevin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology and Construction Management from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. He has also earned a certificate in Lean Construction from Lake Superior College. 

Kevin lives in Duluth with his wife and has three adult children. An outdoor enthusiast, he enjoys hunting, fishing, boating, carpentry, traveling and exploring unfamiliar places with his wife, family, and friends. 

Mike provides leadership to the Architectural Metals, Roofing and Roofing Service department at the Jamar Company. 

Mike has been with Jamar since 1994 and was the company’s first CAD drafter. He drafted with pencil and paper his first year until the CAD equipment was set up a year later. As a drafter, Mike became versatile with all services the department performed and developed a keen attention to detail on all architectural sheet metal, roofing and siding, and waterproofing projects. This experience is key to ironing out questionable details prior to setting foot on a job site. Mike was promoted to estimating and project management before becoming the Architectural Department Manager in 2015. Mike is excited in his new role and looks forward to further developing the department and services we provide. 

Mike attended Lake Superior College for Architectural Technology and earned his certificate in Lean Construction there. He also attended the FMI Leadership Institute and has served on the Board of Directors for the Duluth Builders Exchange. 

Mike is married and has one daughter, and enjoys time together as a family when not at work. Mike loves the outdoors, fishing, hunting, and downhill skiing. 

Pat provides leadership to the Commercial Mechanical, Plumbing and HVAC Department at the Jamar Company. 

Pat has been working in the construction industry since 2004 and with Jamar since 2009, starting with an internship on the Commercial team. He graduated with a Construction Management and Business degree from South Dakota State University in 2010. He also attended the Institute of Project Management at the University of Texas Austin in 2012 and the Accelerated Readiness Program through the University of St. Thomas and API Group in 2018. Pat sits on several industry and community boards. 

Pat and his wife have three children that keep them busy when away from work. They enjoy getting outside hiking, biking, skiing, playing golf and spending time with family and friends. 

Mark Evans is the Controller of The Jamar Company, leading the corporate accounting functions, compliance, and financial reporting across all business units. 

Mark joined the company in 2014 as the Assistant Controller, then was promoted to Controller in 2021. Mark earned his Business Administration degree at the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 2008.  Prior to joining Jamar, he held a financial role for a national technology company, as well as a local residential contractor. 

Mark is a results-driven leader, focused on transforming existing norms, adapting to industry changes, and empowering people to their highest potential. Collaboration, transparency, and integrity are his key values in driving decisions across the organization.  

Mark lives in Duluth with his wife and two children. He and his family are active within the community and enjoy fishing, traveling, and being outdoors in all four seasons. 

Greg Olek has been Jamar’s safety director since 2005, a role in which he provides leadership and oversight of the organization’s corporate safety and loss control program. 

Prior to joining Jamar, Greg was the safety manager at a steel mill in St. Paul, MN.  He holds a master’s degree in Environmental Health and Safety from the University of Minnesota Duluth and has also earned a certificate in Lean Construction from Lake Superior College.  He currently holds the credential of ASP and is working towards CSP certification from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. 

Greg serves as a safety committee member for the National Association of Construction Boilermaker Employers (NACBE) as well as The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). 

Greg is married and has two children.  He enjoys fishing, hunting and Minnesota summers. 

Julie joined Jamar in 2016 with extensive Human Resources experience to lead a centralized HR department and support the local and regional business units of Jamar. Julie was promoted to Director of HR and Operations Support in 2020.  She, along with her team, drives company initiatives related to talent acquisition, training and development, employee engagement, performance management and total rewards.   

As corporate HR and Operations Director, Julie provides leadership through partnering with the business units of Jamar, identifying opportunities, providing support, guidance, and standards for continued improvement of day-to-day operations, as well as planned business growth.  Julie values the collaborative approach to business, the passion that exists at Jamar, and the importance that’s placed on relationships with all employees and customers.  

Julie lives in Esko with her husband.  She has two adult children and a stepdaughter. She enjoys spending time with her family and a very handsome pup named Charlie. 

Michael (Mike) Boyum is the Quality Control Manager at The Jamar Company. 

Mike joined the company in 2014 as the Quality Control Manager after spending 10 years executing industrial projects and plant maintenance, managing the budget, fabrication, installation, and quality assurance. Mike was also the QCM of an R-Stamp Program during that time.  Before starting his career, Mike graduated from the University of North Dakota with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. 

Mike is a decisive leader who is dedicated to complete compliance with code policies and procedures as well as continuous improvement in our quality process. 

Mike enjoys snowmobiling out west in the winter, and during the summer he likes to spend time on Rainy Lake.