VECO Technologies was founded in 1976 by Jeff Vincent. Today he is usually found at his computer designing projects as one of our Engineers. But, who is he?
Jeff was that kid who was drawn to all things mechanical. His mother used to say that when he wandered off, she would listen for the nearest engine running and find him there. He was that kid that took things apart and then put them back together…sometimes with an improvement.
As a teenager, he was all about cars and how fast they went. He would rebuild engines to make them faster and more efficient and kept a sharp lookout for when they needed to be worked on. He was an avid race fan and while in high school autocrossed his MG Midget, winning many awards.
After high school, he joined the California Air National Guard where he was introduced to an engineering education. Engineering spoke his language and he made the decision to pursue it.
Jeff spent several years working at a local sports car repair shop. But, when he enrolled at Fresno State, he left work to concentrate on his education. He spent some time working for a local company in their engineering department. During that time, he designed a woodcutter for them and did general draftsman work.
In October of 1976, Jeff opened Vincent Engineering Company on Belmont Avenue as a one-man shop working primarily on engine repair. It wasn’t long before he needed help, and hired Carlos Flores. Carlos was a master on a lathe and worked for VECO until his retirement.
In 1979, Jeff moved the shop to its current location on Whitney Avenue. Work changed to general machining and he began to take on engineering projects. He worked at his drafting table, using his calculator and slide rule.
The age of computers changed everything. Now, he can produce designs in a more efficient way. Software gives him the ability to show the customer the design in 3D before committing to it. Then, with a shop staffed by skilled machinists, the work is completed.
Jeff is the creative genius behind VECO. With his mechanical mind, education and creativity, there has been almost nothing that he cannot vision and design. Projects have ranged in a multitude of industries, from an archery release, tamale machine to a wine barrel sander.
For your next mechanical design need, Jeff can be reached at 559-251-0050 or send us a message.