ZZ Diesel

The son of a second-generation farmer, Jacob was a 10-year member of 4-H where he honed his skills in engine repair as a young teen. “I had grown up on a farm and was used to the tractors and diesel vehicles, and there was an interest there,” recalls Jacob. “I decided around the age of 14 that I wanted to go to school to learn about diesel technology, so I pushed to get a scholarship for National Auto Diesel College in Nashville, Tennessee.”

His experience, as well as his High School Academic standing, earned him that scholarship to NADC where he was awarded a membership into the National Technical Honor Society.

Jacob earned his degree at Nashville Auto Diesel College (NADC) in Diesel Technology prior to being accepted at Purdue University where he honed his skills as a businessman to better serve the needs of his customers.

He opened his own diesel shop, ZZ Diesel in 2012 concurrently with his academic pursuits at Purdue. “In my second year at Purdue I kept getting asked to work on folk’s vehicles. I got a friend to help me work on trucks, then another friend, and another, then I got a business license, the LLC and just kept going.”

Though shuffling his schedule was sometimes hectic, Jacob graduated from Purdue in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business Management as well as a Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Jacob believes that the synergy from combining business with schooling made him both a better businessman and student.

Currently operating on the family farm, Jacob plans to expand to a new building by the end of 2020. “The new home of ZZ Diesel will be quite a step above where we’re at now, especially since in the current location we have to share space with the farm equipment.”

ZZ Diesel
13205 S 200th W
Kokomo, IN 46901
(800) 749-0688
zzdiesel.com