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In 1886, Matt Jaakkola immigrated to the United States from Kuusamo Finland at only 18 years of age. Homesteading in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Northern Michigan, he built the first frame style home in the Liminga area of the Stanton Township farm community. Clearing 240 acres for a homestead of potato and dairy farming, Matt Jaakkola started a family. The first community school sessions were held upstairs in the Jaakkola Farmhouse.
William Jaakkola, the 2nd of 3 sons born in the farmhouse in 1902, raised his family from the same homestead changing the family name to Jackola. William's 2nd son, Thor Jackola was born in the same farmhouse as his father in 1935. Being of the 1st of the immigrating generation, William encouraged his two sons to realize the educational opportunities that were lacking for his generation.
Working the farm while attending college, Thor acquired a degree in Mechanical and Power Engineering in 1962 from the renowned Michigan Technological University. Thor spent the early portion of his career with Ford Motor Company, Chrysler Corporation, and General Motors managing pivotal projects like the development of the HVAC Laboratories for Ford and others all over the east coast. Moving his growing family out of the cities to Whitefish Montana in 1969, Thor founded Arrowhead Construction, a turn-key design-build construction company that would grow to be one of Montana's largest with 135 employees. The creativity in design and development evident in Arrowhead projects led to a re-structuring of Arrowhead into Jackola Engineering Company in the early 80's.
Thor, with his family, has continued to realize the dream pioneered by Matt Jaakkola in 1886 through the evolution of Jackola Engineering Company into Jackola Engineering & Architecture, a family owned business of Architects, Engineers, Surveyors, and Land Use Planners::
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