About Us
High Country Tek, Inc. (HCT), founded in 1983 in Nevada City California is recognized as North America’s foremost independent designer and producer of modular, extremely robust, high reliability digital and analog electronic controller products for the fluid power industry.
Our signature method of total encapsulation using a flame resistant resin offers complete electrical integrity, making both our ‘Specialty Range’ and our fully programmable DVC™ series impervious to the typically harsh environment seen in the industry while providing full and uninterrupted operation.
With our in-house customer support, engineering and production services groups based in California and several Field Application Engineers placed around the United States, HCT can provide authentic U.S. built products with application support locally or if required, at any location across the globe. We offer training on our products, application programming and usage while our flexible and innovative configuration allows us to offer extended services that include private labeling of any existing HCT product or full customer special product design with unique packaging if required.
Recognized as innovators and market leaders covering general Mobile, Industrial and Marine applications, we are also, globally acknowledged in the ‘Hydraulic fan cooling’ and ‘Hydraulic generator controller’ segments where significant fuel, emission and operational savings can be realized by using one of the company’s controllers to optimize the applications operation.
Please feel free to look around our website and contact us if you would like to discuss an opportunity, particular controller or an application that you need to control, our sales and application team would be pleased to work with you.
Management Team
Lennart Hjord, President, joined High Country Tek, Inc. in January 2010 and brings more than 30 years of international and domestic general management experience with him. Lennart has an extensive background in sales, marketing, product line management, services, engineering and manufacturing, working for large and small Information Technology companies in Sweden, Germany and France and since 1993 in the US. He started his career with IBM’s manufacturing plant in Stockholm, with a strong focus on industrial processes and automation, and moved into Marketing and Sales for IBM and subsequently Digital Equipment where he was the GM of their European Technology Center. Since moving to the US, he has held senior management positions at Oracle and Quantum as well as CEO for Cygnet, a digital data storage solution company with a similar size and structure as High Country Tek Inc. Lennart, a native of Sweden, holds a Masters of Electronics Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, and relocated to Nevada City, the home of HCT, in 2001 when he become the WW Operations manager for Thomson Grass Valley, a global professional video equipment market leader.
Sandy Hakala, Financial Controller, Joined HCT in October of 2006. Sandy has 18 years of experience in Accounting and Manufacturing systems including Cost Accounting, Inventory Management, Financial Statements, Cash Management, Job Costing, ERP Requirements Assessment and Implementation. Sandy is a CPA, member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts, two-time member of the AICPA Technology Conference Committee, prior chair of MNCPA Information Technology Committee, member of MNCPA Vision Committee. Sandy's a qualified installer of ERP and Financial systems including Macola, Abra Human Resource Suite and Microsoft Great Plains.
Gary Gotting, V.P Sales and Marketing, joined HCT in January 2008. Gary brings with him a wealth of over 25 years experience in the electro-hydraulics international arena. Starting his career with Abex Denison U.K. in 1983 he was instrumental in pioneering integrated electronics for proportional valve and pump controls. After Abex Denison was acquired by Hägglunds AB in 1986, Gary was promoted to head up global electronic product support. In 1993 Hägglunds sold the Denison brand and he returned to the U.K. to start and manage an electronics and systems development department for the newly named Denison Hydraulics International. In 2000, Gary was promoted to the global electronics and controls manager and relocated to the company’s U.S. corporate headquarters in Marysville Ohio. In 2003, Denison Hydraulics Inc. was purchased by Parker Hannifin where Gary’s role changed to successfully developing, supporting and globally promoting hydraulic fan drives for the corporation. While at Eaton Corporation Gary took up a newly created position of Sr. product manager for advanced technology and systems with active roles in Hydraulic-Hybrids, fan drives and advanced hydraulic control programs. Gary holds higher education certificates in electronics and communications engineering from Brighton Technical College in England.
Wenling Babbitt, Sales & Marketing, joined HCT in July 2012 and brings over 20 years of experience in the mobile hydraulics international arena. She worked as a University Lecturer in China in 1990 and then as a Senior Design Engineer Singapore Technologies Kinetics for several years, where she designed various hydraulic systems for military vehicles. In 2001, Wenling moved to the U.S. and joined Sauer-Danfoss as a Systems and Applications Engineer, where her involvement in complex system designs for numerous machines led to her gaining extensive field and applications knowledge across a wide variety of driveline and electrohydraulic components. In 2010, Wenling relocated to Canada working for Norcan Fluid Power, and for Aquaguard Spill Response, both end users of mobile hydraulics products where she was responsible for developing integrated and customer solutions for a variety of applications in the mobile market. Wenling has a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, majoring in Hydraulics from China's Harbin Institute of Technology and a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from China's Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
Russell Tackett, Senior Field Application Engineer (SFAE), joined HCT in April 2008. Russell brings with him over 20 years experience in Industrial and Mobile electro-hydraulics control systems and solutions. Russell has been with major OEM companies including Heidelberg Finishing Systems, Motoman Robotics, Matsushita Toshiba Picture Display Corporation of America (MTPDA), Superdrive Inc, and Honda of America MFG. As one of the major responsibilities with HCT, Russell is charged with product software training and application code creation and focuses on solutions using SAE J1939 devices. Russell's education includes a BS in Electrical Engineering from The University of Dayton.
Brian Ashcraft, Field Application Engineer (FAE), joined HCT in January 2012. Brian has over 20 years experience in Industrial Controls and Automation. He has worked with every level of personnel from maintenance to engineering for complete line installations and machine repair. Brian has worked in the industrial market, the distributor level, and the manufacturer. Brian has worked for companies both large and small, including Mosier Fluid Power, Matsushita Toshiba Picture Display Corporation of America (MTPDA), Reliance Electric Company, Montgomery County Solid Waste Management. As one of the major responsibilities with HCT, Brian is charged with product software training and application code creation and focuses on solutions using SAE J1939 devices. Brian's education includes a BSEE in Electrical Engineering from Wright State University.
Mike Lucas, Engineering Manager, joined HCT in September of 2010. Mike has 29 years of experience in industries from machine tools to scientific instrumentation. Mike is named on United States Patent 6,866,461. Mike has hands on experience developing, certifying, producing and supporting electromechanical products. Mike’s education includes an ASEE from Vermont Technical College.
Doug Morgan, Operations Manager, joined HCT in January 2012. Doug brings more than 25 years' experience in Operations management within manufacturing organizations across diverse industries. He has held senior management positions for international high-tech electronics companies, and earned a reputation as a leader that successfully steers organizations through substantial growth periods. Doug has experience in developing quality-focused strategies through implementing process improvement projects that include ISO 9001-2000 Certification and has consistently improved operating performance in On Time Delivery, Customer Responsiveness and Quality. Doug received his Bachelor of Science, with honors, from California State University, Sacramento in Business with focus in Production, Operations and Systems Management.