Management
Jerad Higman, President
Jerad graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1995 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He has been instrumental in evolving MASABA to be not only a leader in the Mining Equipment Industry, but has also set a unique culture of employees dedicated to serving our customers through continuous improvements in the design & manufacturing of our wide array of products. This extraordinary culture also makes MASABA one of the best places to work in the industry.
Jerad is passionate about MASABA and the aggregate mining industry, and he supports the industry by attending and sponsoring the NSSGA Young Leader’s Council event each year. He was recently nominated to the NSSGA Manufacturers and Services Division Board of Directors.
Jerad is a big believer in civic responsibility and giving back, and as such is extremely active in the Vermillion community and Economic Development intiatives. He is also a member of the University of South Dakota Foundation.
Jerad is married to Peggy Higman, also a business owner in Vermillion, and together they are busy raising their three children, Ava, Morgan, and Ronan.
Heath Johnson, VP, Marketing & Operations
Heath joined MASABA in October 2006 and manages Marketing & Operations. He graduated from the University of South Dakota in 1994 with a degree in Business Administration. Additionally, he attended the Executive Education Program at the College of William & Mary, specializing in Strategic Planning & Retail Management.
Prior to joining MASABA, he held the position of VP of Marketing for RadioShack Corporation in Fort Worth, TX. Heath’s role at RadioShack included managing Product Marketing for new & existing product categories, Event Planning, Channel Marketing as well as all forms of Media Strategy and Implementation.
Prior to RadioShack, Heath served as Director of Marketing & Product Planning at Gateway Computers. Throughout over 10 years at Gateway, he served in a variety of management roles, including Product Development, Product Planning/Merchandising within the Desktop Computer division, and Global Product Planning & Marketing.
He and his wife Amy live in Vermillion with their two children Katie & Kyle. All four of them enjoy sports, sports, and more sports. On Sunday afternoons, all four of them can be found watching the Packers.
Jim Peterson, VP, Sales & Business Development
Jim Peterson joined MASABA in September 2008. He graduated from Marquette University with a BS in Business and holds a MBA from Mississippi State University.
Since 2002, he has owned and operated his own consulting firm, with MASABA being one of his clients, and also owns another small business.
From 1996 until 2001, he was President of Canica-Jaques Manufacturing company, the leading manufacturer of vertical shaft impact crushing solutions for the aggregate and mining industries. Prior to joining Canica-Jaques, he worked in senior management for a sawmill manufacturer, in the paper industry and for a mechanical contractor.
He and his family are big pro football fans.
Joe Elmes, President, MASABA Canada
Joe has been in the construction and aggregate industry since 1977. He worked initially for the distribution and marketing end of the business. In the early part of his career understood the need to develop his technical knowledge and positioned himself with a Canadian Manufacturer of Aggregate Equipment. Under the guidance of the technical department, he was promoted to a systems design person and ultimately the Sales Manager responsible for company sales worldwide. In the 1980’s Joe entered into a joint venture and became the co-owner of a manufacturing company producing a complete line of aggregate equipment.
Joe is married and has three grown sons, two of whom are employed with MASABA Canada.
