The Spring Manufacturers Institute (SMI) has announced the election of Don Jacobson III to a two-year term as the association’s new president. Jacobson is a director of Newcomb Spring Corp. where he serves as the vice president of business development out of their facility in Ooltewah, Tennessee.

Jacobson takes over for Gene Huber Jr., who served as SMI president from 2022 to 2024. Huber, executive vice president of Winamac Coil Spring in Kewanna, Indiana, will continue to serve SMI as immediate past president.

In addition, David DeVoe president of Plymouth Spring in Bristol, Connecticut, is SMI’s new vice president, Dave Deerwester president of The Yost Superior Company, Springfield, Ohio, will serve as secretary/treasurer and Joe Devany, vice president of manufacturing, Betts Company, Fresno, California, is the at-large member of SMI’s executive committee.

Jacobson follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, G. Donald Jacobson Sr., who served as SMI president from 1960-62 and his dad, G. Donald Jacobson Jr., who served as president from 1995-1997. Jacobson has been a long time SMI volunteer and a member of the SMI executive committee since 2017. He is active on the SMI technical committee and helped launch the SMI 201 Compression Spring design class.

“SMI is such a great organization that works with a variety of companies throughout North America,” said Jacobson. “What’s important to me is education. It’s getting the next generation involved and it’s also about keeping your employees engaged. Education is a top goal that I will focus on during my time as SMI president.”

Jacobson was installed as president at the 2024 SMI Annual Meeting, April 6-9, at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in Coronado, California. SMI will hold its 2025 Annual Meeting at the Kimpton Hotel Fontenot in New Orleans, Louisiana, March 29-April 1, 2025.

For more information about SMI, visit www.smihq.org.