Behind the Business: Everything Happens for a Reason

“I’m very grateful that life has brought me to where it has,” says Jeffrey Jacques, an account manager at Element 119 in Cheshire. “Everything happens for a reason.”

Element 119 manufactures ceramic coatings for the automotive, aerospace, and military industries. 

Jacques grew up not far away in Thomaston, but was living in California during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said he came across Element 119 about three years ago while looking at chemical companies in the automotive industry.

He said he was intrigued by the company’s innovation.

“They weren’t hiring until I approached them and convinced them and petitioned them over and over again, that they really should talk to me,” he said.

Experience and Passion

A self-described “car guy,” Jacques said that working with Element 119 has allowed him to put his marketing and sales experience together with his passion for the automotive industry.

“It was fun, it was very easy to do for me,” he said. “This was the first time I sold a product you could see, touch, and feel.”

Jacques began with Element 119 while he was still living in California, but as the company grew, he realized it might be best if he moved back to Connecticut. 

“I mentioned to my wife, ‘What would you think, maybe go back to Connecticut?’” he said. “Before dinner was over, she was packing, couldn’t wait to get back here.”

“These are people that appreciate that we’re there to help them make money.”

Element 119’s Jeffrey Jacques

Jacques said that one of the best things about his job is working with the customers.

“This isn’t big corporations, usually,” he said. “These are people that appreciate that we’re there to help them make money. And we provide a bulletproof product.”

Jacques said he only wishes he started with the company sooner.

“I’d have liked to discover this opportunity 10 years earlier,” he said. “That would have been fun. But for whatever reason, paths crossed, and here I am.”