In 1994 Ben Jenson, then from Minnesota, approached Dr. Johan Gervais, at the time the Director of the Innovative Business Accelerator (IBA) in Round Rock, Texas, to bring his patented invention to market. Originally called the “Water Weeder”, the name of this unique electrical boat-mounted underwater weed cutter was soon changed to the “Jenson Lake Mower”.
In 1996 the design was modified to offer a standard drive shaft of 4′ and optional shaft extenders of either 2′ or 4′ to cut deeper, and the business was moved to the current San Marcos, Texas location. By then, Johan had closed IBA and chosen to operate Jenson Technologies as a home-based business with his wife, nnamarie, and children. Unbeknownst to Johan, he had put in place the vehicle which would support his family after his death in 1998 at the age of 42.
In 1999 a stronger motor option was added to cut through tougher weeds. Because of the popularity of the HD5000, the smaller motor–the RG2500–was discontinued. (Maintenance on the RG2500 is still offered whenever possible.) By 2007 the addition of the boat-mounted Jenson Rake™ completed the current line of products. In the near future, new developments by enthusiastic customers promise to be incorporated.
Annamarie and her children thank God, Who has sustained the business through the years, as well as the many individuals who have played a part at different times to contribute to the ongoing success of the Jenson Lake Mower™ line of products.
In 2020 the Jenson Lake Mower was acquired by Elastec, Inc. located in Carmi, Illinois to expand their ever-growing line of water maintenance products.
“We’ve been selling the Lake Mower™ as an attachment to our boats for years, so we can see first-hand the quality workmanship that goes into them,” said Elastec CEO, Jeff Bohleber. “While placing an order, we learned they were considering selling the business, and it immediately piqued our interest.” After a few months of discussion and meetings, the Jenson Lake Mower™ has a new home with Elastec.
Elastec has primarily been known for manufacturing oil spill response equipment, but over the past few years, the company has been expanding into waterway maintenance. This includes products for containing and collecting floating plastics, trash & debris, invasive weeds, and other pollutants that threaten our most valuable resource. Because of this market expansion, they have become the world’s largest manufacturer f environmental response equipment. “Elastec is based in a small town but is making a global impact that helps keep the world clean,” said Elastec VP of North American Sales, Shon Mosier. “We are a family and are proud of the work we do, so we are excited to add the Gervais family into the Elastec family.”
Elastec will assume all sales, manufacturing, and distribution of the Lake Mower™. “We are always looking for interesting solutions, and this product will seamlessly fit into our vast lineup of waterway maintenance equipment,” said Bohleber. “The Jenson and Gervais families have developed an outstanding product, and we are excited to continue that tradition of quality.”