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Our History

Bright Past. Brilliant Future.

In 1947, Earl Nelson, his father Ted, Herb Jameson and Bob Dougherty founded Nelson-Jameson as a dairy equipment and supply business in Toluca, Illinois. Their goal was to serve as a comprehensive resource for dairy plants, but they soon discovered that their Illinois location wasn't ideal. So Ted and Herb studied dairy production maps and relocated the business to Marshfield, WI—the heart of dairy production. Shortly after, Jameson and Dougherty left Nelson-Jameson to pursue other business opportunities, leaving the company in the hands of
the Nelson family.

Today, Nelson-Jameson is run by the fourth generation of the Nelson family and continues to grow. The organization has added distribution centers in California, Idaho, Pennsylvania, and Texas to meet the needs of its markets. Over the years, Nelson-Jameson has expanded its product offerings to meet the needs of food, dairy and beverage plants—becoming the supplier of choice in all 50 states, as well as many foreign countries.

Nelson-Jameson is Founded

NJ began as a dairy equipment and supply firm in a vacant cheese factory
in Toluca, IL. In addition to the four founders: Earl Nelson, his father—Ted Nelson, Herb Jameson, and Bob Dougherty, the only employee was a secretary/bookkeeper.

Move to Marshfield, WI

With distances between dairy plants relatively long in Illinois, NJ's founders studied cow density maps and decided to relocate the business to Marshfield, WI—the heart of dairy production. Shortly after the move to Marshfield, Dougherty and Jameson left the firm to pursue separate careers, leaving the company in the control of the Nelsons.

Marshfield, WI Location Serves USA

The move to Marshfield proved to be fortuitous for the young firm, as Nelson-Jameson's customer list grew to include virtually every type of food processor in all 50 states and Canada

Richland Center, WI, Distribution Center Opens

Nelson-Jameson built the first of what would become several branch locations in Richland Center, WI, to better serve its strong dairy industry base. This location would remain open until 1992.

John Nelson Joins Nelson-Jameson

Earl's son, John Nelson joins the family business. John worked on numerous projects during his years with the company, including sales and route delivery, product management of the chemical line, and the annual physical inventory counting and reconciliation. He also was instrumental in starting the laboratory products line.

New Marshfield, WI, Distribution Center & Corporate Office Opens

A brand new building at 2400 E 5th Street became the home base for
Nelson-Jameson, Inc. The building, designed by John Nelson, featured office and warehouse space designed for growth. The design also earns the 1977 National Design Award of Merit.

Carol Nelson Joins Nelson-Jameson

Carol, Earl Nelson's wife, was instrumental in developing Nelson-Jameson's Human Resource Department and was responsible for hiring several key individuals within the organization.

Green Bay, WI, Distribution Center Opens

Green Bay becomes the second Wisconsin branch location of the company and serves Eastern, WI customers until 1991.


Marshfield, WI, Warehouse Expansion

When the building on East 5th Street was built 5 years earlier, it was said that employees thought it would take 30 years to fill the warehouse space. However, Nelson-Jameson would end up adding on several warehouse additions over the years to accommodate the growing product lines.

Firm of the Year

Nelson-Jameson is named Marshfield's Firm of The Year by the Marshfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MACCI).

Marshfield, WI, Expands Warehouse & Docks

Nelson-Jameson adds much-needed warehouse space and six new loading docks.

John Nelson Leads Nelson-Jameson

John Nelson takes over day-to-day operations of Nelson-Jameson when Earl & Carol Nelson retire from the company.

Jerry Lippert Joins Nelson-Jameson

Jerry Lippert held many roles at Nelson-Jameson over the years, including sales management, Director of Operations, Vice President/General Manager, and President. He assumed the President's role in 2002 and held that position until 2020.

Turlock, CA, Distribution Center Opens

To better serve the 13 Western states, Nelson-Jameson establishes a branch in Turlock, CA.

Twin Falls, ID, Distribution Center Opens

Twin Falls, Idaho, becomes a new branch of Nelson-Jameson to better serve customers in the Northwest United States.

Marshfield, WI, Distribution Center Expands Warehouse

This is the third of what would be five additions to the 5th Street distribution center in Marshfield, WI.

Adam NelsonAdam Nelson

Adam Nelson Joins Nelson-Jameson

John Nelson's son, Adam Nelson, is instrumental in establishing a strong IT Department, as well as the company philosophy of utilizing technology to make processes more efficient.

Nelson-Jameson Build New Distribution Center in Turlock, CA

A new 32,700 square foot facility, including warehouse and office space, is built in Turlock, California.

Amanda Nelson Sasse Joins Nelson-Jameson

Over the years, Amanda Nelson Sasse, John Nelson's oldest daughter, held several roles including Account Manager, Director of Strategic Relationships & Web Development, and VP of Philanthropy and Social Impact.

NEXT Logistics is Established

The logistics of Nelson-Jameson's fleet of trucks and deliveries becomes a new entity, Next Logistics. A dedicated system of routes and delivery schedules are put in place to better serve customers across the United States.

York, PA, Distribution Center Opens

Another branch location with offices and warehouse space opens in York, Pennsylvania, allowing Nelson-Jameson to better serve customers on the East Coast.

Dumas, TX, Distribution Center Opens

A new branch location in Dumas, Texas, is established, allowing Nelson-Jameson to better serve customers located in the South Central United States.

Marshfield, WI, Distribution Center Expands Warehouse

An additional 20,000 square feet of warehouse space is added to the Marshfield, Wisconsin, Distribution Center location.

Chicago, IL, Sales Office Opens

A team of dedicated Inside Account Managers, supporting customers in various regions of the United States, are based out of Chicago, IL. The Chicago sales office remains open until 2023.

Marshfield, WI, DC Expands to 2.2 Million cu ft.

An additional 10,000 square feet of warehouse space with six additional loading docks is added to the Marshfield location. This brings the total warehouse space in Marshfield to 2.2 million cubic feet.

New Amarillo, TX, Distribution Center Opens

Nelson-Jameson's Texas branch moves from Dumas to Amarillo, TX, to better serve customers, as well as to position itself for increased growth in the South Central United States. Nelson-Jameson built the Amarillo Distribution Center to be 25,000 square feet on a four-acre lot with three finished docks, 1,800 square feet of office space, and the capacity to hold 224 pallets of refrigerated products.

New Marshfield, WI, Corporate Office Opens

Nelson-Jameson's corporate office moves into a newly remodeled building, located on Highway 13 on the south end of Marshfield, Wisconsin.

4th Generation of Nelson Family Leadership

Leadership of the Nelson-Jameson organization transfers to the fourth generation of the Nelson family. Adam Nelson is named Chairman of the Board, and Amanda Nelson Sasse steps into an executive management position as the Director of E-Commerce. Ann-Marie Nelson Brine remains a minority owner, functioning as the secretary of both Nelson-Jameson's Advisory Board and its Board of Directors.

Mike Rindy Named President of Nelson-Jameson

Mike Rindy has worked in the food and dairy industry for more than 34 years—bringing with him decades of experience leading diverse teams to achieve outstanding sales and operational results while fostering collaboration and servant leadership.

Firm of the Year

Nelson-Jameson is named Marshfield’s Firm of The Year by the Marshfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MACCI). It is the 2nd time receiving this award since the prestigious program began in 1955.

Nelson-Jameson Celebrates 75th Anniversary

Nelson-Jameson is honored to celebrate 75 years of success and growth. The organization looks forward to continuing to provide customers with the products and services they need to produce safe, quality food.

Learn more about the value of partnering with Nelson-Jameson and our role in the food processing supply chain.