By Joe Kertzman, managing editor
Specializing in agri-ventilation sales and service, Dale Nelson of Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems, Inc., Plainfield, Wisconsin, works on humidification, refrigeration, computerized controls, custom designs and consulting.
With 35 years of experience in ventilation and refrigeration, Nelson has installed and designed potato storage systems from Michigan to the West Coast and from Canada to Mexico, not to mention the international consulting he has done from the United Kingdom all the way to Buenos Aires.
Nelson is especially proud of the company’s focus on potato storage management.
“I was living in Boise, Idaho and working commercial refrigeration,” he relates. “Just by chance, I noticed a help wanted ad for a self-motivated person for refrigeration service with some travel, and I applied.”
“It ended up being a job as a service rep for a ventilation company that covered Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Northern California and states all the way back to Michigan,” Nelson says. “In fact, one of the first jobs I had was for Ore-Ida in Plover, Hancock and Grand Marsh.”
“Even though I was born and raised in western Wisconsin, I had no idea that Wisconsin even raised potatoes,” he freely admits. “It was at that time I decided someday I was going to get back to Wisconsin and work in the potato industry.”
Nelson explains that working for Ore-Ida was a great way to get an education in the industry. “It gave me an opportunity not only to solve service issues, but also solve problems like air and humidity distribution, condensation issues and more,” he notes.
