The Small Business Advocate® Interviews Nelson Company

Radio host Jim Blasingame talks to Jack Williams about keeping a small business in operation for nearly 100 years.

Below is a summary of their almost 15-minute discussion:

Jack Williams and Dave Caltrider have a long (family) history with Nelson Company. Nelson Company was acquired by both Jack and Dave’s fathers in 1981. In 2005 Jack and Dave became owners of The Nelson Company in a leveraged buyout from their fathers.

As Jack mentions, almost everything in commerce moves on some form of platform. This makes the pallet industry a barometer of sorts for local and global economies. While there have been uncertainties (the decline in furniture and housing markets has impacted the industry, for example) Jack is confident that Nelson Company will continue to thrive.

From its earliest days, Nelson Company has always been a partner with its customers and vendors. Nelson Company believes long-term relationships based on mutual trust and added value are essential for longevity. 

In the second half of the interview Jack discusses reverse distribution with Jim. Using Nelson-ART software, Nelson Company helps customers with sustainable practices in materials handling.

The pair also discusses outsourcing and the positive impact on small businesses. Jack notes that Nelson maintains a staff of approximately 75 employees, outsourcing HR functions and supplementing with temporary labor as needed. Nelson Company also serves as an outsourced resource to large corporations.

The discussion concludes with an emphasis on Nelson Company’s strong growth potential and commitment to helping companies reduce, reuse and recycle. Going green and reusing materials helps diffuse occasional issues in sourcing raw materials.

Jack also makes note that some of Nelson’s best employees are those who have been with the company for 30 or 40 years. Nelson thinks that says a lot about our commitment to long-lasting relationships with our customers too.

Many thanks to Jim Blasingame for the opportunity to discuss Nelson Company on his small business radio program.

Post by: Kaitlin Manning, Creative Director