Nelson-Jameson Names Amanda Nelson Sasse to Dual Leadership Roles

Fourth-generation owner now serves as VP of Philanthropy and Social Impact and President of Nelson-Jameson Foundation

MARSHFIELD, WI – October 24, 2023 | Nelson-Jameson, a leading distributor for the dairy processing industry, has announced the appointment of Amanda Nelson Sasse to two new leadership roles. Nelson Sasse, a fourth-generation owner, will now serve in a dual role as Vice President of Philanthropy and Social Impact for Nelson-Jameson, as well as President of the Nelson-Jameson Foundation (NJF).

Nelson Sasse is a direct descendant of two of Nelson-Jameson’s co-founders, Earl Nelson and Ted Nelson, and has held leadership positions across multiple departments at the company for the past 14 years. As VP of Philanthropy and Social impact, she will oversee Nelson-Jameson’s philanthropic efforts and advance its mission by driving philanthropic initiatives, fostering partnerships, and creating lasting social impact. As President of NJF, Nelson Sasse will be the liaison between Nelson-Jameson and NJF, where she will head quarterly board meetings, oversee committees, and spearhead marketing and public relations functions.

“Nelson-Jameson was built on the values of supporting employee well-being and fostering strong communities. A charitable focus is embedded in our culture,” says Nelson Sasse. “I’m thrilled to continue this 76-year-old legacy by leading the Nelson-Jameson Foundation and furthering the social impact of Nelson-Jameson as an organization.”

Amanda Nelson Sasse photo

The Nelson-Jameson Foundation (NJF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded to formalize and expand Nelson-Jameson’s longstanding legacy of philanthropy and community engagement. NJF’s work centers around three pillars – employees, communities, and the industry – with programs including:

  • Volunteer opportunities – NJF offers employees up to eight hours of paid time off per year to volunteer at charitable organizations of their choice during work hours. Employees are also invited to get involved with NJF by volunteering on a Foundation committee.
  • Assistance Fund – Employees facing an unexpected crisis due to a federal, state or locally declared emergency can receive financial assistance through the Golden Rule Assistance Fund.
  • Scholarship programs – The Foundation’s Golden Rule Scholarship Program provides family members of Nelson-Jameson employees the opportunity to apply for scholarships at accredited two- or four-year colleges. It is also committed to funding scholarships for food and dairy science students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
  • Donation & charitable giving grants – NJF will continue Nelson-Jameson’s tradition of supporting 501(c)(3) entities that embody similar cultural values of community stewardship through donations and charitable grants.
  • Matching Gift Program – The Program matches donations that employees make to 501(c)(3) charities of their choice, with a maximum donation of $1,000 per year.

“Amanda has made tremendous contributions to Nelson-Jameson during her tenure here, and her passion for the Nelson-Jameson Foundation’s work is unmatched,” says Nelson-Jameson President Mike Rindy. “I look forward to continuing to partner with her to deliver the exceptional and carry out our shared values across the Nelson-Jameson family of companies.”

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Nelson-Jameson Announces Two New Plant-Based Manufacturing Relationships

Leading Distributor Teams up with Vaess and Lallemand Specialty Cultures to Meet Changing Customer Needs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARSHFIELD, WI – October 23, 2023 | Nelson-Jameson, a leading food processing distributor, has joined forces with Vaess and Lallemand Specialty Cultures (LSC) to meet the demand for increased diversity in existing customers’ portfolios. Nelson-Jameson will be working closely with both companies to deliver targeted strategies for companies producing plant-based and hybrid products for its customers.

For more than 75 years, Nelson-Jameson has supported food, beverage, and dairy processors with innovations that keep pace with changing consumer tastes, manufacturing processes, and distribution channels. The new relationships with Vaess and LSC strengthen the company’s commitment to deliver the exceptional to the dairy industry and beyond.

“Nelson-Jameson is thrilled to collaborate with Vaess and LSC to meet plant-based product development goals for our customers who want to explore additional options to complement their dairy business,” says Peter Kempe, Nelson-Jameson’s Senior Vice President, Strategy & Business Development, Ingredients. “The ingredients expertise that both companies have will help us deliver a comprehensive set of solutions for our customers for years to come.”

Nelson-Jameson, Vases, and Lallemand logos with plant-based products

Vaess has experienced strong growth driven by innovation and industry alliances to develop food for the needs of today and the trends of tomorrow. The company engineers innovative, high-quality ingredients that add value to food, helping companies create products that are not only delicious, but also cost effective, operationally efficient, and commercially scalable.

“This collaboration is part of Vaess’ mission to create a responsible food chain for future generations,” says Coen van Oorschot, Director at Vaess. “As we continue to explore ways to meet changing consumer preferences, it is becoming increasingly important to consider the benefits of plant-based alternatives. By offering plant-based options, we can cater to a wider audience and ensure inclusivity so that there is something for everyone.”

Lallemand has been a global leader in the development, production, and marketing of yeast, bacteria, fungi and their derivatives since the end of the 19th Century. Specifically, Lallemand Specialty Cultures (LSC) has over 100 years of experience in dairy culture fermentation. LSC also provides meat and plant-based solutions, bringing unique appearance, color, flavor, texture and food safety to its offerings.

“Based on the many ingredient sources, plant-based foods offer a wide range of possibilities for consumers,” says Julia Plateau-Gonthier, LSC’s Category Product Manager for Dairy, Meat and Plant-based cultures. “Our know-how in microbiology and fermentation as well as our long-standing experience selecting the best cultures for dairy and meat applications is a strong asset for the development of plant-based cultures.”

To learn more about Nelson-Jameson’s plant-based solutions for food processors and to work on custom-tailored solutions for the industry, contact Nelson-Jameson’s Packaging, Ingredients, and Chemicals Department at PIC@nelsonjameson.com


A Mentorship Memoir: Inspiring the Next Generation of Cheesemakers 

By Steve Funk

Mentorship in the dairy industry is more important than ever. 

The next generation has exciting opportunities ahead, and can benefit from technological advancements, developments in food safety, and an ever-expanding menu of dairy product innovations. At the same time, our young leaders also face many new challenges from unpredictable consumer preferences to economic and supply chain concerns. Mentorship can help them make the most of their opportunities and learn to navigate challenges like seasoned pros. 

I’ve been in the dairy industry for more than 40 years and have come close to retiring more than once, but the truth is I love my career, and I love everything about making great cheese. There’s both an art and a science to making healthy and delicious cheeses and cultured dairy foods. By blending tried-and-true wisdom from mentors with modern food technologies, new generations of cheesemakers can build on the foundation of best practices while continuing to evolve and innovate. 

Earlier this year I was asked to be a mentor for this Innovation Competition sponsored by the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) (I encourage you to look it up).  The competition was funded by a $1 million grant for growth of Dairy in the Northeast via product Innovation, and both companies and individuals could apply. 

With over 50 applicants, the committee chose 10 finalists, and I was asked to be a technical mentor/advisor for one of them. Each finalist also got a marketing mentor and received $20,000 toward their competition goals. The Top three winners from the competition all got an additional $55,000. 

I worked with Bell & Goose Cheese Co. in South Hampton, NH, (about 8 miles from where I used to live before moving to WI), which opened in 2017. The owner, Anna Cantelmo, makes a marinated Feta cheese (among others) and was looking for expansion of her market and improvement of shelf-life, yield, and flavor of the cheese.  

I worked with Anna on protein to fat ratios, adding a better coagulant, XDS, and more calcium which improved their yield, structure and shelf-life right away. We also discussed milk quality, more effective pasteurization, culture changes, procedure changes, and some basic principles for quality cheese.  

Bell & Goose was not one of the Top 3 winners, but it was a thrilling competition, and the winners all had significant growth plans. The main reason B&G was not a Top 3 was not having big enough growth plans to use more NE milk, and limited marketing. But Anna learned a lot, she was grateful for my help, and I have been asked by her to continue to support Bell & Goose, which I will. (I will be on a family vacation a few miles from there this month and my family, and I have been asked to come by, taste some of the great cheese they make, and have dinner.)

I’m grateful to have spent my entire career in the dairy industry. I know that not everyone can say they love going to work each day, but I’ve been able to say that truthfully for more than 40 years. This is one reason that giving back and providing opportunities for others to embrace cheesemaking and dairy production as a career is so important to me. My current goal is to help more mentorship arrangements, both formal and informal, flourish industry-wide. I feel a sense of responsibility to leave a strong and vital legacy so the next generation can advance the craft of cheesemaking and the dairy industry can thrive for many generations to come. 

I have been asked to mentor again next year, presuming the competition gets funding again, which I will look forward to. I met a lot of good people, some future NJ customers I hope, and really enjoyed it.


Nelson-Jameson Featured in We Supply America’s “Force for Good” shop

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

Proceeds will be donated to the Nelson-Jameson Foundation until end of 2023

MARSHFIELD, WI – Oct 12, 2023Nelson-Jameson, a leading distributor in the food processing industry, has teamed up with We Supply America in the launch of its new “Force for Good” online store. Nelson-Jameson was featured as one of eight companies in the third season of We Supply America’s documentary series, which champions the distribution industry. During the premiere of Nelson-Jameson’s episode on LinkedIn Live last Thursday, We Supply America Founder and Executive Producer Dirk Beveridge announced that a percentage of the proceeds from the “Force for Good” store will be donated to the Nelson-Jameson Foundation. 

Beveridge, an industry consultant with more than 36 years of experience in supply chain distribution, started We Supply America as a response to the challenges that distribution and supply chain companies faced during the pandemic. He created a series that documents him traveling across the U.S. interviewing distribution leaders and companies with people-first values and contributions to the communities they serve. Beveridge was moved to launch the online store during the third season of the series which focuses on visionary companies trying to be a “Force for Good.” 

“’Force For Good’ is more than a mantra; it’s a way of life, a conscious choice to see and be the best in ourselves and the world around us. As I’ve traveled the country, I have discovered that the Nelson-Jamesons of the world, these independent family/employee-owned distribution businesses that I’ve had the chance to visit, are truly a force for good, or as we like to say to “be gooder,’” said Beveridge. “They are constantly looking for ways beyond that bottom line. They make an impact for society in their local communities and beyond.”

Nelson-Jameson defines its culture based on honesty, integrity, and kindness, and a commitment to operating in an ethical manner with respect for people, the community, and the environment. Through the Nelson-Jameson Foundation, the 76-year-old family-owned company supports philanthropic organizations that share its values and awards grants to charitable programs related to the food and dairy industries or local communities.  

“We have a long legacy of philanthropy as a company. I’m so happy that the Nelson-Jameson Foundation is able to shine a spotlight and lead by example to do good, to be gooder. It shows that compassion and profit don’t have to be mutually exclusive,” says Nelson-Jameson’s fourth generation owner Amanda Sasse.

The shop features inspirational merchandise with the “force for good” and “be gooder” taglines. Hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts, water bottles, journals, and more all for sale on the site. 

“The world could use more of ‘being gooder.’ We’re fortunate to be in the food industry, which is very humble, very neighborly. When you focus on these things, you can ‘be gooder,’” says Nelson-Jameson president Mike Rindy. “It’s a a humble cause that you are leading. You’re proud to be part of it, and it’s inspiring to be part of it.”

To learn more about the Force for Good movement and make a purchase to support the Nelson-Jameson Foundation, go to https://forceforgoodsquad.com/

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Photo caption (Courtesy of We Supply America): Nelson-Jameson’s fourth generation owner talks to We Supply America’s Executive Producer Dirk Beveridge about the company’s people-first culture and commitment to giving back to the communites it serves through the Nelson-Jameson Foundation.

 


Nelson-Jameson’s California Distribution Center Receives Seventh Consecutive

100% Score in Safe Quality Food Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

MARSHFIELD, WI – October 11, 2023 – Nelson-Jameson, a leading food processing distributor, announced a seventh consecutive 100% score in a Safe Quality Food (SQF) audit at its Turlock, California strategic distribution center. Audits are conducted by the Eagle Certification Group, an independent certification body licensed by SQF, which has set an internationally recognized and highly respected standard in the industry. An SQF registered site indicates a commitment to providing quality products that are safely received, handled, stored, and delivered, and a 100% score indicates the highest level of safety and quality by all measures.


“Safety and quality are paramount to operations at Nelson-Jameson, and our dedication to the SQF program runs deep,” says Mike Rindy, President of Nelson-Jameson. “We are very proud to receive a seventh straight 100% score in Turlock. Still, we view SQF as an ongoing journey of constant vigilance and continuous improvement.”


To obtain the SQF certification, companies need to meticulously document program adherence, and this documentation is reviewed, monitored, verified, and validated throughout the year. SQF regularly releases updated codes and plans to release a new code update in 2025-2026.


Nelson-Jameson is audited under a Warehousing & Distribution certification code, and the company is then responsible for writing policies and procedures that pertain to the code. Practitioners at each Nelson-Jameson strategic distribution center are assigned to run point on the program, but SQF responsibilities are shared across the entire facility.


“We want our customers to know that we share their commitment to safety and quality from end to end, and we’re committed to participating in SQF audits each year,” says Rindy.


The SQF program was started at Nelson-Jameson’s Marshfield, Wisconsin headquarters in 2009 with the initial Marshfield audit taking place in 2011. Marshfield’s audits have averaged a score of 98.5% over the past 12 years. The company is expanding its roster of locations participating in the SQF program, with an Amarillo, Texas location scheduled for its first audit November 2-3, 2023. The company’s upcoming new strategic distribution center in Jerome, Idaho is on track to participate in SQF in 2025, once it’s fully operational.

Nelson-Jameson awarded 100% in SQF Certification 7 years running.