Nelson-Jameson, a distributor in the dairy and food processing industry, is continuing expansion of its Commercial Development Department with three development and sales-focused leaders.
The company has strengthened its managerial structure across all departments this year, and the commercial team expansion aligns with the firm’s growing customer footprint across the country. Because Nelson-Jameson provides ongoing relationship management beyond the point of sale, it sought commercial leaders who excel in both growth-focused development and customer care.
“The Commercial Development Department is key to the strategic growth of Nelson-Jameson, and the collective expertise that Dakonya Freis, Jason Huff, and Chris York bring to the table is unmatched,” says Nelson-Jameson President Mike Rindy. “What’s more, they all embody the Golden Rule values that Nelson-Jameson is known for, ensuring that we maintain the integrity of our 75-year-old company culture as we grow.”
The new managers will lead commercial development and expansion in their respective areas:
Dakonya Freis – Vice President of Commercial Development
Dakonya brings over two decades of experience at Nelson-Jameson to her position as Vice President of Commercial Development, including five years as Vice President of Product Management & Marketing where she had identified process improvements and had overseen the product management and marketing departments. In her new role, she is responsible for developing new avenues of commercial growth, streamlining business processes, and collaborating with customers and suppliers to bring value added solutions to the food and beverage industry.
Jason Huff – Commercial Executive Director - West
Jason leads the relationship management across Nelson-Jameson’s Western United States territory as Commercial Executive Director - West. Based out of Nelson-Jameson’s newest distribution center in Jerome, ID, opening later this year, Jason will develop regional sales targets and support company-wide key sales execution. He will also coach and mentor sales, technical, and commercial teams to reach determined goals. Jason has an in-depth understanding of the supplier ecosystem and knowledge of how to build deep-rooted strategic customer partnerships from experience in past roles spanning 25 years in cheese/whey production, dairy processing, and corporate food safety & sanitation.
Chris York – Commercial Executive Director - East
As Commercial Executive Director - East, Chris is the face of Nelson-Jameson across the Eastern United States territory. He develops and fosters high-value relationships with customers and acts as a liaison between customers and internal teams. Chris also partners with leadership to execute the strategic sales plan for the East region. Prior to Nelson-Jameson, Chris spent nearly two decades in regional sales management roles at 3M, cultivating deep food industry expertise and channel management experience.
