Nelson-Jameson Announces Commercial Team Expansion

MARSHFIELD, Wis. — 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: Dakonya Freis, Jason Huff and Chris York.

The company has strengthened its managerial structure across all departments this year, it reported, and the commercial team expansion aligns with the firm’s growing customer footprint across the country. Because the company 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,” said 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. 

Freis will serve as vice president of commercial development. She brings over two decades of experience at Nelson-Jameson, including five years as vice president of product management and marketing, where she identified process improvements and oversaw 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 will serve as commercial executive director, West. He leads the relationship management across Nelson-Jameson’s Western United States territory. Based out of Nelson-Jameson’s newest distribution center in Jerome, Idaho, opening later this year, Huff 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. Huff 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 and sanitation. 

Chris York will serve as commercial executive director, East. He 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. York also partners with leadership to execute the strategic sales plan for the East region. Prior to Nelson-Jameson, York spent nearly two decades in regional sales management roles at 3M, cultivating deep food industry expertise and channel management experience.