Bart Nelson is 'Just One of the Players' at Nelson Irrigation Corporation

Bart Nelson, Chairman and CEO of Nelson Irrigation Corporation in Walla Walla, walks through the company's manufacturing facility greeting employees by name. They universally smile and give him a friendly greeting in return, showing their affection and respect for the man. It's obvious the respect goes both ways: "I'm just one of the players on the team," Nelson says. "Whatever success we've had was because of lots of people helping: farmers, friends, family, teachers, and loyal customers."

Because of his accomplishments and contributions to the potato industry, Nelson is the recipient of the 2014 Industry Leadership Award at the Washington Potato Conference. "I am honored, humbled and thankful," to receive the award, Nelson says.

Nelson is 75 years old. He has been married to his wife, Karen, for 52 years and they have four children and eight grandchildren. Three of their children work in the company including sons Craig and Reid who became co-presidents in 2012 when Bart stepped down from that position. Daughter Kendra Nelson Wenzel works in marketing, and is her father's special helper.

The roots of Nelson Irrigation go back to Peoria, Illinois and 1911 when Nelson's grandfather started R.L. Nelson Manufacturing Co., Inc. The business made lawn sprinklers, garden hose nozzles, and garden hose couplings. Nelson attended Purdue University earning a B.S. degree in General Agriculture. "That has served me very well in the business we're in," Nelson says. Purdue is also where he met Karen.

"I've always been interested in agricultural irrigation even when doing lawn sprinklers," Nelson explains. He started working for the family business in 1961 after graduating college and in 1968 he and Karen moved to Portland, Oregon to further explore moving into the agricultural irrigation business. His job was to be a "scout" and figure out what the company could do in agriculture. Bart promised Karen they'd move back to Illinois after two years. They never left. "We didn't want to go back," Nelson explains. They moved to Walla Walla in 1973 after Bart's father, Russ, sold the company in 1972. That's when Nelson Irrigation started. Walla Walla was chosen in part because the Port of Walla Walla provided a 15,000 square foot facility for manufacturing. Production was then moved to Walla Walla from Peoria. The company was making end guns for center pivot irrigation systems at the time. In addition, says Nelson, Walla Walla is "a great place to live, work, and raise kids."

"We found something we're really interested in and can make a living at. It's a lot of fun," Nelson says. Karen adds, "Ever since I've known him Bart has wanted to improve agricultural irrigation."

Today, Nelson Irrigation employs about 200 people. About one-third of their products are exported out of the United States, according to Nelson. "One of our stated objectives is to be a 'Made in America' manufacturer," Nelson says. The mission of the company, he explains, is "We plan, design, develop, manufacture and sell proprietary products for the agricultural irrigation equipment market." Nelson Irrigation tries to "do things that save water, save energy, and do a better job of irrigating," Nelson adds. The company strives to "help the grower maximize his or her profits and be an even better steward of the land." The company is constantly trying to innovate and works closely with growers. "We get a lot of our product ideas from growers," Nelson adds. His favorite thing to do, he says, is to get out in the field and work with growers. "Most fun of all," Nelson says. "It's great, fun, and exhilarating."

"I enjoy being part of a team that has been able to turn ideas into marketable products," Nelson says. "I'm just one of the team. We have a lot of great people on the team."

The company has 74 active U.S. and foreign patents, Nelson points out. "We're very big into innovation. That's how we're going to stay alive. We can't stand still," Bart concludes. "If we don't innovate we'll evaporate." Nelson Irrigation strives for "zero defects" because farmers require that, Nelson explains. In the manufacturing plant he holds up a small sprinkler and estimates there are "millions" of them in orchards around the world.

Nelson Irrigation has its own machine shop and does its own plastic injection molding. "We like to stay on the leading edge." That includes a robot that assembles sprinkler heads that the company designed.

In 1988, Nelson was awarded the Industry Achievement Award by the Irrigation Association. In 2006 he received an honorary Doctorate of Agriculture from Purdue University. But, he says, the Industry Leadership Award is unique. "This award is from my peers and people I work with so it's very special to me," he explains. "I've been humbled many times by the ups and downs of the market and now by getting this award." Karen adds, "I'm proud of him."

Having been in agriculture for over 40 years, Nelson has seen a lot of changes. The biggest he thinks he's seen is the "massive acceptance of center-pivot irrigation." He says there used to be a lot of wheel lines and surface irrigation in Washington State but "growers want to be on the cutting edge all the time." Another significant change Nelson has seen is the growth of government regulations: "It's going to get worse; they are all over everything."

The growth of the wine industry in Walla Walla is another big change Nelson has seen. It's brought in profits and restaurants and shopping and improved Walla Walla's downtown area, he points out.

In Nelson's office there is a coffee table laden with stacks of books on science, companies, and inventors. The company's offices are decorated with Indian pictures and sculptures plus Western landscapes. Nelson pulls out of his office closet information on Near Earth Objects: the asteroids and comets that orbit close to the Earth. He's been researching these and has books, magazine and newspaper articles, and even a very heavy nickel-iron meteorite a little bigger than a grapefruit. He is planning to give a presentation on Near Earth Objects and how they are both an opportunity for extracting resources from space and a threat if one hits our planet. The presentation will be given to the Inquiry Club, which is a group of men who will research any topic that interests them and every other year give a presentation to the group about that topic. Nelson seems as excited about Near Earth Objects as he does about irrigation and Karen says it's consumed his days for quite a while.

Nelson is a cooperator with the Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center in West Lafayette, Indiana. He is growing black walnut, butternut, and cherry trees in the Walla Walla area with irrigation. They are harvesting the butternuts and sending them back east to reintroduce the species in areas of the Midwest where they're extinct. The Center also has a goal of growing veneer-grade black walnut trees, Nelson explains.

"He doesn't stand still," Karen says with a chuckle. Nelson hikes in the Wallowa Mountains. He likes to fish in Alaska for salmon and halibut. "He's really been a good father to our kids," Karen adds. Nelson says most of what they do outside the business is "family stuff."

Nelson will receive his award at the 2014 Oregon-Washington Potato Conference Industry Leadership Banquet on January 29th.