Keeping Ahead of the Curve
Operating like an elite task force, Food Automation’s bottom line is to improve people’s businesses, people’s careers, and people’s lives by employing the latest hardware, software, and systems management. We strive for excellent results, keeping ahead of the curve and leading the way to new opportunities and new business.
Our History
Food Automation’s evolution as the leader in its field makes for a great story. An author, mentor, systems designer, and public speaker, Craig credits his background in engineering and emergency medicine for his current career. “Assembling an elite team of engineers is not so different from pulling together the best first responders,” he remarks. Craig subsequently applied himself to teaching all over the world and providing high-level safety and security for international clients.
In the 20 years that followed, he employed his unique set of skills to food and beverage automation, designing systems for name-brand companies. The FDA came calling in 1997, bringing Craig on board as a strategic consultant. They felt his government clearances, business ties, teaching credentials, and technology know-how made for a savvy capital investment in human resources. “With a focus that’s been typical of my work, I learned to examine the whole picture of a system’s health, from packaging to palletizing,” adds Craig. “Every single piece of hardware and software has to synchronize with a shared of goal food safety and food security.”
In partnership with the FDA, Craig authored regulatory standards for excellence in government regulation. “By this time, I’d learned everything about how to best diagnose problem areas and growth opportunities for automation and compliance, and ‘my idea factory’ went into overdrive,” he explains.
That’s how Food Automation was born in 2011.
Our Philosophy
Credibility. Quality. Consistency. Craig and his son, Ryan Nelson, lead a team that knows your business from the inside out. We get that the world of food automation and compliance is multi-faceted, whether you’re focused on increased production, improved checks and balances, or greater accuracy in monitoring and reporting. And because of Craig’s inside scoop on the regulatory realm and technological advances, there’s that added level of performance and protection.
“Food Automation is committed to getting the best results and enhanced performance for clients. My father and I always keep in mind that the food industry is, in general, highly relationship based. From the field to the front office, Food Automation does business in a more personable, hands-on fashion than our competitors. And we know food better than anyone else.” –Ryan Nelson, Partner