Colville, WA: Colmac Coil is pleased to announce that Bruce I. Nelson, P.E., the firm’s past president and current Director of Innovation received the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) Member of the Year and Honorary Life Member awards. The two prestigious awards were announced at the 2021 IIAR Online Natural Refrigeration Conference & Expo at the opening Business meeting on June 21st.
The IIAR Member of the year is given to an individual to recognize service to the organization that is exceptional and above expectation. As Immediate past chair of IIAR, Nelson’s ideas and leadership helped guide the IIAR organization through the Covid-19 pandemic. He also led the selection process for recruiting and hiring the new president of IIAR, Gary Schrift.
IIAR occasionally elects individuals as honorary life members, in recognition to their enduring contributions to the industry. The award grants all the privileges of an IIAR membership at no cost to the recipient. Bruce Nelson was among one of three recipients of the IIAR Honorary life member award at the IIAR 2021 Conference and expo.
“Bruce has traveled the world advocating for IIAR, presented many times at IIAR conferences, and was instrumental in helping develop IIAR’s new piping handbook, among other important contributions” said Dave Schaefer, Past Chair of IIAR, and Chief Engineer at Bassett Mechanical.
In addition to Nelson’s many service awards and achievements, he devoted 40 years of his career to Colmac Coil Manufacturing. Nelson’s leadership, accomplishments, and vision helped Colmac Coil become an industry leader designing and supplying innovative industrial heat exchangers to clients worldwide. He is set to retire from Colmac Coil on July 4th, 2021 but will continue his work through his newly formed consulting company, Bruce V. Nelson Engineering, LLC.