About Nelson's
Our History
For over 50 years, Nelson’s has served Indiana and Michigan with the finest barbecued products.
As a manager of a small poultry processing plant in Wakarusa, Indiana, during the Great Depression, Nelson Gongwer continuously toyed with new and innovative ways to promote poultry products. He was convinced there was a better way to cook large quantities of chicken while maintaining the high quality only found in “grandma’s” kitchen. Weekend after weekend, he labored over makeshift grills, trying to determine how to automate it. Eventually, in 1967, Nelson accomplished precisely what he had set out to do, and the famous Port-A-Pit® “bbq machine” was introduced to the world. After years of persistence, Nelson had created the process that would soon make Nelson’s a household name throughout northern Indiana.
1980
By the 1980s, now under the leadership of Dean Gongwer (Nelson’s son), the company was barbecuing over 500,000 halves of chicken per year, successfully producing fundraisers, corporate caterings, and other special events to become one of the largest caterers in northern Indiana. Nelson’s always provided its customers with a rare combination of quality and quantity due to the uniqueness of the Port-A-Pit.
1997
Dean’s son, Tad Nelson Gongwer, took over the third-generation family-owned company in 1997 and has continued the tradition of quality and inventive business thinking by emphasizing the catering division. Nelson’s now serves over 1,200,000 halves of chicken through its fundraising and catering services every year. Serving groups from 10 to 40,000+, no event is too large for Nelson’s to handle successfully!
Plan Your Event with Nelson's
Ready to make your next event a hit with Nelson’s catering? Contact us today to start planning. From selecting the perfect menu to the day of execution, we’re here to ensure your event is a success. Give us a call or fill out the form to get started!
