CANCO welcomes Engberg as business development director
Aaron Engberg joined Carl A. Nelson & Company in October 2024 as the firm's new Director of Business Development. The Iowa State University graduate in computer engineering transitioned into a sales role early in his career, and has experience in the electronics, lighting and furniture design and manufacturing industries. CANCO
3 weeks, 5 days ago
The engineer and longtime sales professional brings experience in electronics, lighting and furniture industries to new role with Carl A. Nelson & Company.
Carl A. Nelson & Company (CANCO) is pleased to announce Aaron Engberg as its new Director of Business Development. Engberg, who is a graduate of Iowa State University in computer engineering, began his new role Oct. 21, 2024, at CANCO's main office in Burlington, Iowa.
Engberg will be responsible for leading the firm's sales and marketing efforts, working alongside project managers to serve existing and develop new clients in industrial, commercial and institutional construction markets, and being a member of the company's leadership team.
“Aaron has a history of streamlining processes and maximizing efficiencies throughout his experience in manufacturing," said President Chris Smith, in welcoming Engberg to the firm. “He displays a leadership style that fits in very well with the CANCO culture.
“We are excited for Aaron to join our team and look forward to the positive contributions that he will add.”
Engberg succeeds Dan Culp, after Culp was promoted to be the company's vice president of operations in its Burlington location.
A native of Burlington, Engberg graduated high school in the mid-1990s, at about the same time as the World Wide Web was coming into the public consciousness, and personal computer was starting to boom. That led him to a first job out of Iowa State in 1998 with a Burlington-based satellite and antenna manufacturer, working as a software developer on a new line of mobile satellite TV tracking systems for RV, boat and tractor-trailer owners. During 18 years with the company, Engberg's role grew from software development to sales director to mobile products director. In 2016, he moved to another Burlington firm, one designing lighting systems for agricultural and other markets. After three years helping to grow that firm, Engberg moved in 2019 to a furniture manufacturing company with production facilities in Muscatine, Iowa, first as a project manager and then as a bid manager for large-scale office furnishing projects. In the latter role, Engberg helped to coordinate sales, marketing, production and dealer partners on weekly bid submissions for projects across the United States.
"I'm excited to work for Carl A.," Engberg said, noting that his grandfather worked on CANCO projects as a carpenter in the 1950s and 1960s.
Coming to CANCO, Engberg said he sees many parallels from his previous experience to his new duties, including a similar sales process, similar challenges and a similar approach to doing business.
"Their style — our style — is my style," he said, explaining what he saw as a shared personal and company commitment to transparency and collaboration when working with and competing for clients.
After commuting to Muscatine the past five-plus years, Engberg said he looks forward to re-connecting with community activities in his home community, such as through the Greater Burlington Partnership.
Away from the office, Engberg resides in rural Burlington with his wife of 24 years, Karen, who is a fifth-grade teacher in New London, Iowa. They are the parents of three: Reagan, 20, a junior in speech pathology at St. Ambrose University in Davenport; Anna, 18, a freshman at St. Ambrose with an interest in optometry; and Landon, 13, who is in eighth-grade at Notre Dame in Burlington. Both daughters are on the softball team at St. Ambrose, while Landon plays basketball and baseball; which means the Engbergs spend much of their time attending and traveling to their children's games. Engberg also has been active as a traveling team baseball coach, and currently is working with the Notre Dame baseball team as the coach of its fall season program. In quieter moments, he said the family enjoys time at his in-laws' cabin on the Mississippi River, and spending time with friends.
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Carl A. Nelson & Company was founded in 1913 in Burlington, Iowa, with an office in Cedar Falls since 2008; and has 111 years of history providing construction services with quality and integrity to design-build, construction management and general contracting customers. To learn more, visit www.carlanelsonco.com.