The International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) has given its Member of the Year and Honorary Life Member awards to Bruce Nelson, the recently retired Colmac Coil executive who has made significant contributions to ammonia refrigeration.

The two awards were announced at the 2021 IIAR Online Natural Refrigeration Conference & Expo at the opening business meeting on June 21.

Nelson, a 40-year veteran at Colmac Coil who served as its President and, most recently, as Director of Innovation, has launched a consulting company, Bruce V. Nelson Engineering, LLC. 

The IIAR Member of the year is given “to recognize service to the organization that is exceptional and above expectation,” said Colmac Coil on its website, adding, “As Immediate Past Chair of IIAR, Nelson’s ideas and leadership helped guide the IIAR organization through the Covid-19 pandemic.” Nelson 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 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.

Nelson was instrumental in the development of the Advanced Direct Expansion (ADX) system, which incorporates a low-charge evaporator, for industrial central systems.

The ADX system, which has been widely adopted,  was selected as the 2018 Accelerate America Innovation of the Year. (The award was given by shecco, publisher of this website.) 

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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.”

Dave Schaefer,  Bassett Mechanical.

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