MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 10, 2025--
Nelson-Rudie and Associates, Inc. (Nelson-Rudie) is stepping into its next era with a bold slate of expansions and a major leadership hire. The 49-year-old engineering firm is moving through an ambitious growth cycle, marking the moment with a new headquarters in Minneapolis, a recently opened satellite office in Hudson, Wisconsin, and plans for a Kansas City office in early 2026.
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These milestones show a clear inflection point for Nelson-Rudie. The company is using its 100 percent employee-owned structure to expand its geographic footprint and strengthen its reputation as a trusted engineering partner across the Midwest and beyond.
To support this next phase, the firm has hired Melissa Kelley-Jones as Vice President of Marketing + Business Development. She will lead market growth initiatives, guide brand and visibility strategy, deepen client partnerships, and help shape Nelson-Rudie’s overall approach to expansion across both new and established regions.
“Momentum is building across our organization,” said President + CEO Matthew Elhadad. “The combination of our new headquarters, our growth in Wisconsin, and our investment in Kansas City shows our commitment to better supporting our clients and empowering our employee-owners. Melissa brings a strategic mindset and deep industry relationships that will elevate our marketing and business development efforts during this pivotal chapter.”
The new Minneapolis headquarters reflects that commitment. The space features open collaboration zones, technology-enhanced meeting rooms, flexible huddle areas, and amenities designed to bring people together and support modern ways of working.
Kelley-Jones shared that joining the firm at this moment was intentional. “This is a firm that knows who it is and where it is going,” she said. “The employee-ownership model creates a culture where people think and act like owners. That mindset, combined with real investments in space, technology, and market growth, is what makes sustainable expansion possible. I am excited to help build what comes next.”
With its expanded footprint and strengthened leadership team, Nelson-Rudie is entering its 50th anniversary year positioned for continued growth and ready to shape the future of the firm for decades to come.
About Nelson-Rudie
Nelson-Rudie & Associates, Inc. (Nelson-Rudie) is a 100% employee-owned consulting engineering firm offering structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and refrigeration services to clients throughout the United States and Canada. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the firm delivers nationwide service through its growing team of 80+ professionals and licensed engineers across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five Canadian provinces. At Nelson-Rudie, being 100% employee-owned means every success is shared — among clients, employees, communities, and the industries it serves.
Melissa Kelley-Jones, vice president of marketing + business development.
Nelson-Rudie's Minneapolis team at the new headquarters.
Twelve more pounds of muscle. Equipment dialed in. A new superstar coach.
At age 41, Lindsey Vonn is feeling more powerful than she has in years. So powerful that she already pulled away from the field in the very first official downhill training session of the season Wednesday.
Next up, Vonn will get her Olympic racing season underway this weekend with two World Cup downhills and a super-G in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
“Physically I’m in possibly the best shape I’ve ever been in,” Vonn said at a news conference in the Swiss resort. “And my body doesn’t hurt, so that’s the best part of all.”
Vonn returned to skiing last season after nearly six years of retirement — and following a partial replacement surgery on her right knee, which included inserting two pieces of titanium.
Having been the most successful speed racer — among men and women — during the first part of her career, Vonn had mixed results last season. She didn’t reach the podium until her final race last March when she finished second in a super-G on home snow in Sun Valley, Idaho.
“My goal was to get a lot stronger this summer,” Vonn said. “I was thinner than I would have liked last season. I didn’t really have any time to prepare so I didn’t have time to gain my mass back. I was still quite a bit lighter than I was when I was racing in my prime.
“But I was able to gain about 12 pounds (5.5 kilograms) this summer, which I was thrilled about,” Vonn added. "It took a lot of hard work. I was probably the most disciplined I’ve ever been with my diet and just how I approached the entire summer. I put everything I had into being as physically prepared as possible.”
Vonn is aiming to compete in three events at the Feb. 6-22 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics: downhill, super-G and the new team combined race.
“For my age, I feel pretty damn good,” Vonn said. “I probably feel better now than I did before I tore my first ACL in 2013. So that was quite a long time ago.”
Vonn’s 43 downhill wins and 28 super-G victories are both World Cup records – among men and women. Her 82 World Cup victories are third all time behind American teammate Mikaela Shiffrin (104) and retired Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark (86).
In Wednesday’s opening training session on the St. Moritz course, Vonn placed 0.59 seconds ahead of Kajsa Vickhoff Lie of Norway and 0.71 ahead of Italian standout Sofia Goggia.
There's another training session on Thursday. Then the downhill races are scheduled for Friday and Saturday followed by the super-G on Sunday.
A year ago, Vonn made her return to the World Cup circuit in St. Moritz after nearly six years of retirement and placed 14th in a super-G.
Vonn said she tried “20 to 30 pairs” of new boots last season before eventually pulling out an old pair that was collecting dust in her basement.
Aksel Lund Svindal, a former overall World Cup champion like Vonn, joined her coaching staff for this season.
“Lindsey was very convincing that this was a job that I could do better than most people,” Svindal said.
St. Moritz is the first of five speed weekends that Vonn will likely compete in before the Olympics. The others are: Val d’Isere, France, on Dec. 20-21; Zauchensee, Austria, on Jan. 10-11; Tarvisio, Italy, on Jan. 17-18; and Crans Montana, Switzerland, on Jan. 30-31.
Andrew Dampf is at https://x.com/AndrewDampf
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Coach and former Norwegian skier Aksel Lund Svindal, right, speaks with Lindsey Vonn, of the United States, during a press conference ahead of the women's World Cup downhill race Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025 at the hotel Kempinski in St. Moritz, Switzerland. (Claudio Thoma/Keystone via AP)
Lindsey Vonn of the United States speaks at a press conference ahead of the women's Downhill race at the Alpine Skiing FIS Ski World Cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Claudio Thoma/Keystone via AP)
Lindsey Vonn, right, of the United States, and Coach and former Norwegian skier Aksel Lund Svindal, left, talk before the women's Downhill training race at the Alpine Skiing FIS Ski World Cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
Lindsey Vonn of the United States during the women's Downhill training race at the Alpine Skiing FIS Ski World Cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
Lindsey Vonn of the United States before the women's Downhill training race at the Alpine Skiing FIS Ski World Cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
