Title: 1) Chief Executive Officer; 2) President and Chief Executive Officer
Company: 1) Neilson Research Corporation; 2) Oregon Studio Group
Location: Medford, Oregon, United States
John Wilbert Tennant Neilson, chief executive officer and Neilson Research Corporation and president and chief executive officer at Oregon Studio Group, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Business Owners for dedication, achievements, and leadership in business management.
With nearly four and a half decades of experience to his credit, Mr. Neilson has established a successful career in management, specializing in microbiology, chemistry, and photography. He currently serves as chief executive officer of Neilson Research Corporation, Oregon’s largest ORELAP-accredited full-service analytical testing laboratory. Nelson Research Corporation (NRC) specializes in analyzing drinking water, wastewater, hazardous waste, and asbestos, offering a range of services including residential and public water testing, biosolids analysis, stormwater assessment, irrigation water evaluation, methamphetamine contamination analysis, asbestos testing, and Legionella testing. In this role, he oversees all laboratory operations, moving toward a more supervisory position to guide the organization’s growth and innovation.
Since 2014, Mr. Neilson has also been president, chief executive officer, and photographer at Oregon Studio Group LLC, a Southern Oregon photography studio specializing in headshots, individual and family portraits, senior photos, and commercial photography. His experience also includes serving as president and chief executive officer of Neilson Research Corporation since 1981, professor at a community college, high school teacher, and service in the U.S. Army Reserve with the 313th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Vietnam War. He also dedicates his time to volunteering with the Rotary Club of Oregon, founding the Oregon Environmental Laboratory Association, and serving on the advisory committee for Oregon Drinking Water. He laid a solid educational foundation, earning a master’s degree in education and biology from Southern Oregon University in 1972.
Reflecting on his path, Mr. Neilson’s path began with a focus on biology, particularly microbiology. While teaching high school, he was inspired to start his career after recognizing the need to address a local issue where children required typhoid fever shots before swimming in nearby rivers. He decided to test the rivers for typhoid to eliminate the need for constant vaccinations, leading him to establish a drinking water testing laboratory in his garage. NRC began as Neilson Research Analytical Laboratory, with a focus on water microbiology and limited inorganic analyses. Over the years, it expanded significantly, rebranding in 1985 and moving to larger facilities, eventually establishing its corporate headquarters in a 6,500 square-foot building in Medford in 1999. With the addition of an organic chemistry department in 1990 and later asbestos and organic laboratories in 2015, NRC broadened its service capabilities. To better serve clients, the company also opened a sample receiving office in Grants Pass in 2014 and expanded operations with the Annex facility in Medford the following year.
Mr. Neilson takes great pride in leading a customer-focused company supported by highly valued employees. He attributes the company’s success to its strong community involvement and its contributions to environmental safety. Additionally, he credits his accomplishments to the dedication and contributions of his employees over the years. He firmly believes that the foundation of any successful business lies in taking care of customers and maintaining the highest quality of work, which he has always prioritized. Looking to the future, he envisions continued growth for his companies, noting that NRC is continually evolving, expanding its capabilities to meet emerging needs.
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