When Brad Nelson retired from his 20-year sales executive job with Snap-On Tools, he wanted to start a small business that would allow him to augment his pension and pursue his favorite hobby, attending military shows.
So in 2008, he started Icehouse Enterprises, a company that travels to military shows, fairs and even shopping malls making dog tags.
With an initial investment of $7,000, Nelson purchased surplus items, which included a 2 1/2-ton truck, a military maintenance box and a communications trailer and modified them to meet his needs. With a vintage Graphotype machine to stamp out the dog tags, his business was ready to go.
He started traveling in a S250 Communications Shelter -- which he calls the 'Doghouse." He recently bought another one to help expand the business.
Nelson now can attend twice the military shows he used to and meet even more veterans and families. Thanks to the dog tags he sells, many leave clutching a memory. His business -- which employs three people -- makes under $100,000 annually.
"Putting new dog tags in the hands of vets who lost theirs while serving or replicating fathers' tags for their children is the most gratifying," said Nelson, whose greatest memory is being part of a cross-country convoy from D.C. to San Francisco. Traveling 35 miles per hour, Nelson made dog tags all along the way. He said the trip was a "3,000-mile parade," and he was overwhelmed at the response from the communities through which they passed.
His sales experience helps, but his status as a Vietnam-era fighter pilot helps more, allowing him to connect to fellow vets and their families.
Driving military vehicles as part of his business is icing on the cake. His small business is not only thriving, but, as Nelson said, "I am also having a ball."
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