Our business is trade shows.
Tom and Mike Nelson, Owners
Valley Expo & Displays | Rockford, IL
Valley Expo & Displays is all about the show. From managing large trade shows to designing and
building custom displays, Valley Expo & Displays focuses on listening to their customers and
delivering a personalized solution.
Brothers Tom and Mike Nelson are the second generation to own Valley Expo & Displays; their
parents started the business in 1972. Since then, the business has grown to encompass two
main service lines: trade-show management and booth design, fabrication, sales and rentals.
Their clients range from small regional associations to large corporations, including Aqua-
Aerobics, Dyson Vacuums, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, APP Pharmaceuticals, the Wisconsin
Association of School Boards, the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, NBC5 Chicago and
Metavante. With every client, the Nelson brothers deliver a custom solution that fits their needs –
and their budgets.
“National trade shows have taken a big hit in this economy,” Tom says, “but regional shows are
still going strong.”
The brothers have seen growth in their rental business; Valley Expo & Displays will rent booths to
clients and provide the storage, shipping, set-up and tear down services. This budget-friendly
option has proven to be very appealing to clients who may have scaled back their trade show
presence in recent years.
Their long history with regional associations has continued and grown stronger as well. “Because
of our scope of work, we’re not just hired by corporations,” Mike explains. “We’re hired by the
associations who have been having shows for the past 100 years to run those shows for them.”
They’ve been Riverside Community Bank customers for 10 years, a relationship that shows no
sign of slowing down. Mike and Tom came to Riverside Community Bank and consolidated their
business banking there. “When we met with them, they just seemed to understand our business
better than anyone else in town,” Tom says.
In 2005, Riverside Community Bank helped the brothers expand to their current, 75,000 squarefoot
location on American Drive in Rockford. “It was a substantial investment,” Tom explains. “It
was a piece of property that was owned by a large corporation, so for a small company to come
in and be able to buy the property was a bit of a challenge.”
While their business is focused on regional and national players, Tom and Mike like to keep their
business banking local. “We would prefer to keep it local,” Tom says. “A local bank is going to be
more nimble and responsive.”
Is your business bank responsive? Contact Tom Belmont (TBelmont@riversidecommunity.com or
815.637.7000) to find out how nimble a business banking relationship should be.
