Don Schjeldahl

Don Schjeldahl

Principal DSG Advisors The Don Schjeldahl Group

DSG Advisors is a consulting platform that harnesses expertise in corporate location selection and economic development best practices. With more than 30 years’ experience in corporate consulting, company founder Don Schjeldahl is a leading expert in corporate location strategy and community/property selection for manufacturing and specialized industrial facilities. 

Geographic Areas Served:

• North America
• Central America
• Europe
• Japan

Industries or Specialties:

• Aerospace components
• Automotive components
• Broadcasting
• Craft brewing
• Food processing
• General manufacturing
• Printing and publishing
• Renewable energy systems
• Soft drink and water bottling
• Specialty chemicals 

Areas of Expertise: DSG Advisors are expert at investigating a wide spectrum of production and supply chain factors that influence location strategy and supply chain network optimization including:

• Raw material sourcing alternatives
• Seasonal considerations
• Transportation costs and service characteristics by mode of shipment
• Customer demand points, volumes
• Changing demand patterns
• Product shelf life
• Cold chain requirements
• Availability of specialized trucking
• Facility capacity constraints
• Inventory management requirements
• Customer imposed delivery constraints
• Carbon footprint/sustainability drivers
• State, local development incentives
• Introduction of new products
• Fixed and variable production costs
• Facility costs
• Competitor strategies

DSG Advisors’ community and property selection services are designed to reflect each client’s unique balance of location factors which can include:

• Labor availability, cost and work ethic
• Recruitment and retention of technical staff, management
• Waste water treatment capacity, cost
• Transportation costs, service
• Electric power and natural gas service
• Water quality, service reliability, cost
• Quality of life, community attributes • Site/building characteristics
• Site image, neighborhood characteristics
• Telecommunications services
• Environmental risks
• Permitting and scheduling
• State and local taxation
• Property costs, development costs
• Air service connecting to key cities

Past Employment:

• DSG Advisors – 2013-present
• Sierra Nevada Brewing – Mills River, NC, 2011-2013
• Austin Consulting – Cleveland, OH, 1984-2011

Notable Past Clients:

• Alkermes Pharmaceuticals / Injectable Suspension
• Amy’s Kitchen / Organic Prepared Foods
• Armstrong World Industries / Ceiling Tile Systems
• Avery Dennison / Adhesive Films
• Avon Cosmetics / Health & Beauty Products
• Carvel-Celebration Foods / Frozen Confectionary
• Colgate–Palmolive / Oral Care Products
• Deschutes Brewing / Craft Beer
• Dole Fresh Vegetables / Prepared Salads
• Eaton Marine / Marine Hydraulics
• Ghirardelli Chocolates / Chocolate, Confection
• Lindt & Sprungli / Chocolate, Confection
• Pepsi Cola / Soft Drinks
• Sierra Nevada Brewing / Craft Beer
• Sundstrand Corporation / Satellite Components

Education:

• BA Economic Geography – University of Minnesota
• MA Industrial Geography – Wayne State University

Personal:

• You must love travel if you’re a site selector. I’ve worked projects in 49 states (still waiting for that project in Hawaii) and 12 countries
• I love everything outdoors – kayaking, mountain biking, photography
• It’s all about family

In the News:

• Green Development – A New Consideration in Corporate Location Decisions
• Sustainability: The “Invisible Hand” Shapes Next-Generation Location Selection
• Transportation & Utility Infrastructure

 
Contact Info:
 
Phone:  828-772-9374
Email:  Don@DSG-Advisors.com
Twitter:  @donschjeldahl
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-schjeldahl-0a56556/