The founder and retired CEO of Lauridsen Group, Inc. (LGI), Nixon “Nix” Lauridsen built the company from the ground up, growing it into a leader in the agriscience sector. Focused on creating a more effective food system, LGI comprises of six companies with 3,000 employees, cutting-edge research facilities in Iowa, Spain, and Demark, and offices throughout the world. Nixon Lauridsen founded the company four decades ago after his father asked him to sell a business that was struggling financially. His success in growing the company has resulted in a wide range of accolades, including induction into the Iowa Business Hall of Fame in 2017.
Nix Lauridsen earned a bachelor of science in finance from the University of Wisconsin and followed this up with a juris doctorate from the University of Iowa. He has spent his career overseeing research into state-of-the-art food systems and the creation of products that support health and nutrition. LGI is a group of six companies: APC, BHJ, the Boyer Valley Company, Essentia Protein Solutions, Proliant Dairy Ingredients, and Proliant Health & Biologicals. Headquartered in Ankeny, Iowa, LGI is in close proximity to the original site of Lauridsen Creamery, which is the business that preceded the Lauridsen Group. Today, the company is overseen by Nixon Lauridsen’s daughter, Christine Lauridsen Sand, who has grown the business to include more than 60 facilities around the world.
Nixon Lauridsen is an active philanthropist, supporting causes related to education, culture, and the arts; homelessness among mothers and children; and general community improvement. In 2024, Mr. Lauridsen and his wife, Virginia, donated $3 million to Ballet Des Moines, creating an endowment for the organization and helping to fund the creation of the Ballet Des Moines Lauridsen Campus for Arts and Education, a permanent home for the ballet company and its programs. “Virginia and I support organizations that have a clear vision and a steadfast commitment to raising the bar for arts within our community,” Mr. Lauridsen said. “We have been impressed by the innovation, collaboration, and artistic prowess shown by Ballet Des Moines and know this gift will ensure the company’s continued excellence and growth.”
In his free time, Nixon Lauridsen enjoys culture and the arts (including the opera), reading biographies, traveling, woodworking, and fixing antique cars. He also likes to pursue adventure sports such as skiing, ski mountaineering, hiking, and riding motorcycles. Mr. Lauridsen also prioritizes time spent with his family.
How do you turn ideas into reality?
By empowering others around me. I enjoy seeing them work hard and shine.
What productive habit helps keep you on track?
Spending a lot of time thinking.
When you need to refocus or unwind, what do you do?
Spend time outside or get a bottle of whiskey.
What strategy has helped drive your professional success?
Focusing on understanding the basics of production and thinking constantly about how to improve.
Name one thing you did in life that was frightening and put you outside your comfort zone.
I left the stability of a career in law to take over a failing production plant. It was a lot of work and created uncertainty for my family. I gave it all I could, and the hard work paid off.
What is one important lesson you’ve learned during your career?
Hard work wins.
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