MENU LOCATIONS JOIN OUR MAILING LIST Home / About / Company History Company History 1970s Jim Keizer was the eldest child of Hudson, SD, farmers Sam and Nellie Keizer. Leaving farming to his younger siblings, Jim attended a trade school in Glenwood, IA. After he graduated, Jim worked for the railroads repairing train cars. After moving to Sioux City, in 1976 he started his own business, Jim Keizer Refrigeration Service, serving customers in Sioux City with only a toolbox in the back of his pickup truck. He ran a one-man company with no other employees. In his first year Jim worked at truck stops and eventually began working at IBP in Dakota City on refrigeration units. In the next two years he purchased his first service truck and started working on equipment at large packing houses in town, including John Morell. Jim worked days and nights, often away all night during cold winter nights and then heading back to work first thing in the morning. During the winter, refrigeration units gel up easily and Jim was on call to help businesses when their equipment stopped working. At that time, there were no cell phones and Jim communicated with truck stops using walkie-talkies! 1980s In 1977 Jim married his partner Jackie. In 1980 they named their business Keizer Refrigeration, Inc. Jim worked on customers’ equipment while Jackie managed the accounts and administration. In the early 1980s Jim started working for Wells Blue Bunny, now the largest family-owned ice cream company in the U.S., based in Le Mars, IA. Jim’s children, Shane and Stacy, remember staying at the ice cream shop all day long while their Dad worked on Wells Blue Bunny’s equipment. In 1982 the Keizers became a Carrier Transicold dealer and bought a shop in Sioux City on Hwy 75. Business grew quickly and soon the company moved up the street by Martin’s Truck Stop, North Hwy 75, into a building with 1 bay, office, parts room and mobile service. By the end of the 80s they employed 10 staff. In 1986 they bought the Sioux Falls Carrier dealership located on Benson Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD, with 2 other partners. They had 10 employees at first but grew quickly and eventually moved to a larger building on Cliff Avenue. 1990s Keizer Refrigeration continued to grow in Sioux City. In 1991 the company relocated to a new building on 3232 Hwy 75 N, with more space for the parts and service departments. Keizer Refrigeration also added new employees to better serve its expanding list of customers. The Keizers became a Dorsey semi-trailer dealer, and soon added a Featherlite dealership, too. In 1999 Jim and Jackie founded Keizer Trailer Sales, a Transcraft dealership which also sold used trailers. 2000s On June 1, 2001 Jim and Jackie bought Mid-States Utility Trailer Sales dealership in Omaha and Des Moines and soon added Sioux City and Sioux Falls to the portfolio. Keizer Trailer Sales added transportation business which moved equipment from Utility Manufacturing plants. Sioux City store was then expanding rapidly and the Keizers leased the adjacent building and plot for trailer parking and trailer service. Keizer Refrigeration already had over 20 employees during the early 2000s, serving mostly customers in the Sioux City and Le Mars areas. In 2006 Jackie Keizer retired from Keizer Refrigeration. 2010s Mid-States Utility and Transport Refrigeration of South Dakota grew rapidly and in 2010 relocated to a new building in Sioux Falls with 10 bays, parts showroom, sales office and a large parking lot. The new building was triple the size of the previous space. June 30th, 2012 - Jim Keizer passed away and his children Shane Keizer and Stacy Bricker took over the ownership of all Keizer companies – Mid-States Utility Trailer Sales, Keizer Refrigeration, Transport Refrigeration of South Dakota, Keizer Trailer Sales and Keizer Management. January 2017 - Omaha store opened a newly remodeled showroom. July 2017 - Ground breaking began at a 20-acre property at 5220 Harbor Drive, Sioux City, IA, to start the foundation of a new store. After months of development, new store opened on July 30, 2018. The new state-of-the-art facility has doubled the Sioux City parts and service area and its new location along the I-29 Interstate is expected to add new business. Present Present Today Keizer Companies employ over 160 staff in 4 locations, providing hundreds of years of combined industry knowledge to customers in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. The companies offer a wide range of semi-trailer products, along with a complete range of the most advanced trailer refrigeration systems available today. Mid-States Utility Trailer Sales sells America’s best-selling refrigeration trailer since 1994, the 3000R refrigerated trailer. Keizer Refrigeration and Transport Refrigeration of South Dakota provide a complete line of equipment and services for refrigerated transport. Keizer Trailer Sales staff work hand in hand with Mid-States Utility Trailer Sales staff to transport equipment from manufacturing plants to our lots, or directly to the customer, as required. Keizer companies continue to grow at a remarkable pace, with Shane Keizer and Stacy Bricker carrying on with their late father’s legacy and desire to develop the business. To recognize the exceptional business growth efforts, Sioux City Council have selected Mid-States Utility Trailer Sales and Keizer Refrigeration for the Growing Sioux City Award in October 2018. OMAHA, NE 4550 South 96th St. Omaha, NE 68127 Phone: (402) 331-4740 Toll (800) 967-1994 MAP & HOURS SIOUX CITY, IA 5220 Harbor Drive Sioux City, IA 51111 Phone: (712) 252-0724 Toll (800) 369-2653 MAP & HOURS DES MOINES, IA 3429 Adventureland Drive Altoona, IA 50009 Phone: (515) 967-0144 Toll (800) 765-1719 MAP & HOURS SIOUX FALLS, SD 5700 North Seubert Ave. Sioux Falls, SD 57104 Phone: (605) 332-3861 Toll (800) 658-3565 MAP & HOURS QUICK LINKS Used Inventory Parts Dept. Service Dept. New Inventory Locations About Us Contact Us Facebook Like Mid-States Utility on Facebook! Twitter Follow Mid-States Utility on twitter! Youtube Check out the Mid-States Utility Youtube page! LinkedIn Get the latest news of Mid-States Utility on LinkedIn! Blog Read the latest News of Mid-States Utility in our Blog! Subscribe Get the latest News of Mid-States Utility with our Newsletter! COPYRIGHT© 2021 TRAILERCENTRAL | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED EMPLOYEE LOGIN SITE MAP BY TRAILERCENTRAL.COM OPENS IN NEW WINDOW