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About DSL Northwest

For over 10 years locally and an ownership lineage dating back 100 years, we have been successful serving our customers and communities. The key to our success is focusing on our customers and being passionate that our purpose, mission, and vision are front of mind in everything we do.

We create and turn into reality

 

To optimize menus (offerings)

It is our goal to build trusted relationships by providing extraordinary value thru menu optimization and implementation. We can do this by helping you increase efficiencies with your current menu, finding profitable new items to serve, or simply help you keep your equipment running properly to minimize down time.

To provide the best
equipment and service

We want to be an invaluable trusted partner with the world’s leading foodservice companies in providing life’s gift of food and beverage.

To enhance life’s gift of
food and beverage

We are passionate about food and we want to help our customers provide food and beverage to nourish, celebrate, share, and simply enjoy in a more effective and sustainable way.

7 Common Causes of Restaurant Equipment Failure

Why DSL Northwest?

We believe wholeheartedly in our purpose, mission, and vision but also realize that it is too easy to say one thing and do another. It takes great people to make a difference and to help us achieve our mission of helping our customers optimize their menus. Over the past 10 years we have been working diligently to assemble a fantastic group of people that subscribe to our PMV, have a passion for foodservice, and want to serve our customers. Our customers have put their trust in our beliefs and the people we have in place to make it happen.

Meet Our Key Team Members

Jim Neil President
Jim Neil is the president of DSL Northwest and oversees all business operations and sales. Jim is a 31-year veteran to the foodservice industry, having spent the majority of his career as the President and co-owner of JG Neil and Company, a leading foodservice agency in the Pacific Northwest. Jim has been helping independent restaurant operators and chain accounts in the Pacific Northwest develop and deliver creative menu options as well as source the finest ingredients for their operations. When not working with customers, Jim can be found fly fishing, golfing or with his wife and 3 kids.
Steve Rice Chairman
Steve Rice is Chairman of DSL, one of the oldest and most recognizable names in the food service equipment industry. He has over 39 years in the industry and prides himself on his results-oriented management style, strategic partnerships, and effective alignment with and support of key business initiatives. Steve thrives on navigating high-performing teams through changing business strategies with clear focus on the customer. He is passionate about our purpose, mission, and vision in everything we do at DSL…. this is the key to our success as we continue to build our world class food service equipment distributorship. “I believe that we are true partners with our customers and helping them be successful, we in-turn, are successful."
Mark Taylor Co-Founder and Vice President
Mark is a co-Founder and Vice President of DSL NW with 39 years of experience working in the food service equipment industry. Marks years of industry experience has helped hundreds of independent restaurant operators expand their menu offerings and improved their operational efficiencies and product quality. Whether a single restaurant operator or a 100+ location national account, Mark can and will utilize his experience and expertise to help you grow your business.
Steven Hurst Director of Finance
Steve Hurst is a nationally-awarded, certified professional controller, former CFO, and current Director of Finance for DSL Northwest. With a long history of building and directing best-in-class accounting organizations, Steve is a seasoned professional with a reputation of trust and pride in delivering whole-hearted, ethical, and strategic leadership that promotes bottom-line financial gains.<br /> Though new to the food service industry, Steve has worked in distribution for over 16 years, gaining experience in overseas manufacturing, supply-chain and inventory management, risk management, and sales-focused customer credit management. During this time, he has deployed strategies helping to drive market gains and empower the company to grow revenues.<br /> Prior to working in distribution, Steve has worked in the service, hi-tech, and commercial real estate sectors. Outside of the office, he enjoys hiking, photography, and is passionate about international travel, having explored more than 50 countries.
Brandy Ferrell Customer Experience Manager
Brandy serves as the Customer Experience Manager at DSL Northwest, bringing over 15 years of comprehensive experience in customer service. Her deep industry knowledge and versatile skill set enable her to support clients across a wide range of sectors with ease and professionalism. Brandy is passionate about delivering exceptional service and is committed to creating positive, seamless experiences for every client interaction.
Derrick Leggin Director of Operations
Derrick Leggin has been serving as the Director of Operations at DSL Northwest since January 2025. In this role, he oversees and enhances critical operational functions, including inventory, procurement, and distribution, while driving continuous improvement across the organization.<br /> With over 20 years of leadership experience, Derrick has a proven history of driving success through strategic planning and team development. His career includes 15 years managing operations in big box retail stores, where he honed his expertise in leading large teams and achieving ambitious goals.<br /> In 2021, Derrick joined DSL Northwest Inc. as a shop technician, gaining hands-on experience and deepening his understanding of the company's operations. By 2023, he was promoted to Parts Manager, a position he held for 2.5 years. In this role, he redefined processes and procedures to enhance efficiency and implemented a new Warehouse Management System (WMS). His efforts resulted in a remarkable 99% inventory accuracy rate in the warehouse, contributing to an overall accuracy of 95%.<br /> Derrick’s dynamic leadership style, adaptability, and results-driven approach enable him to tackle challenges and deliver exceptional outcomes.
Jason Bufford Service Manager
Jason Bufford serves as the Service Technician Manager at DSL Northwest, bringing a wealth of experience, leadership, and a deep commitment to customer excellence. A proud Michigan native, Jason recently relocated to Washington State, carrying with him a distinguished career rooted in UPS Operations and strengthened by his background in the U.S. Marine Corps.</p> <p>Jason’s career is marked by a consistent focus on strategic problem-solving and people development. With a strong foundation in construction, customer service, and operational leadership, he is known for his ability to drive effective solutions while fostering team growth. His approach blends hands-on technical expertise with a strategic mindset, making him a key asset to DSL Northwest’s mission of delivering reliable service and scalable solutions.</p> <p>Outside of work, Jason cherishes quality time with his fiancée Elizabeth, their children, and grandson. Whether exploring new destinations or spending time at home, Jason brings the same passion and intentionality to his personal life that he brings to his professional one.

Our Core Values

AT DSL NORTHWEST
YOUR CUSTOMER
COMES FIRST!

When we look at our business, we do not simply look at the thousands of customers we serve, but more so the 100+ million customers annually that our customers serve with products delivered by our equipment. We believe that food and beverage plays a critical role in the communities we serve by allowing people to nourish, celebrate, and share with one another. That being said, we feel a tremendous responsibility to minimize equipment downtime by providing best in class parts and service support.

OWN THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Recognizing the impact each of us has on our customer experience sets the foundation of the relationship. What we do every day has an active role in our customer success and their customers experience.

ASK FOR GUIDANCE

“Asking for Guidance” is not a weakness at DSL Northwest, it is a measure of recognizing your will to learn and be the best version of you, your willingness to be vulnerable in order to improve and your understanding that we as a collective are stronger together when we ask for help.

WE ARE CUSTOMER OBSESSED

We recognize the important role we play in our customers’ ability to provide “The Gift of food and Beverage” to their customers. In countless little ways we are obsessed with the understanding that we are a crucial part of our foodservice partners journey to share the gift of food and beverage.

WE ARE CUSTOMER OBSESSED

We recognize the important role we play in our customers’ ability to provide “The Gift of food and Beverage” to their customers. In countless little ways we are obsessed with the understanding that we are a crucial part of our foodservice partners journey to share the gift of food and beverage.

BE CURIOUS

We must be curious about the environment we operate in and how changes in that environment will impact us and our customers. We must be curious about what we do, how we do it and how we can improve. We must be curious about our customers businesses and how we can help them increase profitability and help them grow.

DO THE RIGHT THING... ALWAYS

“Doing the right thing” will be the great separator of DSL Northwest and its competitors. It’s about what we do and the decisions we make when no one else is there. Doing the right thing is about rising to the needs of our customers anytime, anywhere.

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