He switched colleges to the Pratt Institute in their industrial design program, then rejoined the Army Corps of Engineers.
He worked to design the physical shape of many different items for clients including 3M, Studebaker, cookware for Mirro, tractors for Bolens, and Evinrude Outboard Motors.
[2] In 1961, Brooks Stevens Associates received a contract from Willys to design an update on the concept of the station wagon.
His design was subsequently chosen for what was called the Jeep Wagoneer, thereafter inaugurating the category of sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
The device needed redesigning, so David and his friend Harold Montgomery who worked at engineering firm Cutler-Hammer created a new version of the machine.
After a falling out between the brothers, David and Harold decided to form their own company, Nutting Industries, in Milwaukee to distribute their device.
He formed a new company in 1971 called Milwaukee Coin Industries Inc. (MCI) with partner David Winter, dedicated to producing electro-mechanical games starting with Red Baron.
[6] Trained in solid-state electronics and computer engineering, Frederiksen was recognized by David Nutting for his technical skill.
In 1972, they had opened their Red Baron Amusement Center arcade locations and increasingly wanted to exit game manufacturing.
He and Frederiksen jointly established a new research and development company dedicated to coin-op games located in the back of the building, Dave Nutting Associates.
Nutting and Frederiksen acquired a development kit for the Intel 4040 microprocessor and obtained a table of Bally’s Flicker (1974) to experiment with.
Another employee, Bob Ogdon, later took over development of home games for the Bally Professional Arcade with his company Action Graphics with Nutting’s support.