A History of Blue Rock

Blue Rock Products Company, also known as Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company, was established in 1913 at Fairview, Montana. At that time, the town of Fairview was a trading center for area farmers in the Yellowstone Valley and the dry land hill country. During the first years of its existence, the company was primarily a beer distributorship with soft drink sales accounting for a much smaller portion of the total business. Both beer and soft drinks were shipped by rail to customers in outlying areas as far as Plentywood and Glasgow.

As years passed, soft drinks began to play a more predominant role and the need for a new and larger facility was realized. In 1959, Blue Rock Products Company began to expand. It was in that year the company boldly made its move to Sidney and into a new bottling plant. The business soon spread across Southeastern Montana resulting in, in 1968, a building expansion program. A second building expansion program occurred in 1972 as the business continued its rapid growth.

In 1970, Blue Rock Products Company joined six other Pepsi-Cola Bottlers to create Admiral Beverage Corporation, a co-op canning production center at Worland, Wyoming and Ogden, Utah. Canned soft drinks are produced and shipped to Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Colorado, Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, as well as Montana. Several other Admiral distribution centers are also located in the above states.

In November 1972, the corporation purchased the Wildwood Beverage Company in Plentywood, Montana. This sale concluded fifty years of soft drink sales and service by Wildwood Beverage Company in Northeastern Montana and Northwestern North Dakota. The Sidney-based firm, then employing twenty-six people and operating a fleet of fifteen trucks, was now licensed by eight national franchisers and authorized to bottle and distribute national brand soft drinks in fifteen Montana counties and in four North Dakota counties. Sales distribution centers continued to be maintained in Plentywood and Williston. In January, 1976, the Williston sales branch moved into new warehouse facilities to increase operating efficiency.

In November 1978, and coincidently, its 65th anniversary year, Blue Rock Products Company moved its entire central production center and general offices to a new location in Sidney. Today, the facility features a modern and up-to-date production, warehouse and office complex.

In October 1978, Blue Rock Beverage Company was organized as a result of purchasing the Chuck Wagon Wholesale and Fox-Coors Distributing Companies of Glasgow, Montana. Blue Rock Beverage Company is authorized to distribute beer throughout Northeastern Montana and the Hi-Line area. The general offices and main warehouse is located in Sidney. Another branch distribution warehouse is maintained in Glasgow. This branch also sells soft drinks in addition to its beer distributing responsibilities.

Blue Rock Distributing Company was created to complete the acquisition of Miles City’s United Beverage Company and Anco Beverage Company. The takeover of the wine and beer distributing companies occurred June 4, 1990.

The beverage industry is highly competitive and the acquisition of the United Beverage Company and Anco Beverage Company complemented and strengthened the growing family of Blue Rock Companies by creating jobs, employment opportunities and the stimulation of the economy in Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota areas.

In September 2006, Blue Rock Beverage Company and Blue Rock Distributing Company were combined into one company called Blue Rock Distributing Company.

Today, Blue Rock is the largest soft drink, wholesale beer and wine distributing organization in Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota area. The Blue Rock family employs over 125 persons at five locations.