Lois Frank

Lois Frank came to Sidney in 1963 from Ennis, MT to join her fiancé Bob who was teaching school. She worked at Sidney National Bank which was located where the Cheerio is now. “There were no computers back then,” she laughed.

She then joined Blue Rock as an administrative assistant and stayed for 20 years, retiring in 2004. “Each gal in the office is responsible for the book work for each plant,” she explained. Frank took care of Sidney Blue Rock Products (pop), then Blue Rock Beverages (beer) and finally the Miles City branch which included wine sales.

When she started, Blue Rock was on the old computer system with Sidney Data Processing . The route salesmen brought back hand written slips which all had to be keyed in. Inventory was closely monitored as well with all incoming and outgoing being accounted for. And everything had to balance. The new in house computer system, which includes hand helds for the salesmen, is much more efficient. “Tracy Hagen was our main boss and she would have us go on the truck so we knew what they did,” Frank said. “It was a learning curve but it’s much more user friendly.” She was responsible for reports to the beverage companies such as Pepsi cola, and the breweries. She also had contact with a lot of great customers over the years.

In her 20 years with Blue Rock, Frank worked mainly with only 4 ladies: Jill Hill, Loretta Berry, Lynette Herman and later, Jackie Elmore. “We got along so well, it made it fun to go to work,” she said. She was trained by Jo Maltese. The ladies made an annual weekend trek to Regina for fun and to reinforce the personal aspect of their relationship. They had a ball every time. It was an unwritten rule that if someone was gone for a day, or a vacation, they had to bring treats the first day back. “We always had lots of treats,” she said. There was a piggy bank next to the treats and each lady paid .25 whenever they took a treat. The treat money then became gas money for the trip to Canada. “It was a great group. We worked hard and we really enjoyed each other.” Loretta Berry now works part time at John Stockhill Jewelers with Lois. They enjoy each other as much now as ever. “Loretta was the receptionist. She was great on the phone and had a way with people.”

When Frank started with Blue Rock, they sold beer and pop. The purchase of the Miles City branch brought in wine. Now there are what Frank calls the “new age” drinks – waters, energy drinks, etc. “There are way more now. It’s a revolving industry, trying to serve the public’s wants. The office staff has a huge responsibility and it’s very busy.”

“John was wonderful to work for,” Frank enthused. “He treats his help very well. We needed to respect him and the product we sold. I was always conscious of the product no matter where I was.” Blue Rock offers a great retirement plan. In a group, Frank would always say “Have a Pepsi, you’re helping my retirement plan!” “At state PEO functions, I would make sure they were drinking Pepsi. I’d just tell them they were helping my retirement fund,” she laughed. “When Karen and Randy came on board, I couldn’t ask for anyone better,” she said. “There’s not many family owned businesses like this that deal with a national product. It’s a great aspect of the company.”

Blue Rock also awards scholarships to employees’ children. “Over the years, between Jay, Kelly and Jeff, it totaled about $25,000 in scholarships for my kids,” she said. Applicants need to apply and be enrolled in an accredited institution. Employees at all 5 centers are eligible. “Last year, with all the employees coming and going, there was only 1 scholarship given,” Frank said sadly. She feels that young people need to be aware of the benefits of working for a company like Blue Rock. “They think the grass is always greener. But the stability, insurance, retirement and scholarships add up to a lot more than the higher bucks,” she said.

As evidenced by many long time employees and retirees, Blue Rock is a company that offers promotion within. “They’re very good about hiring high school students. They start out loading trucks and that can work into more, “ Frank explained. “They learn the business in the back and move up.”

Blue Rock always hosts wonderful Christmas parties and as a retiree, Frank is still invited every year. The company also hosts a golf tournament every fall in Sidney. All branches are invited to enjoy golf, a great meal and prizes. “It’s wonderful camaraderie, and a great way to get to know the people in the other branches,” Frank said.

Frank thoroughly enjoyed her career with Blue Rock but is now is very active in retirement and credits Blue Rock’s retirement plan with helping her enjoy it.