Mark Hauge

Mark Hauge began his career with Blue Rock in 1981 in Williston loading trucks and then becoming a service tech. Blue Rock had purchased Wildwood Beverage in Plentywood in the early 1970s. “In 1982, John and Tim (Feeley) asked me to relocate there. They had a new manager and needed a dedicated service guy.” Wildwood was an old established soft drink manufacturer and distributor. The building was old and decrepit, but nine or ten months after Hauge’s move there, Blue Rock built a new facility. The move came near the end of that oil boom. “It was tough to find a place. I lived in a fifth-wheel and finally rented a house.” Hauge spent 1 ½ to 2 years in Plentywood, then moved to Glasgow for about six months. In 1985, he moved back to Williston for six years. Along with being service tech, he filled in on the routes. “Everyone is sales staff.”

Hauge moved to Sidney in 1991. He found a place to stay and went to work. He was promoted to his current position of Facility and Equipment Manager. He has been temporarily responsible for forecasting the production needs and purchasing product for all the Sales centers, but is in transition with training staff for the position. “There’s lots of number crunching,” he said. With all the seasonal changes, it takes about a year to get a handle on product needs and determine forecasts for different events. “You get an intuitive feel for things. A lot of it is common sense.”

There are many more packages than 30 years ago. “Just look in a convenience store cooler. The packages change. The only constant in the Beverage industry is change. If we don’t try something, we won’t know if it sells. The tastes of consumers are different than they were 2 or even 5 years ago. The influx of people from around the country has changed the product needs as well. There are different tastes around the country. It’s a challenge. That makes it exciting.” Working with all the people at Blue Rock is also exciting and rewarding. “Challenging, yet rewarding,” he said.

Hauge said his first day of work, he was sweeping the floor. “Today, I was sweeping the floor. Things change and things stay the same.”