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Chamber honors organizational whiz at Cash & Carry Lumber

She makes sure all the numbers add up, and she takes the time to help customers. Denise Reis, the bookkeeper at Cash & Carry Lumber in New Rockford, received the Employee of the Month award for October. The honor comes at an opportune time, as in November she will celebrate 25 years at the company, almost her entire career. Her tenure is second only to her boss Bruce Gedrose, who has worked at the New Rockford business for 27 years.

Denise obtained her post-secondary education from North Dakota State College of Science, where she earned a legal secretary degree. After graduation, she went to work at the Hovey, Bekken and Ramstad Law Office in New Rockford for three years. When her second child was born, she decided to leave the workforce to care for her children.

In Aug. 1995, she started working part-time at the local hardware store, then owned by Lan Grindheim. Three months later, she got a call from the folks at Cash & Carry Lumber. They had purchased a computer for their business, and they knew Denise had experience with them. She began working at Cash & Carry Lumber in November of that year.

Denise was instrumental in the company's transition from paper to digital. At the beginning, she simply entered handwritten invoices into an accounting system on the computer so they had records of the orders and sales. In the late '90s, more computers were purchased for inventory, sales and drafting. The office has been fully digital since 2003, and now the sales staff enter each customer order into an integrated system that tracks sales, inventory and payments.

Denise handles all the accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll and inventory control. Since she's right out front behind the main sales counter, she also helps customers as needed. She also knows how to mix paint, an important skill to have in a small office that relies on all its staff to pitch in where needed.

"We're always here to help," Denise said, adding that the staff is willing to research and find whatever their customers need.

It is her attention to customers that caught the eye of Tiffany Schaefer, who nominated Denise for the award. "Denise always greets you with a smile," Schaefer said. "She's always willing to help you, or find someone who can, when you enter Cash & Carry."

With the weather turning colder, many customers are beginning to look for indoor projects. This time of year people often plan kitchen remodels, one area that has definitely changed with technology. When Cash & Carry first opened, Denise said customers perused catalogs and looked at wood chips and marble samples as they made their cabinet, fixture and countertop choices. Now, every supplier has an online presence, with thousands of wood, stain color and style options available. Midcontinent Cabinetry is one of the mainstay brands offered by Cash and Carry Lumber. Their website, https://www.midcontinentcabinetry.com/, features a gallery of photos that showcases the three distinct series of cabinetry they offer: Signature, Vista and Pivot. If a customer wants an up-close and personal look, the showroom in the northwest corner of the office features a full display as well as several samples. Drafting services are available to help plan the layout of your new space.

Denise said customers should be aware that the coronavirus has impacted the building materials industry, as it has us all. Therefore, it's important to plan ahead when doing a project. Denise explained that delays are common for stock items, and longer lead times are required for custom products. Where last year at this time it would take 2-3 weeks to get windows and doors, now the suppliers are 6 weeks to 2 months behind. Treated lumber has been a challenge as well, and Denise says they won't be stocking any more until spring due to supply chain shortages.

"We have no control over it," Denise says. That's a familiar phrase for much of what we are dealing with during the pandemic, so it's important that we take it in stride. Denise and the staff at Cash & Carry Lumber will do everything they can to get us what we need, when they can.

Do you know someone who consistently works to ensure that his or her customers are satisfied? Submit a nomination by filling out the card on the bulletin boards at local businesses, or go online to http://www.cityofnewrockford.com/chamber and download a form to complete and return it to the Transcript office. Email nominations are also welcome and should be sent to [email protected].