BEMIDJI — Lueken’s Village Foods will celebrate 60 years in business this July and recently said goodbye to an employee who’s been along for the entire six-decade journey.
Max Hites worked for Lueken’s since before it was Lueken’s, first at age 20 as a store stocker and carry-out at Hart’s Foods in 1965, at the site of the current Watermark Art Center. The next year, it was bought out by Joe Lueken, the namesake founder of the store.
Lueken’s employees and their customers celebrated Hites’ six decades with the company May 1 at the south store with three large sheet cakes, plus a personalized hotrod cake for Hites to take home.
“There is not a single facet in this organization that Max hasn't been involved in,” Chris Washington said during the party, highlighting Hites’ career as Lueken’s grew. Washington is the store director for Lueken’s South.
Over the years, Hites has been involved with the creation of new stores and expansion projects, but Washington said Hites’ work ethic is what sets him apart.
“The biggest help that Max has given to us is his desire to do the right thing all the time," Washington said. “Max always wanted to make sure the customer was taken care of.”
Minutes before the open house in his honor was about to begin, Hites was finishing up the last of his duties as the store’s receiving manager: correcting an invoice and resetting some prices.
He gave a peek into his work ethic that carried him through his career.
“When you work for somebody, put them first. I mean, they're the company, so the company should come first," Hites said. "And if you do your job well, the company will take care of you.”
Washington said Hites has been his go-to guy, and it will be tough to see him go.
“Even this past Monday, we had a power outage. He was out here with a flashlight, working like it was nothing. Up on the top shelf, cleaning, moving stuff around,” Washington said.
Glenn Carroll in the meat department has worked with Hites for nearly 40 years, and he said Hites will definitely be missed.
“I feel like it's a little surreal. I never thought it would happen,” Carroll said. “He's just been such stable position in the store.”
Hites plans to commit more time to restoring classic cars and fishing in his retirement. As a member of the Paul Bunyan Vintage Auto Club, Hites and his friends will be at the Lueken’s South parking lot every third Saturday from June through September for the club’s monthly cruise-in.
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