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    Phelps County, NE In the News
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    3. PCDC Hall of Fame Banquet Set for October 30
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    PCDC Hall of Fame Banquet Set for October 30 main photo

    PCDC Hall of Fame Banquet Set for October 30

    October 15, 2025

    Two local businesses that have recently invested in the community will be honored at the Phelps County Development Corporation’s Business Hall of Fame Banquet on Thursday, October 30, at the Holdrege Country Club.

    Holdrege Dairy Queen and Rite Way Milk will share the spotlight as the community celebrates the businesses and their impact on the local economy.

    Dairy Queen made a substantial investment in the community by relocating its business from its longtime location 224 4th Avenue to its new building on busy Highway 183. The move has been positive as this year Holdrege’s DQ is number one in sales growth in its region, which includes 32 stores from York to eastern Colorado. It’s also number five in sales volume. The store increased its customer capacity from 350 to 600 customers per day. It can now accommodate larger crowds, including the frequent school buses that stop after games.

    The Holdrege Dairy Queen is co-owned by Stacey Johnson and Kelly Morten.

    “We are very surprised and very grateful to be receiving this award,” Morten said.

    Dairy Queen is being recognized as PCDC’s Expansion Champion Business of the Year.

    Dairy transportation business Rite Way Milk, owned by the Stewart family, is PCDC’s Legacy Business of the Year.

    Rite Way was founded in 1947 by Carrol (Curly) Geer. Norm Stewart has been a partner in the company since the 1980s. Norm and his wife, Corliss, and son and daughter-in-law, James and Katherine, have owned the company since 2017. Norm serves as president of the company, and James is vice president.

    “The family aspect of our business is definitely the most important with my dad, Norm, still running the company at age 71 and my mom, Corliss, coming out of retirement from her previous career as a nursing home administrator to manage the Holdrege office,” James said. “My wife, Katherine, helps me with truck and trailer maintenance full time as well as juggling our cattle operation and raising our two sons, J.P. and Cash.”

    The company manages pick-up and delivery logistics for Dairy Farmers of America, serving five regional dairy processing plants in Fort Morgan, Colo.; Wichita, Kan.; Hutchinson, Kan.; and Omaha. Rite Way has 10 full-time employees, including an office manager who works remotely from Elizabethtown, Kent. 

    The selection criteria for the Legacy Business of the Year includes capital investment into the community. Rite Way is doing its part to make the community better with recent investments at its headquarters at 815 4th Avenue in downtown Holdrege. In 2024, Rite Way partnered with the Iron Horse Arts District to paint “The Mailbox” mural on the side of its building. In 2025, the Stewarts invested in remodeling the upper level of their building into an upscale Airbnb.

    The Hall of Fame Banquet will take place at the Holdrege Country Club starting at 6 p.m. with a reception and social hour. The meal, catered by The Speakeasy, will be served at 7 p.m. 

    The keynote speaker will be Richard Baier, president and CEO of the Nebraska Bankers Association. Previously, Baier served as the Executive Vice President of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He also served more than eight years as the Director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

    The Hall of Fame Awards Banquet is open to the public. Advance tickets are available for $50 per person by calling PCDC at (308) 995-4148 or emailing Stacy@PhelpsCountyNE.com by October 24. Tickets will be available at the door for $60 per person if space is still available.

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    Phelps County Development Corporation Icon Nebraska Economic Certified Community
    Phelps County Development Corporation 502 East Avenue P.O. Box 522 Holdrege, NE 68949 Phone: (308) 995-4148 pcdc@phelpscountyne.com
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