Say hello to Dale Lockard, the Shipping/Receiving/Internal Service Support for WPRP’s newest Quick Ship location in East Stroudsburg, PA. Dale should feel right at home at the warehouse, as he has an interesting history with this location.

Let’s get to know a little about Dale:

How did you hear about WPRP?

I live right across the parking lot from the warehouse, and moved into my home the year the warehouse was built, in 1974. One day when Josh and Linda were at the warehouse overseeing building renovations, the current occupant, Charlie, called me at home and asked me to stop over and meet them. They introduced themselves, and after talking a bit about my history with the warehouse, asked if I would be interested in working with Rich for WPRP.

You have some history with the building – can you share a little about that?

As I mentioned, I have lived across the way for over 40 years, but my history with Rosen’s is even longer. I started working for Rosen’s in 1970 and after a few years the owner, Herb Rosen, offered me the house on the property.

What is your role for WPRP?

I assist Rich with shipping and receiving and I also do general work around the warehouse.

Do you have any experience in that area?

I was manager of Rosen’s Warehouse for 30 plus years. I had a staff of 18-20 in the warehouse at the time.

What is the most important aspect of your job?

Keeping organized.

What do you think it takes to make an organization successful?

Hard work and always doing the best you can at whatever it is you’re doing.

Tell us about yourself: Family? Hobbies? What you do you for entertainment/free time?

I have fond memories of my son and daughter playing in the warehouse. Hide and seek was a favorite. They grew up here, right along side me. My wife and I are so proud of our daughter, she’s just the greatest kid in the world! She is a Phys Ed. teacher locally, at East Stroudsburg North High School. She is a wonderful daughter and wife, helping her husband in the summers with his landscaping business. They have three great danes along with goats, chickens and ducks.

My son, Dale Jr. worked with me at Rosen’s through his senior year on a work release program. He really enjoyed the opportunity to work at the warehouse and was a fast learner and a hard worker. Dale Jr. was a peace keeper and always paid special attention the “under dogs”. He had lots of friends and enjoyed spending time with them. Graduation Day was a really proud day for Dale Jr. Even though he didn’t care much for school, he did well and made honor roll, which made him and all of us very proud. A week after he graduated, his life was taken in a car accident. There are no words that can describe what it was like to lose my best friend. My heart will never fully heal, but he is with me every day, and being in the warehouse reminds me of the fond memories we shared together.

Dale WPRP Warehouse

In my “spare time” I design and manufacture specialty picture frames for art galleries. Frames spanning as large as 21’ x 14’ and as small as 8” x 8”. Right now I’m working on two 6’ x 5’ frames with glass. My work is on display in galleries all over the world in Switzerland, Germany and New York, to name a few.

I fell into this craft after 9/11, when all the art galleries closed down for about a year.
The gentleman that built these frames was out of work and came to Rosen’s looking for a furniture job. I taught him how to fix furniture until the framing business came back around. A year later he contacted me when he needed to take a break from the business and I’ve been doing it ever since. Before I started with WPRP, it was my full time job. Now I balance the two.

Where did you grow up? If you are not local, what brought you to the area and how long have you been here?

I was born at Pocono Medical Center, like my father and grandfather before me, so I’m about as local as you can get! I remember when I was 8 years old, my leg was crushed when a cast iron radiator fell on it. I was in the children’s ward for some time while my leg was healing, that is back when they put you in traction. The very first TV, donated to the hospital by the Katz Family, was put in my room. All the kids in the ward would come to my room to watch TV. At the time, my grade school was right across the street and once a week my teacher would walk the class over to pass by my window and wave hello.

Any local history you can share?

My dad worked for the railroad and on my walk to school every day I would visit the train tower. When the trains came through, I was allowed to lower the gates (with levers bigger than I stood). I was also allowed to hold the message stick, which was the way that the dispatcher and the engineer would communicate, and I drove the freight train from Bangor to Portland.

Any quotes or sayings you live by?

Learn to forgive.

You only have to spend a few minutes with Dale to know that he is just an all around great guy, and we are so grateful that Charlie called him over to meet us that day. Welcome aboard Dale, we are happy to have you as part of our WPRP East Coast Team!