Brent & Beth Frerichs: Family friendly
Work brought Brent and Beth Frerichs to Grand Island, but the small-town atmosphere and big-city amenities are two of the reasons they stay.
Brent grew up in Axtell and Beth in West Point, but they both attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
“After college, I was offered a position at Chief Buildings as a project designer,” Brent said. He moved to Grand Island in 2005 but returned to Lincoln in 2007 to help open a Chief Buildings office there.
Brent and Beth met in Lincoln in 2009, married in 2012 and moved to Kearney in 2013.
“We originally moved back to central Nebraska when Brent accepted a promotion within Chief Buildings as the estimating manager,” Beth said. “After commuting for a few years, we moved to the Grand Island area in 2015 with our 1-year-old daughter.”
Their children are Elyse, now 7, and Wes, age 5.
Brent currently works as inside sales manager. Beth joined Chief as a marketing associate in 2015 and became director of marketing and communications in 2019.
They find a lot to love about Grand Island.
“We enjoy the small-town feel while still getting more of the amenities that a larger community can attract,” Beth said. “It’s not overwhelming, and you don’t get swallowed up by a big city.”
Those amenities include the Nebraska State Fair, horse racing at Fonner Park and the Hear Grand Island concerts downtown.
“Grand Island’s downtown area has changed so much since we have moved here,” Brent said. “There are lots of options for dining, retail, living, working and other services there. It is a thriving piece of the community.”
Brent and Beth also appreciate the people they’ve met in Grand Island — residents focused on building a stronger community and business owners who support the city’s nonprofit organizations.
The Frerichs love Grand Island because it’s easy to get around, easy to get involved and easy to “build a community.”
Brent has been involved with the Youth Philanthropy Board and Junior Achievement.
Beth’s community activities include the Goodwill Industries board, Grand Island Chamber Connectors, Young Professionals, Leadership Tomorrow and the Rotary Club.
“Grand Island is very welcoming and encouraging for familiar and new faces to be part of the community,” Beth said.
“We came here because of our careers and have met some great people along the way,” Brent said. “We have built a great network through our work, extracurricular activities and our neighborhood.”
