Prior to his service as Secretary, Werries served as chairman of Sonic and as chairman and chief executive officer of the Fleming Companies, Inc. Werries joined the Fleming Companies, Inc, a Kansas, later Oklahoma-based supplier of consumer package goods to retailers, in 1955.
When Werries retired from Fleming in 1994, Sonic shareholders elected him as the chairman of their board of directors.
J. Clifford Hudson, Sonic's CEO, was elected as board chair to succeed Werries.
In 1995, Republican Governor of Oklahoma Frank Keating appointed Werries as his first Secretary of Commerce.
Governor Keating appointed Ron Rosenfeld, a housing development expert, to succeed Werries as Secretary.