Painter Robert Ferrell Marks Silver Anniversary
Robert Ferrell says he is occasionally asked by another H.J. Holtz & Son team member why he gets to set his own work hours.
“I say, ‘When you’ve been here as long as I have, you’ll be able to do that, too,’” he laughs.
It’s no joke: Ferrell joined the company in May 2000, when current president Rick Holtz’s parents – were at the helm. “I miss Rick’s parents [Dick and Geny Holtz],” Ferrell says. “They were just like parents to me.”
Over the years, Ferrell has worked as a painter and foreman. Now, he’s training new employees and also fills in for vacationing project managers or checks project sites to make sure everything is going as planned. Ferrell says it’s been good to see H.J. Holtz & Son’s growth over the years and is proud of the way the company treats its employees.
“I don’t think of the company as a workshop; I think of it as a school,” he says. “You can learn a lot of things: brush painting, spraying, glazing, wallpapering, carpentry. We’ve got very talented people here, and Rick goes out of his way to send people to school to learn whatever has to be done.”
Learning happens at every level, Ferrell says, noting that a new painting team member recently showed him how she tapes sandpaper around a stick so she can more efficiently prep tight areas. Ferrell then shared the tip with other painters. “I learn something new every day,” he says.
What is consistent, Ferrell says, is the Holtz approach to customer service and detail with every project.
“Customers need to know who we are and trust us with their home, because we treat it like it’s ours,” he says, noting that clients routinely share that they wouldn’t typically leave their house with workmen inside, but they do when it’s a Holtz team. “We leave a house like we found it, and we do other things, like bring in the mail, take the dog on a walk. We try to go out of our way to accommodate clients. We’re very respectful,” Ferrell notes. “The foremen don’t tolerate foolishness.”
Following two surgeries in 2024, Ferrell decided it was time to slow down at work a little, an approach supported by Rick Holtz. He now works three days a week.
“Rick Holtz took care of me, as always,” Ferrell says. “He’s like a brother to me, like a family member. We’ve got good vibes together.”