by HJ HOLTZ | Dec 2, 2024 | Employees
When Kelly Kutchey joined H.J. Holtz & Son 10 years ago as a painter, he asked several former coworkers who had already joined the Holtz team what they thought of the business.
“They told me it was a very different experience,” Kutchey recalls. “I remember them saying the company actually cares for you.”
Even before Kutchey could register that aspect of company culture, he noticed something else: The Holtz way was to do a job right the first time.
“That was more my speed because a lot of times, my previous employer would say we could come back to touch things up on a job,” Kutchey says. “I didn’t want to do that. I didn’t want anyone to find anything wrong, and I didn’t want to have to come back to fix problems.”
Initially, Kutchey planned to remain a painter – “I just wanted to blend in,” he says – but after a while, he was ready for a change. “I thought it would be cool to do more,” he says. “I offered to be a foreman; I did that, then I came into the office.”
Now, Kutchey is production manager, overseeing all departments and monitoring the progress of the many jobs that are underway at all times. “I make sure all facets of production are going well, and everything is getting completed,” he says. “Anything that’s happening that makes money for us, I need to make sure everybody’s happy and doing their jobs.”
Kutchey also manages the schedule, which is often in flux, requiring reassignments to ensure the best possible efficiency. The company currently has 19 two-person teams, with a foreman and painter on each. Additional painters serve as floaters and go where they’re most needed. Every day, Kutchey says, something unexpected arises.
“A customer may say, ‘Hey, while you’re here, can you paint an additional four rooms?’” he says. “Then you have to consider the next customer in line. Can we do that, or do we need to return at a later date?”
In the midst of so much change, the office team is determined to maintain consistency in how the company operates. “It’s up to all of us – Rick, Ricky, Travis, Patrick, and Roxy – to communicate to make sure the culture of the company stays where it should be,” Kutchey says. “Every team can improve and do things better, but I think we do a pretty good job.”
At the end of the week, Kutchey unwinds by spending most Friday evenings at a campground overlooking the Rappahannock River. “I sit with my wife and my dog and watch the sun set,” he says. “It’s nice and calming.”
by HJ HOLTZ | Nov 21, 2024 | Decorative Painting
It’s easy to make safe choices when decorating a home. But an unexpected pop of color or whimsy will elevate your living environment from ho-hum to heavenly.
Often, people think the only way to create a dramatic effect is through wallpaper, which comes in an array of colors, patterns and finishes. But hanging wallpaper feels like a big commitment, because the paper is attached to the surface with adhesive; removal seems daunting. Decorative painting, however, is the marriage of design with ease. Virtually any surface can be painted, and with the right hands, that surface can be transformed into an eye-catching accent or focal point.
H.J. Holtz & Son’s decorative artist, Diana Orellano, has been with the company for five years, learning the special skill set needed for decorative painting from those who came before her. Even if a client doesn’t have a clear vision of what they want, Orellano knows how to begin the conversation.
“An idea can come from something they saw or a memory,” she says. “When [clients] see pictures of things we make, they remember things they like, too.”
Decorative painting can be found anywhere in a house: floors, walls, and ceilings. Entire rooms can be filled with hand-painted murals, or a room’s chandelier can be emphasized with ceiling painting that draws the eye upward. Floors are an especially effective canvas, with bold patterns or faux effects that transform a standard surface. One previous Holtz project involved painting a wood floor to look like marble tiles, complete with veining. In another instance, the Holtz team painted a geometric pattern over concrete in a business office.
Orellana says floors are her favorite projects, because they require attention to detail. “It’s like a challenge for me,” she says. “I’m really picky; I want everything to be perfect. When [I’m told] I have a floor to do, I get happy.”
Floors are interesting, she says, because few rooms have perfectly straight lines, which means accurate measurements are essential. “You have to be precise and patient,” she says, noting that she begins by laying out a plan or pattern to see how it really fits. Once she has made adjustments, she starts painting in the center of the room and works outward.
Orellano assists the wallpaper team by painting light switch plates or other wall elements, like vents, so they become nearly invisible to the casual observer. Whatever the task, she says decorative painting is sure to have an impact.
“You can make a difference, have a happy room – do whatever you want,” she says.
by HJ HOLTZ | Oct 28, 2024 | Wallpaper
Continuing education is useful in any occupation. That’s why the paper-hanging team at H.J. Holtz & Son regularly travels to regional and national gatherings – to learn about new techniques and materials, and confer with others who understand the unique challenges of the industry.
“When you talk high-end residential [work], there’s maybe three or four people around [Richmond], but not necessarily to the level we’re at,” said James Draine, who has been hanging paper with Holtz & Son for 12 years. “Where do you go [to learn] if you’re at this level?”
Where you go is the Wallcovering Installers Association, the national trade group that supports and helps to educate people working in the industry. In March, Draine, Shane Legano and Luis Alas attended WIA’s one-day March Madness session in Southbridge, Massachusetts. In September, Draine and Legano went to Philadelphia for WIA’s annual convention.
The March Madness gathering was Alas’ first time at a WIA event; he began learning how to hang paper with the team in fall 2022. Alas said he enjoyed the opportunity to make connections with other experienced paper hangers. “I definitely felt welcomed,” he said. “There’s still a lot to learn.”
At the Philadelphia gathering, Draine and Legano – who has been with H.J. Holtz & Son for 21 years and is now a WIA regional director – team-taught a seminar in hanging scenic, the elaborate, mural-like wallpapers that require careful preparation and attention to detail. The session was open only to hangers with five or more years of experience. “We’re going to show how we do an install, then we’ll help [participants] do it,” Legano said prior to the conference.
Other conference sessions covered topics such as corner cuts, establishing a good work flow, and building rigging systems. Draine and Legano also had time to spend with other participants, swapping stories and sharing tips. “It’s always good to get other people’s ideas,” Legano said.
Decorative wall coverings have been around for hundreds of years – the earliest are believed to have originated in China, in roughly 200 B.C. – but there are always changes afoot.
“Wallpaper is booming so much,” Draine said. “The industry has been flipped upside down with digital printers. If we went [to conferences] only every five years, we’d be so far behind.”
Legano added: “You have to keep up. There’s new paste, and new science that changes materials.”
This year’s annual conference also included a 50th-anniversary gala with a throwback theme to 1974, the year the WIA was founded. Registered participants received a tie-dyed shirt and were encouraged to wear their best 1970’s-era attire. Before they left, Legano shared the pair’s plans: “James [Draine] is getting an Afro wig. I don’t know what direction I’m going: biker or sleazeball.”
by HJ HOLTZ | Sep 24, 2024 | Carpentry Services
Homes in Richmond’s Fan neighborhood have character, good bones and a great location. But their rooms typically don’t lend themselves to multiuse purposes. The H.J. Holtz & Son carpentry division recently assisted Alicia Conrad, principal of Alicia Conrad Interiors, in coming up with a solution that includes built-in cabinets for one family.
When the pandemic began, the husband began working from home, placing a desk and ergonomic chair in the front parlor, the first room people see upon entering the house. Now that he’s returned to an office – but wants to have the option for at-home work – the wife approached Conrad to devise a plan allowing the room to pull double-duty.
“We wanted to keep with the architectural style of the home,” Conrad says. “The family is constantly entertaining, and opening their doors to friends and family. This had to be custom work, given what they needed.”
The room had little wall space so Conrad made the most of it. With the help of the H.J. Holtz & Son carpentry team – who handled all fabrication, installation and painting – Conrad designed shelving and built-in cabinets on both sides of the fireplace. The new built-ins offer both open display shelving as well as hidden storage.
To the left of the fireplace, the lower cabinet is sized to hold a computer printer. To the right, the upper drawer keeps office supplies within reach, and the lower drawer holds lateral files. The built-in cabinet tops are hinged, so they can fold out, allowing someone to pull up a chair. The right-side lower shelf on the right can be removed, making space for a computer monitor. Finally, a vertical side panel, which appears to be decorative, opens with a push to reveal space for a surge protector. Electrical cords can be threaded through a grommet to the surface.
“The new built-ins really give the opportunity to work from home and also have that flexibility so they can quickly tuck it away when they want to,” Conrad says.
Conrad recommended Holtz & Son to the clients because she’s worked with the company before and knows they can be trusted. “I sleep well when Holtz is on the job,” she says.
Holtz craftspeople also hung grasscloth and fabric (behind the shelves) and painted the trim, so Conrad and the owners didn’t have to call in other workers. “[Holtz] is basically the general contractor, so I don’t have to be communicating with multiple vendors,” Conrad says.
The clients are pleased. “We created a beautiful, functional space in a historic row house with challenging square footage,” Conrad says. “The client is super happy.”
by HJ HOLTZ | Sep 17, 2024 | INTERIOR PAINTING
Some home projects have to occur piecemeal, whether for logistical or financial reasons. But others – like painting a room – are best done in one fell swoop. H.J. Holtz & Son estimators know part of what they do is to educate homeowners about how to best approach interior painting projects.
“I see this all the time: People think they can just change the wall color and not paint the ceiling and the trim,” says project estimator Travis Gibson. “But if you’re going to change the walls, it’s really a no-brainer to do the rest. You’re not going to be happy with the final appearance if all you’ve done is paint the walls.”
The primary reason to do everything at once, Gibson says, is aesthetics. “Fresh walls make the trim and ceiling look dingy,” he notes. “When we paint the walls, we make sure there are clean, crisp lines. When you see the new paint against existing trim, you really notice the difference.”
Another good reason to do both at once is to save money. In situations where customers decide to paint only the walls, Gibson says customers often return to him later, asking for the ceiling and trim to be painted. That becomes a complete second job.
“Our costs to send a crew out and prepare a space really don’t change much,” Gibson says. “When you have us come twice to paint the same room, you end up paying double for those set-up costs. It’s more efficient for the team to do everything at once, and the homeowner is going to save money in the long run.”
Additionally, the new job has to be worked into the schedule, which means waiting for the room to be completely finished. That delay can lead to additional dislocation or mean the room isn’t picture-perfect for a special event or for guests’ arrival.
“Yes, painting the walls, trim and ceiling costs more than just painting the walls,” Gibson says, “but so often customers realize while we’re working that they should have done everything at once.”
