Mark Woodson is celebrating his 15th year work anniversary at H.J. Holtz & Son Painting and Wallpapering this month. But for a slight detour, it could be a 20-year anniversary. Fifteen years ago, Woodson was presented with a job opportunity that appeared to be even better than the position he had at the time. So he left Holtz & Son. Four years later, he was back. “I thought [the other job] was a better opportunity, but it wasn’t,” he says now. “I knew that I’d left a good company, and I knew what I could come back to: plenty of work, good-hearted people, a good family.”

Our summer help is a large part of H.J. Holtz & Son. Interns begin in June; most work through August. This summer’s group includes two college students, one from Roanoke College and one from James Madison University, and six high school…

21 years and counting; Jeff Ragland has been a H.J. Holtz and Son paper hanger and decorative artist. A Richmond native and Douglas Freeman graduate, becoming a paper hanger and decorative artist was not on his radar at the time. While attending J. Sargeant Reynolds his roommate, who worked for H.J. Holtz and Son at the time, suggested he apply for a job. Obviously, Jeff took him up on his suggestion...