by HJ HOLTZ | Nov 14, 2020 | Employees
H.J. Holtz & Son President Rick Holtz believes everyone in the company contributes to its success – and should share in that success, financially.
Holtz and Chad Lyons, owner of Lyons Paint & Design in Seattle, were recent guests on “Paint Radio,” a podcast sponsored by American Painting Contractor, a national magazine and resource that includes a print magazine, website, and YouTube channel, in addition to the podcast. Their topic: bonus or incentive programs for painting business employees.
“Don’t say ‘bonus,’ please,” Holtz said, noting that his plan is structured as an incentive, in order to give employees “some tooth in the game.”
Every year, Holtz said, a net profit goal is set – the amount of profit needed to keep the painting business viable and healthy. Once that target is reached, fifty percent of every net dollar goes to the incentive fund, with the other fifty percent remaining in the company coffers.
First introduced five years ago, the plan took some explanation. “[They] were like deer in headlights,” Holtz said. “It took about three years before people really understood it, and they had to learn to trust it, too.”
The plan is useful because it both motivates and educates employees, Holtz said, adding that employees see the firm’s profit and loss statement, so they understand what costs are fixed and what others can be trimmed.
“We talk about how to save and create efficiencies, and how going back to fix problems hurts the bottom line,” Holtz said, adding that team members now routinely come to him with suggestions for improving project flow, which benefits both customers and company.
Overall employee retention has improved since the plan was implemented, Holtz said, noting that retention also improves efficiency because new staff require training and take time to become comfortable with the company’s approach.
Every employee – except Holtz – shares in the incentive payout based on their annual compensation as a percentage of the total payroll. For example, more experienced craftspeople, foremen, and managers receive a greater percentage of the incentive payout, because their starting pay is higher. But an employee early in his career can increase his incentive payout by taking on overtime, which increases his percentage in the overall payroll pool.
“It’s not entitlement,” Holtz said.
Best of all, the better the company does, the better employees do.
“There’s no limit to how much profit they can make once we meet our [goal],” he said. “I’m a firm believer that our company, in the last five years, would not have done as well without this program.”
by HJ HOLTZ | Oct 21, 2020 | Employees
Enjoy this pre-Covid image, we wanted you to see the man behind the mask!
On the advice of friends, Travis Gibson came to H. J. Holtz & Son in fall 2010.
Those friends have since moved on to other jobs, but 10 years later, Gibson is still with Holtz & Son, now as a member of the management team. He began as a painter and rose through the ranks as foreman and project manager to his current job as painting estimator.
“I was a good painter, but I wanted more responsibility, which is what pushed me to get to the next level,” Gibson says. “I just wanted to keep pushing myself and moving up as I could.”
Gibson, who had learned the craft of painting by working with his father, was drawn to Holtz & Son because of its stability. “It wasn’t an overnight painting company,” he says. “It’s family-oriented, and [the owners] really care about the employees and the finished product. I wanted to be doing work I could be proud of.”
Additionally, it’s a real plus for team members that they are able to seek other opportunities within the company, Gibson says. “When a position opens, you’re always welcome to mention it to Rick [Holtz, company president],” he says. “There are lots of different options to find where you’re most comfortable and where you can excel at your job; some people are comfortable where they are.”
Gibson says he enjoys being a painting estimator because he gets to meet clients at the beginning of the process to talk through how the Holtz team will get the job done.
“I have experience as a painter and can give [clients] honest information and feedback on what to expect,” he says. “I’m up front and honest from the beginning, letting them know about situations that can happen. We’ll communicate along the way. We always try to contain the unexpected.”
The same care is shown with one another in the office, Gibson says.
“Sure, there can be some challenges, but everybody pushes through and looks for the best possible outcome in each scenario,” he says. “There is definitely a family vibe, which is one of the main reasons why we do so well. Everybody looks out for everybody else.”
by HJ HOLTZ | Sep 29, 2020 | Employees
In a field dominated by men, H.J. Holtz & Son is proud to have women working at multiple levels of operations.
Geny Holtz, mother of current company president Rick Holtz, was treasurer of the company for more than 30 years, working alongside her husband, Richard L. Holtz, Sr., who had bought the business from his father. When she retired, she handed over the reins to one of her daughters, Sharon Carroll, who is still with the company. She remained a resource and presence until her death this past summer.
Women work in the front office in accounting, scheduling, and project management. In operations, several women work as foremen and painters.
“We’ve always believed that it’s about putting the right person in the right position,” says Rick Holtz, adding that the goal is to help employees find the specific type of work where they are happy and can excel. “Not everyone wants to be a manager, but we want to train and educate all our employees so each person feels good about what they are doing and so we know we are providing the best services for our clients.”
H.J. Holtz & Son is proud to have all these women as part of the team.
Maria Alvarado, painter shop, Holtz team since 2015
Susan Anderson, scheduling coordinator, Holtz team since 2018. Anderson is the first point of contact for most callers into the office as she answers the telephone, but also manages a full and ever-changing scheduling calendar. “I enjoy the activity of the office,” she says. “It’s a very positive office, with a good atmosphere. We’re like family here.”
Anna Cabrera, painter, Holtz team since 2018
Sharon Carroll, finance manager, Holtz team since fall 2014. One of the Holtz family’s four sisters, Carroll moved often with her military husband. When the family decided to return, for good, to the Richmond area after her husband retired, Carroll was available to help out in the office. When Geny Holtz retired, Carroll was able to put her degree in finance to good use, taking over Geny’s treasurer responsibilities. She now handles all accounts payable, the full payroll and the company’s taxes. “I didn’t know much about the inner workings of the company before I started here, so there was a lot to learn,” she says. “I like it because it’s laid-back; I can work independently most of the time.”
Nidia Herrera, painter, Holtz team since January 2020
Carol Hudson, project manager, Holtz team since spring 2014. Another Holtz sister, Hudson first came to the office to assist Geny as she moved toward retirement. While she was happy to participate in the family business, Hudson admits she wasn’t sure what it would be like to work with family. “You have to keep boundaries,” she says. “I think the three of us – Rick, Sharon and I – have gained a new appreciation for each other.” Hudson says she enjoys being project manager because it allows her to leave her desk and enabled her to learn a new part of operations. “I really wanted to see the homes where we were working, to meet the customers – the personal aspect,” she says. “That’s one of the good things about being here: There are so many different areas of the company people can move into.”
Marcia Martinez, painting foreman, Holtz team since 2018. Martinez, who had been working as a painter for other companies, primarily in commercial settings, sought out Holtz & Son. “I wanted a reliable place to work with more stability and residential jobs,” she says. Promoted to foreman in early 2020, Alvarado says she enjoys being able to see a project from start to end and working with customers to bring their vision to life. “I like finishing a job and seeing the reaction of clients,” she says. “Something as simple as painting a wall makes such a difference.”
Sandra Menjivar, shop foreman, Holtz team since 2014. Menjivar oversees the shop schedule, ensuring that the sanding and painting essential to so many jobs happens in a timely fashion. She teaches other team members so they learn the techniques that lead to clean finishes. “I come in early and leave early; I like that,” she says.
Diana Orellana, painter, Holtz team since 2019
Rosalinda (Roxy) Reyes, painting foreman, Holtz team since fall 2019. Reyes says she loves being with customers and is perfectly at home leading a team that is primarily or all male. “A customer asked me about working with men, and I said it doesn’t matter,” she says. “We’re all here to do a job; women can do everything that the men can do.” A relative newcomer to Holtz & Son, Reyes says the company already feels like family. “I love my job, and I love painting,” she says. “If I have a problem, I know I can tell someone.”
by HJ HOLTZ | Jul 16, 2020 | Employees
Two painting employees are celebrating long tenures with H.J. Holtz & Son this month.
Jack Faya and Jose Perez have been team members for 15 and 10 years, respectively. Each has had his own path at the firm; both agree the company’s atmosphere is special.
Jose Perez, a native of Azusa, Calif., came to Richmond after a chance meeting at a soccer game with someone from Richmond. That acquaintance became a friend, helping him get settled in a new town and find employment.
Jose worked for other painting companies in Richmond before coming to Holtz & Son in 2010 and says he saw differences between Holtz and other businesses immediately.
“There’s more conversation about the [painting] process here,” he says. “We have discussions about how to do a project. That helps us work better.”
Jose says he appreciates the thoughtfulness the Holtz team brings to jobsites. “I learn something different every day,” he says. “Each project is something different.”
Jack Faya, who is marking his 15th anniversary with H.J. Holtz & Son, also came to Richmond from a different place – a different continent.
In 2005, Faya was living in Ghana with his wife, having fled civil war in their home country of Togo. He was able to seek asylum in the United States because he had a sponsor already living in the U.S., which was required before he could emigrate.
Faya arrived in March, obtained a Social Security card on April 15 – essential for employment – and began his search for work. In July, as he was riding a bicycle through the Scott’s Addition neighborhood, he saw the sign for H.J. Holtz and Son and walked in.
He was greeted by Rick Holtz and his wife, Lindsay, who happened to be in the office. Between Faya’s limited English and Lindsay Holtz’s limited French, Faya was able to communicate that he had worked as a painter in Togo and needed a job in Richmond.
By the end of the day, he had one, working as an apprentice in the painting division.
Later, Faya worked in the carpentry shop, adding to his skill set. Eventually, he returned to painting and now is a foreman of his own team.
Faya says the transition to living and working in the United States wasn’t easy. He was startled by the many differences between his native country and the U.S., and the language barrier made it hard for him to interact with others, to explain what he was thinking and to ask questions.
After several years at H.J. Holtz & Son, Faya thought he should look for a different job, one where he would be more comfortable.
“Rick said, ‘No, I’m not letting you go; don’t think somewhere else will be better. Everything’s going to be all right here,’” Faya says. “That’s when I started to have hope.”
Now, Faya says, he is fully at home in Richmond and at Holtz & Son.
“It’s like family here,” he says. “Relationships are strong. Even when conflicts happen, the recovery is fast.”
For the past year, Faya has been working at Carter’s Grove in Williamsburg, a complete restoration of an 18th century mansion on the banks of the James River. The work there, Faya says, is unique, given the special needs of an historic property.
“That’s why I like working here; you have the opportunity to move [within the company] and learn something new,” Faya says. “This company is where you can stay and prove yourself.”
by HJ HOLTZ | May 21, 2020 | Employees
Painting foreman Robert Ferrell enjoys doing the kind of brush work that makes most people cringe: edges and windows.
“I’m a trim man, really,” he says. “I just love it.”
This month, Ferrell celebrates his 20th anniversary as an employee of H.J. Holtz & Son. He was hired by company president Rick Holtz, who refers to Ferrell as “family.”
“We have endured a lot together,” Holtz says. “We help each other.”
Ferrell concurs. “Rick and I have been friends since I came to the company,” he says, adding that their relationship “couldn’t be better.”
Last year, Ferrell missed nearly two months of work following a diagnosis of liver cancer. He says, there was “never any question” about his return to the company. “Rick called me [regularly] and paid me every week like I was working,” he said. “He’s nice to everyone; I could write you a book of the things he’s done.”
This spring, Ferrell arranged to take vacation time to avoid the early outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Given his cancer treatment and recovery last year, and with another underlying health condition, he felt it was prudent to avoid contact with others. But when he initially tried to return to work, Holtz asked him to reconsider.
“He told me to stay out two more weeks, until it was safer,” Ferrell says. “Rick is something else.”
A self-avowed “country boy” from Montpelier, Ferrell got his start at a painting company in Ashland. His wife, a Richmond native, wanted to live in the city, so his boss spoke with Holtz, and Ferrell switched companies.
Now a painting foreman, Ferrell will often train craftspeople in the Holtz way, which emphasizes attention to detail and genuine caring for the project at hand.
“You have to be patient with [new employees]; they have to learn,” he says. “We treat customers’ houses like our houses. We’ll walk their dog if we need to.”
Ferrell says he enjoys painting because it offers a combination of independent effort and teamwork.
by HJ HOLTZ | Nov 14, 2019 | Employees
H.J. Holtz & Son President Rick Holtz believes everyone in the company contributes to its success – and should share in that success, financially.
Holtz and Chad Lyons, owner of Lyons Paint & Design in Seattle, were recent guests on “Paint Radio,” a podcast sponsored by American Painting Contractor, a national magazine and resource that includes a print magazine, website, and YouTube channel, in addition to the podcast. Their topic: bonus or incentive programs for painting business employees.
“Don’t say ‘bonus,’ please,” Holtz said, noting that his plan is structured as an incentive, in order to give employees “some tooth in the game.”
Every year, Holtz said, a net profit goal is set – the amount of profit needed to keep the painting business viable and healthy. Once that target is reached, fifty percent of every net dollar goes to the incentive fund, with the other fifty percent remaining in the company coffers.
First introduced five years ago, the plan took some explanation. “[They] were like deer in headlights,” Holtz said. “It took about three years before people really understood it, and they had to learn to trust it, too.”
The plan is useful because it both motivates and educates employees, Holtz said, adding that employees see the firm’s profit and loss statement, so they understand what costs are fixed and what others can be trimmed.
“We talk about how to save and create efficiencies, and how going back to fix problems hurts the bottom line,” Holtz said, adding that team members now routinely come to him with suggestions for improving project flow, which benefits both customers and company.
Overall employee retention has improved since the plan was implemented, Holtz said, noting that retention also improves efficiency because new staff require training and take time to become comfortable with the company’s approach.
Every employee – except Holtz – shares in the incentive payout based on their annual compensation as a percentage of the total payroll. For example, more experienced craftspeople, foremen, and managers receive a greater percentage of the incentive payout, because their starting pay is higher. But an employee early in his career can increase his incentive payout by taking on overtime, which increases his percentage in the overall payroll pool.
“It’s not entitlement,” Holtz said.
Best of all, the better the company does, the better employees do.
“There’s no limit to how much profit they can make once we meet our [goal],” he said. “I’m a firm believer that our company, in the last five years, would not have done as well without this program.”
