In 2000, Jack Faya was a recent immigrant from Togo, a nation in West Africa, working at the Jefferson Hotel as a dishwasher. But he wanted more – a career. He found that at H.J. Holtz & Son.
Faya searched out the company on the recommendation of someone from his church. But there was a slight problem: He spoke very little English. Luckily, on the day he came to the Holtz offices, then located in Scott’s Addition, he found Lindsay Holtz, wife of current president Rick Holtz. Lindsay Holtz used her rusty French from high school to speak with Faya, who was fluent.
“I happened to be at the shop when he happened to walk in,” Lindsay Holtz recalls. “I could speak just enough French so we could figure out that he was looking for work. Once Rick hired him, Jack learned a lot of English.
“Jack really opened the door to non-English speakers,” Lindsay Holtz adds. “Just because of who Jack is, that hurdle became manageable.”
Faya began as a helper in the shop, repairing carpentry, prepping in-house jobs, and painting. After several years, he began to paint in customers’ homes. He also expanded his skill set by taking carpentry classes before the Holtz carpentry division was created – “just so I could have some skills of my own and learn something new,” he says.
Teamwork is an important part of H.J. Holtz & Son, Faya says. “You have to find the right people [to work here],” he says. “It’s not about the job; it’s about how people treat you as somebody close to them. That will give you hope that you’ve got people around you who will take your back.”
Faya says he found a family atmosphere when he first joined the company, and it’s still present.
“Rick’s father and mother were here when I came,” he says. “They made me family. They helped me learn the culture here [in the United States].”
Lindsay Holtz says the relationship between her husband and Faya is special. “Any time Rick asks for help at a charity project, Jack is the first person to sign up,” she says. “He’s the first one there and is always ready to help the next person.”
Faya says, “Rick and I are like brothers now. If I come to his office, he welcomes me and listens to me and asks me if everything is all right. Nothing can take me away from here. I’m right where I need to be.”