Patrick Picchi is eager to learn new skills and processes. That enthusiasm has propelled Picchi through 10 years at H.J. Holtz & Son, taking him from a starting position as a painter to his current role as the youngest project manager at the company.
A decade ago, Picchi was working as a painter for a family member. Picchi wanted to move to a larger firm, one where he would have steady work to support a mortgage. With the blessing of his then-boss, he made a list of established painting companies, places where he knew he would find reliable, year-round employment.
H.J. Holtz & Son was the first company he called. Carol Hudson, a Holtz family member then working at the firm, answered the phone. After talking with Hudson, Picchi didn’t bother to reach out to anyone else.
“Carol was the guilty one,” Picchi laughs. “She gets all the credit and the blame.”
Even though Picchi had worked as a painter, there was plenty for him to learn early on. “I had experience, but nothing like the Holtz way,” he says. He partnered for six months with Travis Gibson, now the firm’s estimator, then became a foreman of his own crew. After doing that for 18-24 months, he considered his next step. A project manager position had opened, but there was also a spot for him on the wallpaper team, which was enticing.
“I wanted to learn about wallpaper, but I saw a lot of potential [as a project manager],” Picchi says. “Rick [Holtz, company president,] said, ‘You choose.’”
The choice was hard. Picchi, a native Spanish speaker, knew he’d learn a lot from the Holtz wallpaper crew, but he wanted to work on his English-language skills. He also believed he could provide a good bridge for other employees who also spoke Spanish as their first language. Ultimately, he leaned into the challenge. “Other workers [who speak Spanish] needed help,” he says.
Picchi says he appreciates how he is able to explore new paths and expand his skill set. “Rick invests in us and gives us the time to keep learning different ways,” he says. “[Being here] is like school for me, and it can be school for everybody. You have to take advantage [of opportunities] if the place lets you.”
Additionally, Picchi says, he appreciates how H.J. Holtz & Son has an ethos of treating customers well. “We are here to make a profit, yes, but we try to please the customer first,” he says. “That’s the priority.”
Happy anniversary, Patrick!