Let’s remember to live our Core Values and keep ourselves and one another safe.
THE HOLMAN NEWSLETTER – Q2 2025 DRAFT
ONLINE EDITION
Team Anniversaries
Team anniversaries mark important milestones in careers at Holman. Join us in celebrating our Team Members who had anniversaries in April through June 2025.
New Additions to Holman Leadership Team
Growth and change are part of the logistics business, and we are happy to have added three Team Members to our Support Center Leadership Team. Click the link below to find about more about the new President, CFO, and IT Director!
BRIEN'S DESK
Safety First, ALWAYS
In our line of work, safety is everything. It’s the foundation of our operations and the key to protecting our most valuable asset: you.
As I mentioned in my last video update, there’s nothing more important in our operations than the safety of our Team. At the very least, if we are doing our jobs correctly, we should leave work each day feeling that we’ve accomplished something, that we’ve become more skilled, more capable, and more fulfilled in life.
I mention this again because, for whatever reason, summer seems to be the time when there’s an uptick of safety incidents in warehousing. Something about the heat and humidity can sometimes make us less likely to operate at our usual industry-leading safety standards … weird but true!
Warehousing and transportation operations can come with unique risks. Heavy machinery, moving vehicles, high shelving, and tight schedules all demand constant vigilance. That’s why safety can’t be an afterthought—it must be our first priority, every single day.
For those of you who have had the pleasure of joining one of our “Meet the Chief/Prez” Zoom calls, you’ve heard a bit of our safety mantra from Matt Ireland, our Director of Environmental Health & Safety (EHS):
For Those Operating Machinery:
1. Don’t try to work quickly – Rushing is neither quick nor safe! So, take your time to do it right and to do it safely.
2. Do the things you are trained to do – If you haven’t been trained to do something, please don’t attempt to do it. Ask for help.
3. Wear your safety belt – You won’t need it for 99,999 times out of 100,000, but for that one time, you’ll be thankful you’re wearing it.
4. Always look where you’re going – A significant portion of our incidents come from when people simply aren’t looking in the direction they’re traveling. Even if you’re backing up just a few feet, check first!
We operate in a fast-paced environment where deadlines and deliverables always demand our full attention. But no goal is ever worth compromising the well-being of our Team. Every member of our Team deserves to be safe, supported, and empowered to speak up when something doesn’t feel right.
For Everyone at Holman:
1. Proactive Awareness – Identify risks before they become incidents.
2. Open Communication – Encourage everyone to report concerns without fear.
3. Continuous Improvement – Learn from near-misses and adapt our practices.
4. Shared Responsibility – Safety is not just the job of one department: it’s everyone’s job.
It’s an honor and a privilege to serve you as Chief Executive Officer of Holman. Stay safe every day at work or outside of work, and I look forward to seeing you soon on my next visit!
ANNIVERSARIES
A Message from Brien
When people join the Holman organization, they learn that Holman is more than a Team—it is a family. It is a privilege to honor Team Members who have recently celebrated their first year with Holman. We also applaud those who’ve been with us 5, 10, 15, and 20 years and more! In this issue, we recognize Team Members with anniversaries from April through June 2025. Thank you for your hard work and dedication.
35 years
I started this path at just 23 years old, fortunate to be guided by dedicated supervisors who taught me the importance of doing things the right way. Now, I have the privilege of passing that knowledge on to those I work alongside.
A heartfelt thank you to Bob Downie for giving me the opportunity all those years ago. I’m forever grateful.
Joseph D. McMillen
25 years
Fred Olson
20 years
Regina Dance
Mario S. Cruz
Brenda Black
Robert C. Dance
Brenda Gaddis
Timothy Burrows
15 years
Keith Trudeau
10 years
5 years
- Charles A. Williams 12/08/2019
- Demanuel L. Dawn 05/24/2020
- Mark Massie 04/06/2020
- Jacob A. Carlton 05/10/2020
- Antonio Walker 05/26/2020
- Brandon Schley 06/01/2020
- Ronda E. Owsley 06/08/2020
- Demarquis Brown 06/14/2020
1 year
- Melody Dickson 04/01/2024
- Jaylen D. Jones 04/01/2024
- Jovany T. Mejia 04/01/2024
- William L. Chism 04/04/2024
- Michelle I. Gray 04/04/2024
- Justin Davis 04/08/2024
- Mary Taylor 04/08/2024
- Michelle M. Knisley 04/08/2024
- Diego Barrera Magana 04/09/2024
- Treavon Ellis 04/15/2024
- Abdul M. Mahshar 04/15/2024
- Xavier Tinae 04/15/2024
- Brittney C. White 04/16/2024
- Cody L. Wilson 04/22/2024
- Shannon N. Bartoy 04/22/2024
- Steven L. Perrin 04/22/2024
- Shalamar Heyward Sr. 04/23/2024
- Voeung Muk 04/23/2024
- Regis Evans 04/25/2024
- Thomas C. Glenn 04/29/2024
- Whitney W. Grizzard 04/29/2024
- Aaliyah Medley 05/06/2024
- Elvis J. Mendez 05/07/2024
- Brandon Richie 05/07/2024
- Tommie G. Hill Jr. 05/07/2024
- Glen Dickson 05/12/2024
- Michael A. Bomar 05/13/2024
- Kenneth Sykes Jr. 05/13/2024
- Bryan L. Watson 05/13/2024
- Everett Mcdougal 05/15/2024
- Jeremy Simmons 05/15/2024
- Sandro Beliard 05/20/2024
- Judnel Parvilus 05/20/2024
- Ervin E. Williams Jr. 05/20/2024
- Kimberly M. Odom 05/20/2024
- Brice S. Porter 05/20/2024
- Derick Fogle 05/20/2024
- Vincent O. Magno 05/21/2024
- Sakorea Black 05/23/2024
- Edward Payton 05/23/2024
- Anfernee D. Suber 05/23/2024
- Shafi Osmani 06/03/2024
- Luke T. Bell 06/03/2024
- Logan T. Rix 06/03/2024
- David S. Barncord 06/10/2024
- Trestan Codney 06/10/2024
- Pablo Ovando Mora 06/10/2024
- Alexander Gunter 06/10/2024
- Trestan Codney 06/10/2024
- Jordan T. Davis 06/13/2024
- Kiedra Williams 06/13/2024
- Melissa D. Fowler 06/17/2024
- Ronald Ream 06/17/2024
- Pedro F. Valeriano 06/17/2024
- Juan M. Melgar 06/17/2024
- Genesis S. Torrealba 06/17/2024
- Brenton Lartey 06/18/2024
- Jamie Thrasher 06/18/2024
- Nickolas Clark 06/20/2024
- Theodis McGhee III 06/21/2024
- Noah Hartley 06/23/2024
- Seth Castillo 06/26/2024
- Mai A. Thao 06/30/2024
- Valorie White 06/30/2024
SAFETY FOCUS
Inspect What You Expect
Across our Network, things are moving fast. There are many reasons for this: we’re adding new lines of business in some locations and increasing responsibilities and scope at others, and some customers are making improvements in efficiency that are allowing their product flow to increase. All of these advancements are good!
Summertime Stress is Real
At the same time, it’s also summer vacation season. Many sites are increasing their headcount, and we are doing LOTS of training. And to top it off – over half of our sites have been enveloped by a heat dome that has put additional environmental strain on our people and processes.
When you put everything together, it’s easy to understand why this summer has felt harder. Everywhere I have visited, at least one person has asked me a version of this question – “With everything going on, how are we supposed to keep up with daily responsibilities AND make sure Safety processes are followed?” This is an excellent question – when things get busier, or new people haven’t quite been incorporated into their roles yet, or key people take a vacation – some of the first things that get neglected are housekeeping, quality Behavior Observations, Toolbox Topics, and thorough site safety inspections.
Safety Doesn’t Have to Take a lot of Time
Here’s the beautiful thing about proactive Safety measures: we get to choose when we do them. We don’t get to pick how many inbounds and outbounds we have that day. We don’t get to decide when loads are unloaded or loaded in most cases. But we do get to decide when we talk about Safety and when we ensure that our warehouses are clean and safe.
I would encourage all of us to make daily Safety moments convenient and meaningful; we already have so much to do. If we don’t want critical Safety tasks to be pushed to the side, we must remember to INSPECT WHAT YOU EXPECT. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time or effort to make sure our Safety processes remain robust. Many times, we simply need to remember to verify that we’re following the Safety processes that are already in place. When operational tempo increases, these Safety micro-checks are even more critical.
Safety is Still Our Most Important Core Value
We are exceptional at overcoming challenges here at Holman Logistics. Our Team Members care, and that thoughtfulness shows in every task we accomplish. Let’s make sure we’re taking care of each other with the same level of dedication we show to our customers by ensuring that “Safety Focus” remains at the forefront of all we do.
GREAT IDEAS, GREAT TEAMWORK
The Holman Team excels at putting our Core Values into action in the workplace. Congratulations to those who have recently earned their OSHA Certificates as well as our B2 Savings Suggestions and Behavior Observations drawing winners!
OSHA 30-hour Certificates
B2 Savings Suggestions
April – Paul Heaslet (Westock, Arkansas)
May – Dominic Jenkins (Perryville, Maryland)
June – Williams “Bill” Leonard (Westrock, Arkansas)
Behavior Observations
April:
1st place – Michael Howard (Frederickson, Washington)
2nd place – Paul Heaslet (Westrock, Arkansas)
3rd place – Augusto Aloot (Kent, Washington)
May:
1st place – Christina Sullens (MidSouth, Arkansas)
2nd place – Martin Reta (Richmond, Indiana)
3rd place – Rick Pitts (Dupont, Washington)
June:
1st place – Alfonso Pimentel (Ontario, California)
2nd place – Richard Feaser (Perryville, Maryland)
3rd place – Robert Anderson (Emporia, Kansas)
WELCOME MIKE
Q&A with New Holman President
Q1. Why make the move to Holman?
After over 40 years in the 3PL Industry, I was excited about the opportunity to be a part of the Holman Team and culture. It is an extraordinary company well-positioned for growth.
Q2. You have been living in Ohio. Are you relocating to the Pacific NW?
We are excited to have made the move to the Pacific Northwest. I will have my office full-time at the Support Center in Federal Way. My wife Cynthia and I are excited to get to know the sights and sounds of the greater Seattle area.
Q3. Will you be able to find time to visit field locations regularly?
While my family will be based in the Pacific Northwest, visiting our field locations will be job #1 for me. I’m looking forward to meeting our Teams in each location and having the opportunity to perform Safety Observations during my visits.
Q4. What things have impressed you the most about Holman since joining?
Extraordinary Service for over 161 years! My early customer meetings have clearly reinforced that viewpoint. In addition, Holman culture is remarkable, collaborative, and focused on doing the right thing for our Team and our customers. Our Core Values set out how we create this culture: Focus on Operational Safety, Help Each Other to Be Better, Show Respect to All, Serve Others, and Deliver an Extraordinary Service Experience.
Q5. What do you feel are the greatest opportunities for business growth?
The fact that we have several manufacturing support locations is an area of real opportunity that is often neglected by some of our finest competitors. In addition, we need to consider new service offerings. E-commerce fulfillment and custom packaging services are two areas that come to mind. We also have some gaps in our national network. The Dallas and Chicago markets would be good expansion choices. Of course, we cannot forget my hometown, Columbus, Ohio – The Heart of it All!
Q6. Will growth create new job opportunities for Holman Team Members?
Growth will create a couple of key opportunities. One is short-term assignments supporting new locations and startups. This is a great way to see another part of the US and provides interesting opportunities to learn new processes and systems.
Q7. Are there new services Holman could soon offer customers?
As noted above, e-commerce. We dabble a bit in support of existing customers; however, the market is looking for alternatives to Amazon. Our basic skill sets are easily transferred to this service offering. In addition, I would bet that some of our 1700 Team Members know a fair amount about high volume, pick-and-pack operations. Just a wild guess!
Q8. What is the biggest challenge Holman faces in the immediate future?
Safety. There is NOTHING more important. We need to always strive to improve our training, and we need to increase our Behavioral Observations. Where are the lighthouse sites that provide remarkably safe operations? Let’s identify best practices and transfer them across the organization. We need everyone engaged in identifying any unsafe practices. Let’s get those fixed, period! As Matt Ireland, Director of EHS, likes to say: Own the Stop Button! Look in the mirror: do each of you own it?
Q9. What do you enjoy doing in your time away from business?
My faith is front and center, followed by my family. I have been married for 40 years, and we have 3 daughters and 8 grandchildren with #9 due in December. I am also highly focused on fitness and healthy living. Finally, I like to think about my legacy. I encourage everyone to give back to the communities where you live and work. We are all blessed with a variety of gifts. We should put them to work to help others.
Q10. Any closing thoughts?
It’s great to be here! I am here to support you and your life journey. Reach out any time: Mgardner@holmanusa.com or 614-507-0320.
OUR CORE VALUES
WELCOME NEW SUPPORT CENTER TEAM MEMBERS
In addition to our new President Mike Garner (see p. 8), Troy Mascarenhas and Haïm Dimer have also joined the Holman Leadership Team.
Troy Mascarenhas is the Chief Financial Officer. He is responsible for all financial and accounting duties at Holman.
Troy is an experienced logistics, distribution, and finance executive who has served in key leadership roles at companies including Walmart Canada, Walmart service provider SCM Supply Chain Management Inc., and Kane is Able Inc. He is a Certified Professional Accountant and holds a bachelor’s degree from York University in Toronto, Canada.
The new Holman Director of Information Technology Haïm Dimer maintains responsibility for IT infrastructure and programs across the Holman network. Haïm brings 30 years of experience in leadership and the technology industry, including start-ups and large-scale enterprise organizations. He holds a bachelor’s degree in IT as well as an Executive Master of Business Administration.
Please help our new Holman Team Members feel welcome when you see them at the Support Center or when they visit your facilities!