THE HOLMAN NEWSLETTER – Q4 2023

October:

1st place – Yareli Morales (Ontario, CA)
2nd place – James Smith (Richmond, IN)
3rd place – Mark Blain (Frederickson, WA)

November:

1st place – Doug Whiley (Jacksonville, FL)
2nd place – Michael Hutchinson (Auburn, WA)
3rd place – James Brimmage (Frederickson, WA)

December:

1st place – Jose Cruz (Pooler, GA)
2nd place – Sharon Bothwell (MidSouth, AR)
3rd place – Octavia Redd (Maumelle, AR)

By Holman News Reporter Thomas Gresham

The year 2023 is history, but the Holman Teams in the Pacific NW wanted to share a story that Teams from other parts of the country may not know much about. So with the help of Jeremy Thompson, Director of Operations, and John Fredricks, Vice-President of Operations, the Holman News Team took a look back at what was required to relocate operations from facilities in Kent, Washington, to a new, state-of-the-art warehouse in Frederickson, Washington.

When Holman moved the bulk of its warehousing and distribution operations from Kent, it marked a milestone not only for the company but for the Team Members who managed the complex operation. For many, the project would be the largest, most consuming one of their careers. “For the people that executed this, it’s the kind of achievement you mark your career on and never forget,” said Thompson.

Between April 1 and June 16, 2023, Holman moved 50 accounts and 30,000 pallets – equating to 1,300 truckloads – approximately 25 miles from Kent to Frederickson. “Our goals were a seamless transition for the customers, retention of our teammates, and an injury- and accident-free relocation,” said Fredricks.

Over the course of that two-and-a-half months, Holman moved 20 truckloads each weekday and 40 each Saturday. “Without fail, we hit those goals every day,” Fredricks said. “Our transportation Team played a key role in ensuring that those loads were moved even with the normal business volume they were moving daily.”

Not all clients made the move. Holman strategically resigned a small piece of business since the new facility’s capacity of 350,000 square feet is less than Kent’s combined capacity. In addition, Holman moved several accounts that did not want to move south of Kent to a location north of town and moved a small group of customers who rely on rail – the Frederickson facility does not have rail access – to a smaller building at the Kent site.

“One of the biggest logistical challenges was making sure none of our customers missed any of their commitments,” Thompson said. “We had to pick orders in advance and ship out of Kent while transferring product to Frederickson – all while maintaining constant communication between Teams so that we never shut down operations. It was quite a feat. Every day had a different set of challenges.”

The Holman Team worked six days a week every week during the move. Scheduling each customer’s move required precision planning – not just to move everything but also to hit the ground running in Frederickson so that customers saw no difference in service. Another overriding focus was ensuring no injuries occurred. “It needed to be seamless for the customer,” Fredricks said, “with no delays in order fulfillment or unloading of inbound shipments.”

In addition, Fredricks said Holman worked with Team Members to ensure they were happy with their new locations. “We wanted to accommodate and retain the Team to the best of our abilities.”

With the move completed, Fredricks said the advantages of the new facility are clear. “We have a flagship location,” Fredricks said. “It’s cross-loaded, so we’ve got dock doors on both the north and the south of the building. We’ve got 100 spots for empty or full trailers to be spotted off of the dock doors in the yard. We’ve got 15,000 racking locations and a fully fenced, secure yard. There’s ample room to maneuver and stage inbound and outbound loads. The Team is as productive as ever just a few months in. We’re certainly in a facility we’re all proud of.”

Fredricks said the satisfaction that Holman Team Members feel about the move was obvious during an open house and barbecue in October of last year that drew a large crowd. “The pride on everybody’s faces and their desire to show their families the facility and show them what they do was obvious,” Fredricks said.

Fortified by the experience of the move, Thompson thinks the Team is stronger than ever. “We’ve opened new buildings, but we’ve never done anything of this magnitude,” Thompson said. “A lot of people had been in those Kent buildings for 20-plus years. It was an emotional change as much as a physical one. I’m just so proud of what our Team has done.”

Wherever they are located, Holman Team Members know how to celebrate the holidays! Below are only a few of the great photos from October-December, 2023.