INSIDE P2 TECH WARS P3 Owners’ Message P4 Four Star Awards P5 Features P6-10 Local News P11-13 Enterprise News P14 HOLT Babies/Retirees P15-16 On the Move/Enterprise News P17-19 Service Awards Issue II, 2023
2 CONVERSATIONS Issue II TECH WARS World Class Technician Development in Cleburne A Cat machine on loan to Cleburne High School’s Career and Technical Education Department needed service. Enter Eli Hradek, Service Manager 3-Fort Worth, who sent Weldon Carter, Field Service Tech 6-Fort Worth, with his HOLT service truck to diagnose the issue. When he arrived, Weldon found the tech students were interested in his work, so he took the time to show them how he does his job. Cleburne’s Director praised Weldon for taking the time to provide a great realworld view of his job. Well done, Weldon! We have exciting news to share! Three HOLT technicians scored wins at this year’s Tech Wars Multi-Dealer Regional Championship! Congratulations to: Josh Poe - Cleburne, Second place - Industrial Engine Jesse Trevino - Irving, First place - Electric Power Weldon Carter - Fort Worth, Second place - Machine HOLT hosted the 2023 Tech Wars Multi-Dealer Regional Championship in April. Five other dealers - Mustang, Butler, Riggs, Puckett, and Ziegler - joined HOLT in San Antonio to compete and showcase their skills and expertise in their respective fields. The three-day event included teambuilding and networking opportunities as well as competing for cash prizes up to $7,000! Our team at the Multi-Dealer Regional Championship consisted of first and second place winners from HOLT’s competition, which began in November 2022 with entrance exams and culminated in HOLT finals in February 2023. We know HOLT has the best technicians and their skills were on display at Tech Wars. Please congratulate our winners and all our participants. They are the best of the best! ` HOLT Techs Take Home Wins at Multi-Dealer Competition HOLT Finals Winners & Multidealer Regional Championship Participants Machine Division 1st Place: Weldon Carter (Bridgeport) 2nd Place: Luke Markham (Waco) PSD EPG Division 1st Place: Jesse Trevino (Irving) 2nd Place: Bradley Moseley (Irving) HOLT Truck Centers 1st Place: Aaron Carranza (Fort Worth) 2nd Place: Sterling Baker (Irving) PSD Engine Division 1st Place: Hortencio Avalos (Corpus Christi) 2nd Place: Joshua Poe (Irving)
3 CONVERSATIONS Issue II OWNERS’ MESSAGE We are so grateful for your thoughtful feedback on this year’s Employee Engagement Survey. Peter and I read every comment and use your valuable input whenever we make decisions for the company. Your annual responses on this survey help us: • Maintain alignment with our Values Based Leadership™ culture; • Find new ways to provide a safe, fulfilling, and productive work environment; and • Continue to provide legendary customer service to those we serve. Over 2,000 HOLT employees voiced their opinions this year – a 17% increase over 2022. We are proud and humbled to see an increase to our overall Net Promoter Score (NPS) and continue to enjoy scores significantly higher than most companies. What did we hear? You shared that our Values Based Leadership culture, familylike relationships, and pride associated with Caterpillar and the HOLT brand are WHY you choose HOLT every day. Our positive work culture, strong co-worker relationships, and exceptional immediate supervisors are also reasons to choose HOLT. We continued to see high praise for our benefit offerings, bonuses, and benefits holidays, and open communication. Excitement about future growth was another topic we were pleased to see. Compared to last year’s survey, we received more comments about the importance of work-life balance and favorable interest in flexible work schedules, ability to work from home, reduced stress, and positive work atmosphere. Training and career development opportunities continue to be positively viewed in the organization; however, we received more concerns about class availability than in years past. As you might imagine, we also heard about inflationary issues, and while some of you shared that you believed the problems were linked to a larger global market, others connected their concerns with poor or uninformed management, and lack of leadership accountability. Some respondents shared that pay concerns are negatively affecting long-term loyal employees based on a perception that new employees are being paid similarly to those who have been with the company for longer periods of time. Communication was also a significant topic. We received numerous requests for additional information about upcoming changes including Future Ready HOLT, facility improvements, and acquisitions. You also asked for increased response time for emails and other business requests. Thank you for being honest and sharing your thoughts. Your feedback has led to several recent changes, including: • Distribution of the special cash bonus for 2022 performance in addition to profit sharing in March; • Continued focus on competitive benefits premiums, pay benchmarking, and manager training on compensation; • Added benefits like increasing 401(k) match, fertility assistance, adoption assistance, hearing aids, and Care.com; • Reduced benefits premiums for 2023; • Celebration of 35 years of VBL and 90 years of Legendary Customer Service at our upcoming 90th anniversary party in September; • Implementation of HOLT U, additional leadership training opportunities, and added staff in our Talent Development organization to increase capacity; • Increased commitment to regular communication and All Employee Town Halls; • Continued focus on workplace excellence at every location; and • New Cash Award program to recognize employees with 15 years of service or more. Awards start at $500 for 15 years of service and increase by $500 for every 5 years of service after that. This award is in addition to current memento and gifts. This program applies for all service awards celebrated from 1st quarter 2023. As always, we will continue to look for opportunities to work together and improve our processes. Sharing feedback and looking for ways to improve is in our DNA. It’s one of the reasons for our long-term success. Thank you for your continued commitment to our values and dedication to serving our customers. The best is yet to come! 2023 EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY SUMMARY By Corinna Holt Richter President & Chief Administrative Officer
4 CONVERSATIONS Issue II FOUR STAR AWARDS Join us in celebrating the 2022 Four Star Award Winners announced at the 2023 Business Update Meeting. The awards are judged on four criteria at the store level: customer experience, safety, employee engagement, and participation in HOLT’s annual giving campaign. Right: Pflugerville Truck, 3rd place (25- 100 employees), Donnie Johnson, David Rogers. Left: Eagle Pass, 2nd place (<25 employees), Marco Rueda. Right: Fort Worth, 3rd place (Texas First Rentals), Joe Rice. Left: Waco, 2nd place (100+ employees), Johnny Walker, Greg Jones, Matt Bell, Don Hardwick, Brandon Guerra, Teddy Clark, Johnny Roder; not pictured: Melissa Light. Right: Kilgore, 2nd place (25- 100 employees), Doug Osburn; not pictured: Bradley Key, Wesley Stiles. Above: Bridgeport, 1st place (<25 employees), Devin Clearman, Eli Hradek. Above left: Weslaco, 1st place (Texas First Rentals), Hector Cantu, Max Echartea. Far left: Victoria, 1st place (25-100 employees) Mike McKittrick, Audy Snodgrass; not pictured: Bryan Churan, Kari Bryan. Left: Texarkana, 3rd place (<25 employees) Paul Brister, Stan Powell, Gerald Beshirs. Above: San Antonio, 1st place (100+ employees), Jason Martin, Tom Angotti, David Cornali, Matthew Reynolds, Amanda Lara, Paris Liles, Michael Eddings. Left: Lewisville, 2nd place (Texas First Rentals), Rob Julien.
5 CONVERSATIONS Issue II FEATURES Tale of Two Here we have a tale of two; not so different from me or you. Look below and search for clues. Can you tell whose tale is whose? Answers on page 9. 1) What is a fun fact about you? a) I was part of the collective group named 2003’s Time Magazine Person of the Year, The American Soldier. b) I am the worst golfer in the world. 2) What is your favorite current or all-time song? a) Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd b) Rock the Casbah by The Clash 3) What was your first car? a) 1984 Jeep Cherokee b) 1994 Saturn SL2 4) What’s the last book you read? a) “12 rules for life: An Antidote to Chaos” by Dr. Jordan Peterson b) “Winning on Purpose – The unbeatable strategy of loving customers” by Fred Reichheld 5) What is an item on your bucket list? a) Visit Australia and the Great Barrier Reef b) I want to be published nationally 6) What is your favorite meal? a) Biscuits and gravy b) Good ribeye, baked potato and a salad Patrick Rose Inventory TechnicianLittle Elm 2.5 Years of Service Matt Hopper Vice President Sales Texas First Rentals 8 Years of Service As B.D. Holt often said... “The best is yet to come.” Can you Challenge: find this phrase Be the first person in this issue of Conversations? to email the page number and paragraph in which it appears to [email protected] and WIN an I AM HOLT duffle bag! Congratulations to the winner of the Issue I contest: Chris Burleson, Machine Sales Coordinator-Longview See if you can find it! Challenge: Set a SMART Summer Goal Getting started with exercise is hard, and starting with small goals can make it easier. Using SMART goals can help get even the least motivated off of the couch. What is SMART? S is for Specific - who, what, when, where, and how of your goal. M means measurable - using criteria to determine your progress. A stands for attainable - Make sure you can work toward your goal in easy ways so you can celebrate achievement. R is for realistic - making sure your goal is really something you are able to work toward. T means time-based - a deadline for achieving your goal. Let’s say you want to start running for exercise. “Start running” is not a SMART goal. Instead, try something like run or walk around your neighborhood for 10 minutes 3 times a week for a month. When you accomplish your goal, celebrate! Then, reassess your goal and see if you can improve upon it. For some, the COVID pandemic shredded social outlets and reorganized physical fitness and health. Everything’s different. One thing hasn’t changed, and that’s the need for exercise to improve or maintain your overall physical and mental health. Here’s a Summer challenge for you, HOLT: Set a SMART activity goal over the next two months. Get moving - anything counts, including bowling, walking the dog, jumping jacks, time in the park - then, let us hear about it. Put a chart on your refrigerator, and get moving. Take a picture of yourself smiling in action and send it to us at conversations@ holtcat.com with a few details. You can do it!
6 CONVERSATIONS Issue II LOCAL NEWS Irving The Irving Maintenance Solutions team held a Christmas potluck and gift exchange. Team members brought favorite traditional holiday dishes to share. Pictured: Karl Blumenhagen, Maintenance Solutions Mgr; Sky Baese, Field Maintenance Coordinator 2; Abigail Puente, Field Maintenance Coordinator 2; Martin Berumen, Maintenance Solutions Supervisor; Steve Burk, Maintenance Solutions Supervisor; Allison Craig, Maintenance Solutions Supervisor; Justin Weishan, Field Maintenance Coordinator 2; Francisco Mejia, Sales Coordinator 1; Darryn Long; Mirian Ramos, Operations Support Coordinator; Bridget Berneche, Operations Support Supervisor; and Kyle Collins. Submitted by Allison Craig At left, Tommy Covington, Shop Supervisor 3 and Justin Sharp, Undercarriage Technician 2, watch Nathan Lowe, Director of Cat Support-Irving, at work. The Longview track wrench had an issue that caused it to go down, and two different local hydraulic and electrical repair shops attempted to troubleshoot the problem without success. Support from Caterpillar had a waiting list for a technician, with costs estimated at over $7,000. When Nathan heard this he said, “Shoot, I’ll save us the $7,000 and come fix it myself.” Sure enough, Nate showed up in his old field service uniform with tools in hand and got to work, in his element with country music playing and grease on his hands. After working hard all day, he finally found the cause of the problem. The needed parts were ordered to get the track wrench up and running. Hats off to Nathan for going above and beyond the call of duty. Submitted by Doug Osburn Longview A team of HOLT volunteers had a busy day at the Longview Economic Development Corporation’s annual Big Techs Industry Tour event. Big Techs showcases local companies operating in heavy industry. Companies open to the public, offer information, and tours. The Longview machine store had a steady stream of visiting families. Submitted by Kaleigh Adams Houston HOLT Crane celebrates 5 years with zero recordable safety incidents. Pictured are David Worsham, General Manager; Danny Erickson, Service Manager 2-San Antonio; Steve Brumley, Ted Surovec, Service Manager 2-Irving; and Paris Liles, Product Support Manager-San Antonio. Submitted by Chelsea Ferguson
7 CONVERSATIONS Issue II Taken just before Christmas, this is some of the HOLT Manufacturing team in front of the first 775 Spray King tank to come off of the Spray King line. It shipped to the customer in January. Submitted by Shelley Galbraith LOCAL NEWS Seguin A team from HOLT CAT power systems attended the Western Electric Power dealer training at the Caterpillar engine plant in Seguin January 23-25. From left to right: Darrell Paul, Sales Representative-Longview PSD; Garrett Askew, Retail Sales Representative-Irving PSD; Chelsea Ferguson, Marketing Manager-San Antonio; Anthony Wilson, Sales Representative-Irving PSD; and Corbin Tatom, EP Project Estimator-Irving PSD. Submitted by Chelsea Ferguson Waco HOLT’s antique tractor collection has moved into its new home. The collection of unrestored machines include early model Holt tractors, combines, and a very rare C.L. Best steam tractor. Tom Pfeifer, Shop Supervisor-Little Elm, collector and guardian of the antique fleet, coordinated the move with help from our Corpus Christi operations departments! Submitted by Joe Carreon Corpus Christi Houston Juan Saenz Espindola, Field Service Tech 5-HOLT Industrial Systems, had a busy weekend when he attended the Spurs-Warriors game at the Alamodome in San Antonio as one of the winners of the company raffle, and ran the Houston Marathon 5K the following morning. Submitted by Juan Espindola
8 CONVERSATIONS Issue II LOCAL NEWS Eric Brooks, National Account Manager-Kardie Equipment, is at the Heroes Charity Foundation golf tournament near the hole sponsored by Kardie Equipment, raising money to improve the lives of veterans and their families nationwide. Submitted by Chelsea Ferguson Following a rigorous 3-panel interview process, the newest Southwest ISD Junior Business/IT interns began working at HOLT in finance, IT, service, and parts on January 10. Pictured left to right are Kevin Baker, Intern; Matthew Hernandez, Intern; Zechariah Tamez, Intern; Ron Watson, Parts Manager-San Antonio; Jesmarian Rosado, Intern; Abigail Westman, Intern; and Christopher Perez, Intern. Congratulations! Submitted by Ron Watson San Antonio At right: The February blood drive surpassed the goal of 30 units, collecting 42 units, potentially saving 126 lives! Twelve donors gave for the first time. Join us at our next drive November 9. Pictured top right: Eli Martinez, Facilities Lead Technician (Master)-San Antonio; bottom right: Maria Casiano, Customer Service Coordinator-San Antonio. Submitted by Fina Sanchez Students from Texas State University toured HOLT headquarters in February to learn about internships and meet key managers. Submitted by Chelsea Ferguson Michael Puryear, General Counsel, and J.K. Baxter, Sr. Vice President-Sales, rocking red bow ties at the American Heart Association Go Red For Women luncheon Feb 2. Submitted by Denise Herrera-Wieters
9 LOCAL NEWS CONVERSATIONS Issue II Fredericksburg For the fourth quarter 2022, Texas First Rentals Fredericksburg wins Branch of the Quarter! Submitted by Priscilla Fuentes Austin The Irving LMT, including Michael McMahon, Regional Parts Manager; Will Perla, Parts Manager 5; Clinton Petty, Service Manager 5; Carrie Pope, Sales Operations Supervisor; Lori Bunger, VP-Used Equipment Sales; and Lawrence Prince, Field Service Manager, attended the State of the State luncheon with Governor Greg Abbott in Austin. Submitted by Will Perla King Ranch Twelve HOLT winners and their guests enjoyed an overnight stay at the HOLT hunting camp on the legendary King Ranch, near Kingsville, TX. The winners were chosen from the HOLT Annual Giving Campaign “Night at the Ranch” raffle. Submitted by George Saez ) Rock the Casbah by The Clash (Patrick); 3. b ) Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd (Matt) ( a ) Worst golfer (Matt); 2. ( b ) Soldier (Patrick) ( a 1. ( Answers to Tale of Two on Page 5: ) Be published b ) Visit Australia (Matt) ( a ) “Winning on Purpose” (Matt); 5. ( b ) “12 Rules for Life” (Patrick) ( a ) 1994 Saturn SL2 (Patrick); 4. ( b ) 1984 Jeep Cherokee (Matt) ( a( ) Rib eye, baked potato, salad (Matt) b ) Biscuits and gravy (Patrick) ( a nationally (Patrick); 6. ( Las Vegas Normando Varela, Sales Representative-HOLT Crane (far left), and Danny Erickson, Service Manager 2-HOLT Crane (far right), visit with San Antonio customer CCC Group at CONEXPO, the construction equipment trade show. Submitted by Chelsea Ferguson
10 CONVERSATIONS Issue II LOCAL NEWS Georgetown Austin Georgetown held the fourth annual chili cook-off on the same day as first quarter service awards. The day was filled with plenty of competition and recognition. Craig Johnson, Service Manager 5, won first place for the second time since the Georgetown store opened. Craig Waiser, Shop Service Technician 6, took second place and celebrated 20 years with the company. Anissa Sullivan, Customer Service Coordinator, took third place. Submitted by Kathleen Rizo Victoria The Victoria Caterpillar plant hosted the fifth annual Caterpillar Supplier Parts Summit on November 29 for more than 200 suppliers from all over the world. Caterpillar wanted their suppliers to get to experience the machines their parts help support and reached out to HOLT for equipment. Texas First Rentals supplied two Cat 308’s and HOLT brought a 988 to demo. James Adams, Machine Application SpecialistCorpus Christi, and Felipe Ortiz, Machine Delivery & Demo Coordinator-Corpus Christi, gave safety and operation demonstrations. Nick Ruffo, Sales Representative-Victoria, and Cassandra Dixon, Sales Coordinator 1-Victoria, supported the meeting with giveaways and information. Thank you to all for supporting our partners at Caterpillar! Submitted by Kari Bryan Jeff Flenniken of Caldwell, Idaho and Tyler Worley, Berryville, Arkansas teamed up to win the Team Roping Title at Rodeo Austin with a 5.2 second run in the clean-slate finals. Austin President Dauphen Jackson presents Jeff Flenniken the Team Roping trophy, while Jeff Surratt, VP-Machine Sales, presents Tyler Worley a trophy. Submitted by Jeff Surratt ENTERPRISE NEWS
11 CONVERSATIONS Issue II Zoom to Teams Transition Coming We are pleased to announce that we officially launched Microsoft® Teams in June. Standardizing on this powerful collaboration and meeting application will provide a superior solution for our needs. No matter what your work responsibilities are, we are certain you will find many opportunities to benefit from using this powerful tool. Teams is one of many applications included in HOLT’s Microsoft 365 subscription and is highly integrated with the Microsoft suite, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. It will save time, increase productivity, and raise efficiency to a new level. You’ve probably seen details about the Teams launch timeline, as well as resources available to learn how to use Teams. If you have questions concerning Teams or the launch, don’t hesitate to contact [email protected]. Other Exciting Updates As part of our Future Ready HOLT program in April, three HOLT operating companies received updates and new features that will make the sales management process simpler and data more accessible. HOLT Industrial Systems: Received core functions of a Sales Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. HOLT Industrial Systems is one of the first to implement Salesforce to use as our Customer Relationship/Sales Management process. Texas First Rentals and HOLT Industrial Rentals: Received updates to their Sales CRM in Salesforce and added new functions to the quoting process. We also released the first version of a Customer Rental Portal to an internal pilot team to begin offering customers a digitally seamless and efficient way to work with HOLT. More functionalities and capabilities are coming with future rollouts. We appreciate everyone’s support as we tackle these improvements. Improvements to Machine Field Service In May we launched the Salesforce Field Service module in San Antonio to help bring systems together and streamline tasks and processes in field service. Salesforce will optimize our operations and give more visibility and alignment across HOLT Service departments. The first deployment will initially include these integrated functionalities: • Improved Service Scheduling; • Enhanced Service Appointment Functionality; • Work Order Management; • Mobile Realtime Time entry; and • Integrated Service Reporting. These functionalities will be performed in Salesforce connected to DBS. Teams may perform these tasks by desktop computer and mobile application, improving efficiency, streamlining processes, and minimizing the steps and programs our machine field service employees use to complete tasks. Subsequent rollouts will include improved functionalities, greater benefits to other teams, and easier collaboration between service operations and other departments across all businesses. We are excited about the transformation taking place, and how it will enhance our ability to deliver even better service to customers. ENTERPRISE NEWS
12 CONVERSATIONS Issue II RESPONDING TO PASSIVE CUSTOMERS By Denise Herrera-Wieters, Sr. Director of MarketingMarCom & Customer Experience ENTERPRISE NEWS Marty Rivet, Field Service Tech 5-San Antonio, and Jaylan Smith, Field Service Tech 6-Irving, have been working with a data center customer in Ashburn, VA since August. On a Friday they got a midday call asking them to assist at another customer site over the weekend. They worked long hours on Saturday and Sunday assisting a new site team and getting the second customer up and running. They then returned to Ashburn without missing a beat to continue working. Thank you for your dedication, Marty and Jaylan! David Conlon, President of Tech Con, a HOLT customer, has very high standards and is difficult to impress. David called to heap praise on the work of Dominique Dewalt, Field Service Tech 4-Austin. Thank you Dominique for your hard work and professionalism. Customer Chris Haas was not satisfied with the level of service he experienced at another Cat dealer. He called several, including HOLT, and brought his equipment in for service based solely on the legendary customer service on the phone from Kaleigh Adams, Customer Service Coordinator-Longview. “Kaleigh’s customer service was miles above all of the other places I called. I am looking forward to doing business with you,” said Chris. Thank you for your commitment, Kaleigh! ENTERPRISE NEWS Passive customers, those we refer to as low hanging fruit, were the hot topic at the recent Caterpillar Customer Experience Summit. They are ripe for the picking, just a bit more attention to detail or perhaps more communication might have won them over, though for some reason the customer experience did not meet their expectations. Passive customers are not considered Loyal customers. Loyal customers are those who keep coming back even in tough times. Loyal customers will keep working with us through parts and machine availability issues, staff shortages, or even wait for availability of their favorite field service tech. They really like us, for so many reasons, and will overlook things here and there. Here’s a few examples of Loyal customers’ survey feedback responses. • “They do a good job but wait times are long.” • “They knew exactly what was wrong but it takes a long time to get some help.” • “It went to voice mail several times but when I used the app to request service someone from the corporate office called right away and I got some help.” • “They were able to get it done quickly once out here but it takes a while for the technician to arrive after calling.” Most likely our loyal customers will keep returning. And, they let us know when we might have to kick it up a notch. We need to be responsive. We need our customers to remain loyal and we need to remind Passive customers we’d like them to return, too. What separates Loyal and Passive customers? It’s how we respond. Ask yourself are you using the HIGH 5 in every customer interaction? Are you talking about HOLT’s value propositions? During HIGH 5 training, I’m often asked what those value props are. Here’s a look at just a few: - Our 3,900+ employees! - 24 Full-Service HOLT CAT stores - 40 Texas First Rental locations - New & Used Machines – inventory getting better every day! - Dedicated/Certified Caterpillar Shop & Field Service Technicians - Dedicated Specialty Repair Facilities - Dedicated Technical Communicators - Dedicated Engine Rebuild Facilities - Full-Service Undercarriage Facilities - Hydraulic Repair & Re-building - Rebuild Center - Mobile Hose Van Service in DFW - Dedicated Welding Facilities - 98% parts orders filled off the shelf - 24-hour online parts ordering - Remote parts drop/pick off locations - Values Based Leadership Management This is just a handful! We have so much more to offer customers with our diverse operating divisions – Texas First Rentals, HOLT CAT Power Systems, HOLT Truck Centers in Texas & Oklahoma, SITECH Tejas, HOLT Renewables, HOLT Crane & Equipment, HOLT Industrial Rentals, HOLT Industrial Systems, Kardie Equipment, and HOLT Manufacturing. Our Loyal customers don’t take us for granted as they’re familar with our value and our offerings. Don’t keep it a secret – let those Passive customers know how much we can do for them!
13 CONVERSATIONS Issue II HAVE YOU HEARD OF 211? By Dianna Perez, Director of Total Rewards ENTERPRISE NEWS At HOLT, we pride ourselves in supporting the communities in which we serve. One of the ways we accomplish this is by supporting United Way. United Way enables numerous agencies to make positive changes in our community by providing financial support to over 1,800 programs and services that promote the building blocks for a good quality of life, focusing on education, income and health. With so many programs available, The United Way uses 211 as a toll-free social service hotline to connect people with available resources in their community. 211 is accessible throughout the U.S. and is offered 24/7 with highly trained community specialists that connect individuals with local resources. It’s a confidential and comprehensive resource that serves over 20 million requests per year. 211 agencies connect critical resources to our communities for the following needs: • Housing/Shelter • Employment Support • Food/Nutrition • Veteran Support • Crisis/Emergency • Income/Expenses • Legal Aid/Victims • Criminal Justice • Aging/Disability • Health/Medical • Mental Health/Substance Use • Child Care/Education To learn more and find additional ways to support United Way and 211, please visit www.211.org. Will Perla, Parts Manager 5-Irving, and Eric Shirey, Field Service Supervisor 2-Irving, recently spoke to the students at John Haley Elementary School. School Counsellor Juanita Martinez wrote about this true testament of giving back to the community. “Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to present to our students,” she wrote. “The students were excited to hear about the amazing things that happen at HOLT, and to tell you the truth, I was also impressed as well!” Thank you for giving back, Will and Eric! Customer Republic Services in Cotulla called to thank HOLT for promoting a safety culture. James Clair, Field Maintenance Technician 3-San Antonio, showed up on site to service two machines. Upon arrival James noticed that it was slippery, muddy, and an unsafe place to work. He notified the local supervisor that he was going to issue a stop work action due to safety conditions, and that he would return as soon as possible. Republic complemented James on his actions. We’re proud of you James! The Little Elm store needed a truck part following some damage when loading a bucket. Geoff Arveson, Yard Operations Supervisor, spent hours tracking down a back-ordered Ford part that was only available for pickup in Houston. Geoff reached out to HOLT teams in Houston, who immediately offered to help. They picked up the part, then arranged to get it to the Little Elm store. A big thanks goes out to Paris Liles, Product Support Manager-San Antonio; Larkin Light, Field Service Tech 6-Houston; Dale Mitchell, Crane Parts Specialist-Houston; John Miller, Crane Parts Specialist-Houston; David Worsham, General Manager-HOLT Crane & Equipment; and Steven Brumley, Service Manager 2-Houston. SAVE THE DATE! HOLT’s Annual Giving Campaign August 28, 2023 Stay tuned for more information about the amazing impact your contributions have in our communities!
14 CONVERSATIONS Issue II HOLT BABIES/RETIREES Roman Zaragoza, Service Advisor-HOLT Truck Centers Waco, introduces Colton Lynn, born December 29 weighing 6 lbs. 15 oz., and 19 inches long. Retirees Gary Ewing - 49 Years Gary joined HOLT in July 1973 as a Parts Counter Sales Rep. In 2003 he moved to Parts Counter Lead. Gary has been a Values champion and has consistently done the right thing for his customers and peers. His vast knowledge of parts operations helped conquer many challenges and goals. Gary will be missed for his unique abilities, his exceptional values and expertise. We are grateful for his loyal service, many friendships that evolved into work family, and wise mentorship and support to the organization. Congratulations on a successful career, the best health, great success, and happiness in all your future endeavors. Thank you once more for the wonderful years and the privilege to work alongside you here at HOLT. Congratulations, Gary! James Carson - 15 Years James came to HOLT in 2007 as an Internet Sales Marketing Analyst. In 2016, James was promoted to his role as a Used Equipment Marketing Coordinator. James’ unwavering commitment, collaborative nature, and support for his team earned the respect of his colleagues. James was a positive contributor who demonstrated his vast knowledge of used equipment. He will be remembered for taking the time to become a mentor to those around him. Congratulations and continued happiness in all your future endeavors. Happy Retirement James! Eliana Ramirez, daughter of Alexandra Ramirez, National Account Supervisor-San Antonio, is photographed in the bluebonnets at HOLT HQ by Alexandrea Trujillo, Warranty Manager-Sr.-San Antonio. Submitted by Alexandra Ramirez
15 CONVERSATIONS Issue II Congratulations to the following employees who received a promotion during November, December, January, and February! Agustin Aguilar, Shop Service Technician 3 - Texas First Rentals Waco Patrick Ahr, Controller Affiliate Companies - San Antonio Jonathan Ammons, Finish Welder 2 - Waco Manufacturing Richard Anderson, Inventory Control Technician-Lead - San Antonio Michael Ashley, Parts Counter Lead - Waco Kenneth Bachman, IT Service Desk Field Service Rep - Irving Neelam Barbour, Field Service Supervisor 1 - San Antonio Christopher Barnes, Field Service Technician 4 - Irving West Michael Barnett, Field Service Paving Specialist 2 - San Antonio Billy Barton, Parts Manager 1 - Longview Michael Brawner, Technical Training Supervisor - Irving Kyle Bynum, Machinist 2 - Longview Joshua Campa, Backorder Expeditor 3 - San Antonio Ezequiel Carrillo, Shop Service Technician 3 - Corpus Christi Fabian Ceballos, Lead Technician - Edinburg Lisa Centeno, Procurement Specialist 1 - San Antonio Steven Chapman, Truck Service Technician 3 - Irving Jesus Chavez, Shop Parts Coordinator - San Antonio Jordan Clearman, Parts Warehouse Clerk 2 - Little Elm Jason Craig, Shop Supervisor 4 - Irving James Crisler, Project Engineer 3 - San Antonio Jordon Cunningham, Field Service Technician 2 - Texas First Rentals Waco David Dean, Shop Service Technician 3 - Longview Roberto Diaz Jr, Shop Service Technician 2 - Irving Brent Doege, Field Service Technician 5 - San Antonio Xavier Dominguez, Shop Service Technician 2 - San Antonio Bonnie Downey, Director, Payroll - San Antonio Dustin Dugosh, Field Service Technician 5 - Cleburne Dylan Duhon, Shop Service Technician 1 - Waco Lauren Eichman, Used Equipment Inventory & Marketing Specialist - San Antonio Victor Escalona, Shop Service Technician 3 - Irving Timothy Etris-Witten, Shop Service Technician 2 - Corpus Christi David Eubanks, Senior Facility Project Manager - Waco Larry Fabela, Parts Warehouse Clerk 2 - Irving David Fairchild, Shop Service Technician 4 - San Antonio Autumn Fallahay, Ops Excellence Specialist - Texas First Rentals Waco Chelsea Ferguson, Marketing Manager - San Antonio Adam Gable, Ops Project Manager 2 - Waco Christy Galan, Operations Support Analyst - San Antonio Nicholas Gansen, Parts Exchange Coordinator - Irving Jesus Garcia, Haul Truck Driver 3 - Edinburg North Edward Garcia, Cultural Training Manager - San Antonio Geoff Gardner, Branch Manager - Texas First Rentals Fort Worth Henry Gibson, Field Service Technician 4 - San Antonio Nathaniel Gonzales, Shop Service Technician 2 - Edinburg North Braden Gonzales, Shop Service Technician 3 - Irving Landon Gooch, Truck Service Technician 1 - Longview Willie Green, Field Service Technician 1 - Texas First Rentals Willow Park Kathy Green, Ops Coordinator - Waco Manufacturing Amanda Gregory, Service Advisor 2 - Irving Truck Melissa Griffith, Sales Coordinator 2 - Waco Paul Harris, Field Service Technician 3 - San Antonio Hayden Harris, Key Account Coordinator - Texas First Rentals Fort Worth Cody Harris, Inside Sales Rep - Texas First Rentals Burleson Kelly Hernandez, Technology Systems Apprentice - San Antonio Kevin Herrian, DOT/ Fleet Compliance Rep - Irving Hayden Holbrook, Shop Service Technician 3 - Fort Worth Amy Holcomb, Director of Tax & Audit - San Antonio Jared Hunnicutt, Shop Service Technician 1 - Victoria Dyllan Hunt, Shop Service Technician 2 - Longview Mitchell Johnson, Welder 4 - Kilgore Dedric Kelly, Shop Service Technician 2 - Irving Tyler Lattin, Shop Service Technician 4 - Fort Worth Bryan Lennox, Field Service Technician 4 - Longview Terry Ludzenski, Sr. Director Financial Services - San Antonio Mariel Madrigal, Standard Jobs Analyst 1 - San Antonio Daniel Maloy, Parts Counter Sales 1 - Waco Austin Mann, Shop Service Technician 3 - Irving Aaron Martin, Lead Technician - Waco Amanda Martin, Director of Human Services - Irving Cesar Mastrangelo, Shop Service Technician 2 - Irving Travis McDowell, Field Service Technician 5 - Fort Worth Leonard McElwain, Lead Technician - Waco Bridgette McLauchlin, Retail Sales Coordinator - San Antonio Maria Mendez, Lead Technician - San Antonio Jason Mendez, Inside Sales Rep - Texas First Rentals Weslaco Mike Meurin, Controller Rental Services - San Antonio Christopher Miles, Parts Warehouse Supervisor 1 - North Dallas Richard Miller, Outside Sales Rep - HOLT Industrial Rentals Irving Floyd Mills Jr, Production Manager - Houston Juan Moncada, Master Truck Field Technician - Irving Truck Steven Moss, Field Service Technician 6 - Corpus Christi Collin Muesse, Field Maintenance Technician 2 - Waco Saul Nieto, Shop Service Technician 2 - San Antonio Larry Nors, Shop Service Technician 4 - Georgetown Emilio Olivarez, Parts Counter Sales 1 - Edinburg North Irving Ortiz, Field Service Technician 2 - Texas First Rentals Fort Worth Ubaldo Otero, Technology Systems Apprentice - Grand Prairie Nestor Palacios, Field Service Manager - San Antonio Chase Pape, Field Service Technician 4 - Austin ON THE MOVE
16 CONVERSATIONS Issue II Jacob Pardaen, Lead Technician - San Antonio Brandon Pardaen, Field Service Technician 1 - San Antonio Shaphan Parker, Safety Training Manager - San Antonio Alec Parsons, Parts Counter Sales 1 - Cleburne Harvey Pavliska, Shop Supervisor 1 - Victoria Dustin Pearson, Shop Service Technician 5 - Longview Johnny Peterson, Section Manager 1 - Waco Armando Pillado, IT Service Desk Lead - Irving Joshua Poe, Technical Services Technician 6 - Cleburne Lyla Ramirez, Oil Lab Technician 1 - San Antonio Ruben Ramos, Shop Service Technician 4 - Edinburg North Noah Ramos, Shop Service Technician 1 - Little Elm David Reyna, Shop Service Technician 3 - Irving Fabio Riccio, Project Engineer 3 - San Antonio Zachary Rice, District Manager - Texas First Rentals Fort Worth Adrian Rios, Shop Service Technician 4 - Irving West Bruce Roberts, Warranty Claims Specialist 2 - Tulsa Colton Robinson, Lead Technician - Fort Worth Armon Rogers, Shop Service Technician 2 - Irving Michael Ryan, Director of Service - Texas First Rentals San Antonio Carlos Salazar-Gonzalez Jr, Shop Service Technician 3 - San Antonio Victor Santos Jr, Field Service Technician 2 - Texas First Rentals San Antonio (Tacco) Jason Scheible, Parts Manager 4 - Corpus Christi Nick Schulz, Outside Sales Rep - HOLT Industrial Rentals Irving Tyler Sederholm, Shop Service Technician 3 - Irving Amanda Selby, Financial Sales Representative - San Antonio Sheldon Serratt, Shop Service Technician 2 - Cleburne Naman Shedd, Branch Service Manager - Texas First Rentals Irving Zachariah Shockey, Shop Service Technician 1 - Fort Worth Lane Smajstrla, Truck Field Service Technician 1 - Waco Truck Jeanie Tapp, Parts Warehouse Clerk 2 - Little Elm James Taylor, Undercarriage Technician 4 - Georgetown Dorothy Thomas, eLearning Manager - San Antonio Logan Till, Shop Service Technician 4 - Austin Victor Torres, Truck Service Technician 2 - Pflugerville Michael Ugarte, Shop Service Technician 5 - San Antonio Jimmy Uribe, Shop Supervisor 2 - Fort Worth Marco Valdez, Shop Service Technician 1 - Austin Rene Valenzuela, Shop Service Technician 4 - Georgetown Migdoel Vazquez-Ortiz, Shop Service Technician 1 - Texas First Rentals San Marcos Fernanda Villa, IT Service Desk - Desktop Support 1 - Irving Manuel Villagomez, Parts Counter Sales 1 - Irving Walter Walker, Shop Service Technician 1 - Waco Denise Wieters, Senior Director of Marketing - San Antonio Clayton Wertz, Technical Trainer 1 - San Antonio Dylan Wilson, Shop Service Technician 4 - Longview Victor Ybarra, CNC Press Break Operator 2 - Waco Austin Young, Field Service Paving Specialist 1 - Austin Ted Zimmermann, Haul Truck Driver 3 - San Antonio ON THE MOVE/ENTERPRISE NEWS Non-technical Ways Criminals Steal Data While many instances of data leaks involve some form of criminal hacking, that’s not the only way data gets stolen. In a lot of cases, it’s humans who get hacked, not computers. Let’s explore the nontechnical side of data theft. Shoulder Surfing: Sometimes the easiest way to steal information is by simply looking over someone’s shoulder as they browse on their laptop. You might be surprised what you can learn about someone by using this technique—a good reminder to use discretion when in public. Piggybacking: There are several reasons why organizations require badges or keycards to enter certain areas. One of those reasons is to prevent unauthorized access that could allow an outsider to steal information. That’s why it’s important to follow the “one badge; one entry” philosophy and never hold a door open for someone who doesn’t have clearance. Tailgating: You’ve probably encountered tailgating in various works of fiction, which typically involves a character sneaking through a door behind someone who has legitimate access. You can easily prevent this by ensuring doors to secured areas stay closed and locked. Dumpster Diving: Sensitive documents should be shredded when no longer needed. Be sure to take that advice home to protect sensitive information that, for example, exists in banking statements. Additionally, whenever you sell or recycle devices like smartphones, remember to restore to the factory defaults to erase all personal details. Social Media Stalking: Scammers are always searching for pieces of the data puzzle. Social media often offers lots of opportunities to find those pieces. This is because many people tend to share too much and fail to set accounts to private. In the process, they give scammers a chance to stalk social media profiles and gather information. Pretexting: A pretext is a made-up scenario designed to trick someone into divulging confidential information. A common example is a text message, phone call, or email that claims an account has been compromised and you need to confirm your login credentials immediately to avoid deactivation. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to keep our HOLT network safe and secure.
17 CONVERSATIONS Issue II SERVICE AWARDS Lacey Adam (10) San Antonio Bridget Berneche (5) San Antonio Adam Casey (10) Fort Worth Jeff Cunningham (10) Longview David Goll (45) Austin Autry Adams (15) Longview Jeff Bettice (10) Fort Worth Maria Casiano (10) San Antonio Adam Dangel (15) Longview Amanda Gomez (5) San Antonio Joe Anselmi (25) Fort Worth Jimmy Booth (10) Longview PSD David Clark (40) Tulsa Leslie Daugherty (5) Cleburne Juan Gonzalez (20) Hawn Holt Ranch Jesse Avila (10) Laredo Kevin Burns (5) Victoria Jason Clemons (5) Victoria Roger Davis (5) Fort Worth Robert Gonzalez (5) Irving West Charlie Battenfield (40) Tulsa Kaley Carbonaro (10) Houston Ronald Coe (40) Longview Jesse Fitzloff (15) Tulsa Ken Hansen (5) Victoria Danny Beddingfield (15) Longview PSD Floyd Carpenter (45) Longview Edward Craner (15) San Antonio Jose Garibaldi (10) Laredo Byron Hattermann (25) Victoria
18 CONVERSATIONS Issue II SERVICE AWARDS Elijah Hradek (15) Fort Worth Larkin Light (10) Houston Forrest McWhorter (5) Longview PSD Nick Neubauer (10) Victoria James Pierce (40) Houston Mitchell Johnson (20) Georgetown Ray Marroquin (30) San Antonio Humberto Mejia (5) San Antonio Matthew Niver (10) Georgetown Steven Pinkerton (25) Longview Bradley Key (5) Kilgore Christine Mart (5) San Antonio Tony Mendoza (5) Austin Steven Osborn (5) Georgetown Rick Pirkle (15) Pflugerville Tyler Lattin (5) Fort Worth Clark Massey (15) Longview PSD Keith Mitchell (40) Tulsa David Pace (40) Longview Jonathan Quiro (5) San Antonio Keith Lawson (5) Longview PSD Corey McGuire (5) Longview PSD Tony Molina (10) Abilene Jennifer Perez (5) San Antonio Daniel Resendez (5) Laredo John Leslie (25) San Antonio Madison McNabb (5) San Antonio Cindy Muniz (10) San Antonio Cody Pickett (5) Victoria Roel Reyes (5) Burleson
19 CONVERSATIONS Issue II SERVICE AWARDS SERVICE AWARDS Richard Richarte (10) San Antonio Michael Rodriguez (15) San Antonio Beth Spurgeon (25) Georgetown Maria Vargas (5) Kilgore Randy Woods (15) Longview PSD Kathleen Rizo (5) Georgetown Kari Scott (5) San Antonio Rodney Stane (5) Burleson Francisco Vasquez (10) Laredo Andrew Wooldridge (5) Victoria Bruce Roberts (10) Tulsa Stephen Semonis (10) Georgetown Jimmy Taylor (15) Georgetown Craig Waiser (20) Georgetown Colton Robinson (5) Fort Worth Justin Sibley (15) Fort Worth Alec Thomas (5) San Antonio Terry Webb (15) Fort Worth Dakota Robles (5) San Antonio Scott Smith (10) Longview Fidel Torres (25) Hawn Holt Ranch Richard Weber (10) Irving West Jodi Rodgers (5) San Antonio Katrina Solis (5) Longview Congratulations to all our Service Awardees! Service Award photos can be sent to [email protected] to be included in an issue of Conversations. David Wheat (5) Georgetown Casimiro Tovar (15) Kilgore Ted Surovec (40) Irving West
20 CONVERSATIONS Issue II Rocking National Wear Red Day The American Heart Association’s signature women’s initiative, Go Red for Women, is a platform designed to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women. Here are some HOLT teams who proudly wore red on February 3. CONVERSATIONS [email protected] Editorial: Michelle Allen | Denise Herrera-Wieters Writer: Shelley Galbraith Design: Shane Wall ©2023 Holt Texas, Ltd.