Holthouse Farms fortifies its ranks with two new family members
Holthouse Farms fortifies its ranks with two new family members
Two new members of the Holthouse family have joined Holthouse Farms of Ohio Inc.
Out of college and working full time in the Willard, OH-based business are Mitchell and Carter Holthouse. Their father, Kirk Holthouse, said May 5 that his sons, recently graduated, respectively, from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH, and Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI. Carter is 23 years old and Mitchell is 24.
Kirk Holthouse said Carter has become the packinghouse manager, while Mitchell is involved in field production.
“It’s always good to have family in key positions,” said Kirk Holthouse. “We are really happy with our management and our employees. But it’s that much better to involve family, which has a vested interest. More family means you’re more hands-on. And you always like to have family close by.”
Two years ago, Robert Holthouse, the son of Kirk’s cousin and partner, Ken, became Holthouse Farms’ food safety manager.
In the food-safety arena, Holthouse said, “it’s an ongoing effort.”
Last season Holthouse Farms spent $250,000 to upgrade the food-safety aspects of one of its packinghouses. This year the firm is investing almost $20,000 for worker safety upgrades on the packinghouse. This includes items like new lighting, stair-step traction improvements and repainting to highlight safety zones.
Holthouse customers range as far east as New York and New Jersey.
“We go south into the Carolinas and into Kentucky,” said Holthouse. “Occasionally we go into Atlanta. Then we go west into Wisconsin and into Michigan.”
But, of course, “the local market is huge,” Holthouse said. “We have benefited from the interest in local produce. That has been a good thing for us. It has been on the forefront since 9-11. That’s 14 years ago, but it’s been important to people. They want local food, period. It is fresher and they have a sense of security and safety. They have a good feeling from what comes from close by.”
Virtually every local customer, whether from retail and foodservice, specifies a preference for Ohio products, according to Holthouse.
“We have been able to work that to our advantage and it has helped us,” he concluded.
