In 1924, Steward Holman opened a single Ford dealership in southern New Jersey. Nine decades later, Holman Enterprises employs more than 7,000 people across the United States, with a mission of providing the industry’s best automotive-related services. The path to this mission remains the same as it did at the company’s inception—to focus on the people who work for Holman, the customers who keep the organization in business, and the communities that have supported the organization’s success.
“Like many people starting a business, my granddad was probably just struggling to pay his light bills, meet payroll, and do all the other things businesspeople have to do,” said Steve Holman, director of community affairs at Holman Enterprises. “But I know that when the dust cleared and he could see a sustainable business, he felt like he owed the communities that supported him. That was certainly amplified by my father, who started working in the 1950s, and has grown under my sister, who’s now chairman of the board. She understands that we’ve been given a lot, and because of that, we need to give back whenever we can.”
When Holman joined the family business a few years ago, he was entrusted with managing the philanthropic arm of the company. Under his direction, the organization decided to target its largest giving opportunities to support low-income populations. That focus ended up leading Holman to NSU.
Holman Enterprises has a large presence in Broward County, dating back to when Steward Holman started a dealership in Miami in the 1940s. At a meeting in South Florida, Steve Holman met Lorraine Shim, director of development for NSU University Advancement. Shim introduced Holman to NSU through StoryFest, an annual event created by the Alvin Sherman Library to promote early childhood literacy for families in Broward County.
After sponsoring that event, Holman learned about the Pathway Scholars program, an initiative of the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship designed to help under-resourced high school graduates change their lives through mentoring, financial assistance, business skills, networking, community involvement, and job opportunities.
“How NSU is trying to give sustainable opportunities to low-income students—we support similar things for first-generation college students locally in New Jersey—is perfectly suited to what we want to support,” Holman said. “We hope to support a path to a sustainable future that has a possibility of advancement and fulfillment—a path that these students may never have had the opportunity for if they hadn’t had access to the Pathway Scholars program.”
The Pathway Scholars program gives organizations the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of motivated but financially challenged students by helping clear some of the hurdles they face when working to become successful business professionals. But it also provides another benefit to donors—a pool of applicants who have learned about corporate culture and are professionally trained to be successful.
“It’s probably important to mention that we also have a selfish interest in having a connection with NSU,” Holman added. “We would like to attract some of the talent into our business. We’d love to have those first-generation college students come work for us one day.”
For more information about supporting the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship, please contact Lorraine Shim at (954) 205-4580 or via email at lorra@nova.edu.
Serving as student host, Pathway Scholar Jamal Noel (right) welcomes Hall of Famers Joel Altman and Beverly Raphael to NSU’s Entrepreneur Hall of Fame 2019 reunion in sponsored by Boatyard.