 David L.
Hollinger
Chairman
David Hollinger has been in the produce industry most of his life, starting at
a young age from growing and selling vegetables; to working at his parent's
business, Hollinger's Farm Market; and to founding and growing Four Seasons
Produce, Inc., which is now a leading company in the produce industry. He
can trace his lifelong interest in fruits and vegetables to his own faith
values and commitment to healthy living. When asked about his passion for
the produce industry and he says, "What tastes better than a large red bing
cherry, or what has an aroma better than a juicy tree ripened peach? Or,
hearing the crisp sound of cutting open a red ripe watermelon? It's the
simple goodness given to us by nature. Helping to get this mouthwatering
goodness to your table is our business and it is an exciting and fast-paced
industry."
After graduating from Lancaster Mennonite High School in 1970, he and his wife
Debbie were married, and together, they attended Rosedale Bible Institute in
Ohio. After bible school they volunteered through a church mission program
where they worked with farmers in Mississippi for two years. David and
Debbie's responsibility was to assist small, economically disadvantaged farmers
in building more effective and efficient farming operations and vegetable
production. The result was a more organized co-op of farmers with the
ability to gain better pricing for seed, fertilizer, and equipment and the
capability to earn better profits on the sale of their products.
Upon returning home to Pennsylvania, David worked for another two years at
Hollinger's Farm Market in retail produce buying and management and he
developed the wholesale sales and distribution side of the business. It was
during this time that David was presented with an opportunity to start his own
business and, two short weeks later, Four Seasons Produce, Inc. was founded on
June 21, 1976. From its small beginnings to it's current size and
leadership position in the industry, Four Seasons' mission of "Growing Ideas,
Producing Excellence" along with its Core Values and David's leadership, have
provided a framework for the organization's success.
Three noteworthy principles impacted David throughout his career: "If I can't do
great things, I'll do small things in a great way." "Hire good, honest,
hard working people and turn them loose." And, Philippians 2:4, "Each of you
should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of
others. " All three are hallmarks of David's inspired leadership of
Four Seasons and helped to shape and grow the company as he consistently
demonstrated and applied these concepts.
Outside of Four Seasons, David has been involved in local and state politics
serving in various roles. He currently serves on his church board, and he
was instrumental in the establishment of Living Word Academy, a private,
Christian, K-12 learning center located in Leola, PA. Additionally, he
and his wife, Debbie, began The Hollinger Foundation, which they used to
successfully establish children's homes for girls in India where orphaned girls
are positively impacted with a caring family environment, supported by love,
security, education, and training. Back
|
