Paul Holt
This Veteran Hit The Ground Running And Hasn’t Stopped Yet
40% of Pillar To Post’s new franchisees in 2022 are veterans. An astounding number, but there is a reason for that. The systems, technologies and training provided by Pillar To Post makes perfect sense to highly disciplined and well-trained members of the military.
A perfect example is Paul Holt who owns and operates The Holt Group of Fayetteville, NC. serving Cumberland, Harnett, Duplin, and Hoke counties. His business launched in May of 2019.
Holt served in the U.S. Army for 21 years and when he retired from Fort Bragg, he looked for a career where he could utilize his skills and leadership abilities (he had 1200 service members under his charge at any given time).
“I have a background in residential construction prior to my military service and the residential housing market has always interested me,” says Holt. “Becoming a home inspector seemed like the perfect blend of my disciplines. As a soldier I was trained to look at projects in finite detail, as well as from a macro vantage point. Dedication to the accomplishment of my mission was paramount. I work until the job is done, not when the clock says it’s time to go home. These are the characteristics that have also driven my team’s success with Pillar To Post.”
Success is an understatement, typical of Holt’s humility and grace. By the following year, 2020, The Holt Group was presented with the Pillar To Post honor of Rookie of the Year. In that year of the pandemic, The Holt Group conducted 885 inspections and over 600 additional services such as water tests or radon inspections on properties.
“I am honored and proud of the fantastic team I have built in our Fayetteville, N.C. location. I find the industry more fascinating now than ever,” shares Holt. “What we have seen since The Holt Group’s beginning is first, the unfortunate advent of a pandemic. One that called for ‘contactless everything.’ Then a strange phenomenon occurred during the pandemic. Demand for Pillar To Post services almost tripled and never slowed down. We capitalized on the added attention by ensuring we grew our capacity steadily to support the influx of demand while never relaxing our standards of service…
In retrospect we realized that the boom had started, partly due to the pandemic and individuals who had begun working from home. There seemed to be a huge movement in upgrading living spaces. More outdoor room for families was required. Bigger homes to separate work/live space were being sought. By then the latest technologies that Pillar To Post had been developing for quite some time, were fast tracked to meet this new demand. The indispensable new tools were invaluable in getting through the pandemic and using those tools we offer a package called The Ultimate Home Inspection™ which I believe revolutionized the home inspection industry. We are onboarding and training new home inspectors at a steady pace and as of the end of 2022 we have completed 3,368 inspections.