Meet Corey Holtz, Systems Administrator for Hugg & Hall Equipment Company’s IT Department! Corey has been with the company for 20 years and has experienced a memorable (to say the least) past few months.  As Hugg & Hall dealt with a cyber attack in November of 2021, Corey and our IT department worked tirelessly to get everyone back up and running while building  hardware and servers. We appreciate their hard work!

Where were you born and raised?

I was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin on New Years Day, 1968. I was raised in a little town called Eagle River, Wisconsin which is about three hours north of Green Bay. We were way up there in the cold! 

Where did you go to school/college?

I went to school at the University of Arkansas- Little Rock back in 1999 for my A+ certification in computers and my MCSE certification. (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer)

How long have you been with Hugg & Hall?

I came to Hugg & Hall in February of 2001. I saw an ad in the newspaper for an IT position and at the time I was working around the corner at a small company called Personalized Computers. During my lunch, I came by and put in an application for the position here and the rest is history. I’ve been in the IT department ever since and enjoy what I do very much.

What does a day in the life of a Systems Administrator look like?

I am the Systems Administrator here for all our laptops and computers so needless to say, it can quickly get very busy. You have to try to stay levelheaded and help everyone you can in a timely matter and treat them like they are your customer. Most everyone here at Hugg & Hall is very understanding when it comes to helping them, and that sure helps.

What is the best part, or your favorite thing, about working for Hugg & Hall?

Job Security and it’s indoors! LOL What I like best is everyone from the top (John Hugg and Robert Hall) to the bottom, are very approachable, which I think is key. If you can’t communicate with everyone, that’s how problems get started.

Do you have a favorite memory of your time here at Hugg & Hall?

I’ve had a lot of good memories with cookouts and company lunches, and making lots of new friends, but one of my favorite memories was when I was being interviewed by Robert Hall. I was all ready and waiting, wondering what his first question would be and what my answer would be, and then he asked me, “What do I like to do for fun!”. Needless to say, I was not ready for that to be his first question.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love to hunt and fish and I am into pond management. I am also currently fixing up a 1972 Mach 1 Mustang with my two boys.

What is an interesting or random fact about you people may not know?

For 4 years I was a hydraulic and pneumatics specialist in the United States Air Force working on C130’s, C5’s and C141’s.

Tell us your favorite quote and what it means to you.

I always liked the quote from Rocky, “It isn’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.” I’ve always shared this with my two boys as a constant reminder that life is not easy and anything worth having takes hard work.

Thank you, Corey, for all that you do for Hugg & Hall!