Long Time Employee Diane Cantu Recounts Career Development, Engaging Company Culture at M. Holland

When Diane Cantu began her career at M. Holland Company in April 1991, she had a front seat to all of the action – as the receptionist. She has been lucky enough to be an eyewitness to the company’s history.

M. Holland Promotes Career Development

“So many people [at M. Holland] have started at the front desk,” she said. “I was just looking for general office work to beef up my bank account before returning to school. I really liked the company right away I felt empowered to step up to new opportunities and am grateful for the belief, support and development M Holland has invested in me.”
Diane has risen to the position of Accounting Team Leader. As she prepares to celebrate her 25th anniversary with M. Holland, she remembered her earliest impressions of the company came from its founder, Marvin Holland.
“A lot of my early memories go back to Marvin. He was really impressive, and I was really fortunate to have spent time with him and to see how he handled business. I was most impressed by the way he treated people, you really knew he cared. I’m happy to see that lives on in Ed.”

A Company Invested in Innovation, Technology and Growth

Over the course of her career, Diane has seen M. Holland change and grow – but the biggest area of change she saw was in technology. “When we needed to adopt a new technology, we boldly embraced it yet strategically, to ensure a successful outcome. For example we recently launched MH2GO, a tech-enabled app which impresses everyone who sees it.”
During her time at M. Holland, Diane has seen the company grow into one of the biggest names in the resin distribution field.
“What I really think is profound is how we’ve taken so many steps to make changes but we’ve always stayed true to ourselves. I’m very proud of our reputation in the plastic resin industry – going, as Ed puts it, from the ‘mom and pop’ shop to the powerhouse players that we are today. That gives me a sense of pride in the leadership of the company.”
Diane has also watched as the overall industry has changed. “The industry has gotten tougher. Suppliers used to never charge back accessorial fees such as detention or fuel surcharges. We’ve had to continually tighten our game and that’s kept it fresh and exciting for me.”
With all the change and growth she’s seen over the course of 25 years, Diane is truly looking forward to seeing what the future holds for M. Holland. “More automation is something I’m really excited about – I think this is the year we’re finally going to eliminate all paper from accounting,” she laughs.

Work/Life Balance & Company Culture

Outside of the office, Diane’s passions are genealogy and family history research. “I have to not renew my membership to Ancestry.com sometimes, because if I logged on first thing in the morning with my cup of coffee, I’d be there all weekend,” she said. Diane also volunteers at Northfield Senior Center, where she records seniors’ life stories and preserves them on digital media.
As an avid believer in volunteerism, she is also helping to develop the M. Holland corporate giving program. “It supports the company objectives and goals. It’s a tool to engage employees—and develop the attitude and values we want to see in our employees. It also helps promote goodwill for the company.”
Diane says her relationships with her co-workers is what keeps her excited about coming to work every day. “I look around at the people I work with we really have a lot of fun together and it’s great how quickly you bond with the new people. “
“It really does feel like a family, as cliché as that sounds. I do feel like this is home to me. I feel like I’m appreciated, that I am contributing, and that I do make an impact.”

Learn more about M. Holland’s Corporate Culture and View Open Positions

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