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Building Texas BusinessAuthor: BoyarMiller
BoyarMiller Chairman Chris Hanslik interviews industry thought leaders and organizational visionaries in a discussion rife with leading edge information, the latest trends, case studies, and news. Business inspiration, growth, challenges, corporate culture and mentorship will be on the agenda. Enjoy the banter and glean valuable insight as the conversation unfolds. Language: en-us Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Management Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Ep116: Buying Back The Business That Let You Go with Travis Hollman
Episode 116
Wednesday, 26 August, 2026
In this episode of Building Texas Business, Chris Hanslik sits down with Travis Hollman, owner and CEO of Hollman, the largest manufacturer of lockers in the United States and the world. Travis shares the story of a family business his father started in 1976, one he bought in 2016, and how it grew into the company behind the locker rooms you see everywhere from Notre Dame, USC, and the Houston Rockets to Equinox, Goldman Sachs, and Bank of America branches across the country.Travis talks about his winding path into ownership, including getting let go by his own father, launching seven or eight companies of his own along the way, and returning to rescue the business as it slid toward bankruptcy. He reflects on the value of finding work that naturally fits how you think, using tools like Culture Index and Myers Briggs to understand yourself and build the right team, and why starting a company from the ground up is one of the hardest things an entrepreneur can do.The conversation moves through innovation, culture, and the discipline of keeping a fifty year old company feeling like a startup. Travis explains how his MeSpace concept for neurodiverse offices reshaped the way his team designs sleepable, function first locker rooms, how his new AI division is transforming billing, renderings, and shop drawings, and why he believes honesty is the only real policy when a customer relationship goes south. He also opens up about Texas as the ideal place to build and manufacture, sharing a memorable story of staying open through COVID with the help of a responsive local government.Chris and Travis also explore leadership and authenticity, from Travis embracing his direct, bullet point style to surrounding himself with good cop VPs who balance him out. He closes with a moving look at the educational foundation he and his wife created, funding college for the children of his Hispanic plant workers so families can build lasting security across generations.If you are interested in manufacturing, family business, innovation, leadership, and building a company that stays true to its values while embracing new technology, this episode offers an honest and energizing look at what it takes to lead with authenticity and purpose.LINKSShow NotesPrevious EpisodesAbout BoyarMillerAbout Hollman, Inc.
