Gerry Holthaus is leading the charge.
President, chief executive officer and chairman of the board at William Scotsman International, Holthaus? goal has remained constant since he joined the companyas a president and chief financial officer in 1994: No matter how successful, take it to the next level.
Within the past 10 years, Scotsman has merged with, or acquired, more than 10 different businesses. Through this aggressive strategy, the White Marsh-based mobile and modular-space company has been able to put its stamp on the national market.
“We have grown our footprint through a combination of mergers, acquisitions and organic growth,” Holthaus said. “It?s now a core competency of our company.”
Perhaps Holthaus? greatest accomplishment was shifting the business to the public realm. Through a 2005 maneuver, when the company joined NASDAQ as a publicly traded business, Scotsman has created growth opportunities “that opened an array of doors for us,” Holthaus said.
The 57-year-old Loyola College graduate gained valuable business experience with Ernst and Young, a consulting and management firm, which he joined in 1971 and stayed with for 17 years. Starting at the ground level, he ended up a partner, then left in 1988 to pursue other ventures, including a stint with MNC Financial, before joining Scotsman.
At Scotsman, it wasn?t long before he was able to meld his vision with that of the company?s, putting employees into the best positions to succeed.
“I?d like to think I have contributed a vision and strategic thinking to help us realize our long-term growth goals and also to continue building valuable executive leadership,” Holthaus said.
Margaret Maher, a client of Holthaus?, loves the individual approach her firm gets from such a huge company, which has more than 85 branch locations in 39 states.
“The style of doing business has been very good,” Maher said. “I have one point of contact.”
As if being in charge of a national business isn?t enough to keep him busy, Holthaus is a member of the Board of Trustees for Loyola College?s Sellinger School of Business and is actively involved with the Maryland Science Center, the American Lung Association and the Boy Scouts of America.
GERRY HOLTHAUS
» First job: Mowed lawns for $1
» Education/credentials: Graduated from Loyola College with a degree in Accounting
» Best job perk: Traveling
» Daily e-mails received: 100
» Daily voice mails received: 50
» Essential Web sites: U.S. Air and NASDAQ
» Career objective: To make William Scotsman a billion-dollar company
» Favorite gadget: A golf club, my 50 degree wedge
» Hometown: Baltimore
» Birth date: Aug. 18, 1949
» Original aspiration: To be a businessman
» Sports/hobbies: Golfing
