Mr. Herman Holderman was reared in Northampton, graduating from Northampton High School in 1978 where he was a member of the Konkrete Kid wrestling team. Upon graduation, he worked for Allentown Sanitation.
His cement career at Lafarge started in 1995. He recalls, “I started on the tire dock, later worked on the labor gang, then moved to the maintenance department.” Dave Tomasic, his former supervisor, was highly respected at the plant and shared his lifetime experiences with Herman.
The present hard working maintenance team consists of 10 men supervised by Tim Jany and John Hish. Presently the team is working on a “turn around” rebuilding equipment for a smooth operation in 2020. He said, “We usually work in two-man teams doing what ever work is needed to keep the plant operating in a safe and efficient manner. One of our biggest jobs is to rebuild the cooler system. Each day is different and challenging.”
Safety is a priority. A toolbox meeting is held each morning to discuss current and future safety issues. Mr. Holderman enjoys working with all his co-workers in a friendly atmosphere.
He and his wife Teri of 40 years have trained a number of Afghan dogs which has developed into an interesting hobby and business. Their dogs have appeared in a number of TV shows and commercials, one was in a super bowl commercial “releasing the hounds” advertising a popular automobile. The dogs also were used in the “Royal Pains” TV production. Teri has also participated in numerous dog shows throughout the United States.
An energetic cement worker, Herman has been active with the Fred A. Snyder Post 353 American Legion pool team. He has been a legion member for 40 years. Years ago, he drove stock cars at both Flemington and Mahoning Speedways, he still works on a stock car pit crew.
I am happy to say Mr. Holderman was a fine student of mine at Northampton High School. The Holdermans are proud of their children Gretchen, Herman and Hans. They enjoy their five Afghans Sadie, Tank, Luna, Sony and Frank. The friendly family resides in Coplay.
Mr. Holderman is a dedicated cement worker who helps continue the cement tradition at the century-old plant in Cementon. We hope 2020 is a safe and prosperous year for all our friends at the landmark plant.
