Seeing Challenges as Opportunities

Seeing Challenges as Opportunities

If there’s one thing Phillip Hollis appreciates, it’s a good challenge. The daily trials and unknowns are what enticed him to take on the Bermex project manager role in July 2021.

While Hollis wasn’t initially familiar with the metering services industry, the Alabama native and Army veteran relied on previous military and professional experiences to help lead his team. Before joining Bermex, Hollis spent 15 years at Caterpillar, a construction, machinery, and equipment company, where he served in several roles — from working in the shop and changing oil to troubleshooting heavy, earth-moving equipment.

Hollis holds a bachelor’s degree in business management, which he received in February 2021.

“That’s one thing I brought here — my work ethic. Having a full-time job, a family, and still trying to go to school, it was a great accomplishment at graduation for me to walk across that stage, shake somebody’s hand and receive my degree. That was a great accomplishment for me, for my kids to see, and for my family to share that moment with me.”

Making progress

When Hollis joined the Bermex organization, he understood the challenges that stood before him — including the need to establish several policies and procedures. In the seven-plus months he’s been on the job, Hollis has made great strides.

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“When I first got here, the team was working 12–14-hour days — including Saturdays. Now, we have it down to an average of 8-10-hour days and we haven’t worked a weekend in three months,” shared Hollis.
The increase in productivity and communication has not gone unnoticed. Hollis says morale is progressing, employee retention is improving, and their team is receiving more and more positive feedback from the customer.

Building relationships

So far, Hollis says his favorite part of the job is focusing on interacting with the meter readers.

“I like trying to build relationships with them — whether they stay long-term or if it’s not the opportunity for them. Getting to know people and trying to get the best out of them — not just at work, but with their personal goals they may have. To me, that’s what helps me come to this job daily,” said Hollis.

Hollis says he enjoys figuring out each person to get the best out of them. “Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but to me, that’s the challenging part of it.”

He credits several people for his success in metering services along the way, but a few of note include Bermex Assistant Operations Manager Phillip Cinnamon, Bermex Human Resources personnel, and his customers, “I’ve never had an experience where a customer is this involved with a contract, but I appreciate them helping me get better and caring about our meter readers.”

When he’s not leading his team, Hollis enjoys spending time with his wife of 20 years and four boys. He likes to joke that he’s counting down the days until he and his wife are empty-nesters as their youngest is on track to graduate this year. As an Alabama native, Hollis is a faithful Alabama Crimson Tide fan and goes to a game every year.