A Quiet Foundation with
Enduring Strength

When David Hollinger founded Four Seasons Produce in the early 1970s, there was no formal vision statement posted on the wall. No brand guide. No HR handbook defining culture.

DAVID’S INTERNAL COMPASS

Even before core values were formally written, David had distilled the qualities of good leadership from years of reflection. Laminated on his desk for decades was a handout titled “Traits of Leaders,” which included:

  • Healthy Ego – Confidence without arrogance.

  • Inspire Trust – Trust begins with being trustworthy.

  • Project Clarity – Be clear about direction and expectations.

  • Deeply Optimistic – Assume better days are ahead.

  • Rally People to a Better Future – Cast a vision worth following.

  • Appreciate and Channel Risk – View risk as a lever, not a liability.

  • Transform Fear into Confidence – Steady the ship when the future is unclear.

He carried with him three simple rules that became his North Star:

  1. “If I can’t do great things, I’ll do small things in a great way.”

  2. “Hire good, honest, hard-working people and turn them loose.”

  3. “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” — Philippians 2:4.

EARLY cOMPANY CULTURE

Doing the Right Thing Even When It Costs You

David tells the story of his first warehouse—an undersized, outdated building where produce was stacked manually, carts were pushed by hand, and broken boxes were common. Yet even then, he refused to compromise on quality: “If I’d see a squashed citrus box on the bottom, I’d stop and fix the whole stack so it wouldn’t go out that way. That’s just how I am. You do it right, even if no one sees it”.

Leading from Any Seat

One of David’s most compelling early practices was the way he taught conflict resolution to his managers. If one employee came to complain about another, he wouldn’t take sides or play messenger: “I’d go find the other guy and bring him in. ‘You two talk about it,’ I’d say. ‘You’re both smart, figure it out.’ And they did. That’s how people learn to lead.”

This approach of distributed leadership would later inspire the value called Dynamic Leadership—that everyone at Four Seasons has a role in leading, not just those with titles.

But there was something deeper; a personal code, lived out day by day, that shaped everything from how he hired, to how he negotiated with banks, to how he treated customers and team members. David wasn’t setting out to create a values statement. He was trying to do business the right way, in a world that changed fast and often didn’t reward ethics, patience, or relational investment. This is the story of how Four Seasons’ values emerged from David’s life, his leadership style, and the company’s formative years.

fROM PERSONAL ETHOS TO COMPANY CORE VALUES

In the early 2000s, the executive team, led by Ron Carkoski, undertook a formal process to define company values. But rather than invent something new, they decided to start by listening. 

They asked associates, customers, and suppliers: 

“When you think of Four Seasons, what comes to mind?” 

From those responses came a clear pattern: 

  • Integrity was what people felt from the company’s consistent ethics. 

  • Dynamic Leadership reflected the belief that anyone could lead from their seat. 

  • Exceptional Partnerships echoed the relational depth between suppliers, customers, and employees. 

  • Winning Culture captured the joy, excellence, and pride people felt working here. 

Ron and the team also embedded the Golden Rule directly into the design, using gold bars around the values to signify: 

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” 

The visual mark placed Customers, Associates, and Suppliers equally around the Four Seasons logo, each group protected by and dependent on the values that held the company together.

COMPANY CORE VALUES

WHAT IT MEANS TODAY

David’s fingerprints are still on the culture of Four Seasons. Whether it’s the commitment to treating everyone fairly, the idea that leadership is about lifting others, or the high standards paired with humility, his principles have endured. 

And his motto of “Creating environments where people blossom” is perhaps the best summary of what Four Seasons has always been about.