Merchantville Standout Passes

Joe Holman, who built a family auto dealership into an international company, has died at age 93. “He showed that nice guys can be pretty successful in business,” said Frank Beideman, executive vice president at Holman Enterprises, which is now employing the fifth generation of a South Jersey family. He was a star basketball player at Merchantville High School, where he played trumpet in the marching band and was the drum major and, a basketball standout at Princeton, which he attended on the GI Bill after serving in the Navy. An avid golfer, Holman was a member of the Merchantville, Tavistock and Pine Valley country clubs. Holman was active in several South Jersey charities, including local affiliates of the United Way and American Red Cross. He was a life trustee and distinguished fellow at Coriell Institute for Medical Research in Camden. In 1924 Holman Enterprises, parent company of ARI, launched in Merchantville, New Jersey when Steward C. Holman signed a dealership contract with the Ford Motor Company. Enjoy this video of their history.