Student Spotlight: Sara Fran Greene, UNC ’21

Sara Fran Greene wrapped up her spring classes at UNC from home. Soon after classes ended, she was able to help her family’s business, Hollar & Greene, founded by Sara Fran’s grandfather and great grandfather in 1963.  Sara Fran took the Family Business classes during the spring of her sophomore year and previously helped with Hollar & Greene’s website so she was no stranger to the workings of the company.  This spring, Sara Fran’s uncle asked for her expertise to help him make a video for a virtual food show.  Previously, this food show was in person, retail suppliers were able to touch and feel the products, they were able to meet the farmers, but that is not the way that the food show will take place in August.

Sara Fran’s father, Jeff, has not had much change in his day to day since he is on the sales team. Aside from limiting truck driver’s access to their buildings, they have not had to change other procedures. He has found that customers want to talk on the phone more than they did before, since they are most likely working from home more and having less human interaction. They are thankful for this and know that it is because 95% of their customers are grocery stores. 2020 would have looked very different for the family if their main customers were restaurants. The spike in grocery store sales had interesting timing for Hollar & Greene since March 17 is the pinnacle of sales for cabbage, due to St. Patrick’s Day.

Hollar & Greene has made it a priority this spring to collaborate more with local food banks, to ensure that they do not have any unused product. In addition to helping her family business this summer, Sara Fran has an internship with PWC. It was supposed to be in Atlanta, but instead she, like most of the world, is working from home before her return to Chapel Hill in August. Sara Fran is a member of the Family Business Club, has attended Women in Family Business events, and this fall will lead Panhellenic recruitment at UNC.

Sara Fran, in Carolina Blue, with her Grandfather, as well as her siblings and cousins, who are also members of G4