Donna Holcomb has been a valued member of Lakeland Engineering for an incredible 43 years, starting in 1982. Based in our Kansas City office, she plays a key role in overseeing customer and vendor relationships throughout the Kansas/Missouri market.
Her entire career has been with Lakeland, providing her with invaluable experience and skills. It all started when she answered a high school bulletin board ad for “Office work at Lakeland Engineering.” She was hired as a file clerk, making a whopping $4 an hour! In 1987, she transitioned to inside sales and was later promoted to Office Manager in 1993.
Over the years, Donna has truly become a Jack of all Trades—handling sales, purchasing, order entry, accounts receivable, inventory, and customer service, all within the same workday. The only thing she doesn’t do? Drive the forklift! If you had to sum up her role in three words, they would be: responsive, reliable, and resilient.
Donna has completed extensive training on products from Turck, Asco, Red Lion, P&F, ABB/GE, Honeywell/Micro Switch, and Banner. Reflecting on her early training days in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, she recalls, “I was always the only female in the class.”
When it comes to customer challenges, Donna has seen it all—especially the “I need it now” scenarios, where a part has a 56-day lead time. With her resourcefulness, she finds solutions by locating stock elsewhere or identifying alternative in-stock options to meet customer needs.
What’s her favorite part of working at Lakeland?
Without hesitation, Donna says, “My customers.” She thrives on direct interactions, troubleshooting issues, and exceeding expectations. “Building relationships and truly understanding customer needs is so fulfilling.”
Life Outside of Lakeland
Outside of work, Donna cherishes time with her kids and grandchildren. Every summer, her family enjoys an annual camping and floating trip. She’s also a devoted Kansas City Chiefs fan (along with the rest of Kansas City these days!). Speaking of great surprises, after repeatedly telling her kids, “I want a chocolate lab,” they took her seriously—now she has Cocoa, a playful pup who keeps her busy. And when it’s time to unwind? Poker—video poker, to be exact, and it’s always better in Vegas!
“I’m proud of the work my team and I do. I’ve loved being part of the Lakeland community for over four decades and look forward to the journey ahead—until retirement, of course!”