Celebrating Our Drivers & Operations Team: Van Operator Appreciation Week 2025
The annual, week-long celebration to thank Van Operators included lots of giveaways and cookouts to say thanks!
September 14 – 20, 2025 was recognized as Van Operator Appreciation Week across the U.S. The care and work that Van Operators exhibit day in and day out truly keep us all moving – and for Hilldrup, these professionals are the backbone of our entire organization. We look forward to the week-long celebration every September and this year was no different.
All departments and employees were encouraged to submit a video sharing their appreciation and wishes to Van Operators as well. The responses were heartfelt, creative and fun! Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for the videos!
Read below to see how we showed our appreciation across our footprint!
Forestville: Our Forestville professionals enjoyed a breakfast on Tuesday and then fired up the grill for a cookout on Thursday. Special thank you to Brad Ashe, Forestville Operations Manager, for manning the grill!
Stafford: Our Corporate Headquarters hosted a Van Operator & Operations Appreciation Cookout on Wednesday beginning at 4pm. Office employees were encouraged to greet Van Operators as they arrived from a long day of serving customers and mingle with our outstanding service crews, warehouse employees and fleet maintenance personnel. We were determined to not let the rainy forecast dampen the mood and were grateful for Carl Tisdale, Vice President, Interstate Operations and Kyle Mackenzie, Sr. Director, Leasing & Fleet Management for manning the grills while our teams enjoyed a bite indoors.
Richmond: Our team in RVA hosted several raffles for Van Operators and Operations personnel to win great prizes throughout the week. The team also enjoyed two cookouts for lunch as well as hosted a breakfast for everyone to be fueled and focused for a busy day of supporting our customers!
Capitol Heights and Dulles: There were zero hungry employees at our Capitol Heights and Dulles locations! From cookies and chips to burgers and hot dogs, our team provided a well-deserved spread of food to keep our hardworking team full and fueled! Van Operators also enjoyed taking with them a goodie bag filled with gifts of appreciation. Later in the week, a delicious and hearty breakfast of eggs, hashbrowns, breakfast meat and biscuits with a beverage were served to all on-site. Special thanks to Gerald Brown, VP and General Manager, for doing an outstanding job in leading the recognition of these teams!
Raleigh-Durham: The team in Raleigh-Durham hosted some wonderful events on-site with impressive giveaway items, food and other treats for Van Operators to enjoy. Everyone did a wonderful job making everything so personalized and thoughtful to truly highlight and celebrate their Van Operators!
Charlotte: A delicious breakfast and lunch were hosted on-site, including a grilled lunch thanks to Caesar Lovett, Sr. Operations Director & Assistant General Manager – Charlotte. Van Operators also received gift cards, a backpack as well as other treats to enjoy during the week.
Greenville: Our office kitchen in Greenville smelled delicious as a luncheon was served to the team along with some giveaways that Van Operators could enjoy both on and off the road!
Atlanta: Hilldrup’s award-winning Atlanta team provided a large breakfast spread of bagels, croissants, pastries, muffins, juice and coffee to Van Operators. A cookout was also held on Thursday for lunch that included burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken and of course all the fixins to go with it! Van Operators were also given a caddy/organizer for their trucks as well as a goody bag of treats and snacks to enjoy while on the road.
Orlando: Our hard-working team who was most recently recognized as Hilldrup’s Branch of the Year for 2024 enjoyed a delicious breakfast of muffins and pastries to enjoy as they kicked off the week!
Thank you to every Van Operator – whether you’ve been with us for a month or a decade. Your service, dedication and commitment to quality and safety have made Hilldrup who we are today. We hope you felt our appreciation throughout the week and know how valued you are every day of the year!
