Celebrating National Workaholics Day
Greenway USA likes to highlight many of the National Days of Celebration that often get under looked in our country. Today we would like to celebrate National Workaholics Day by showcasing the biggest workaholic we know, our CEO, Matt Nolty.
Building a small business from the ground up is difficult enough for any individual. You have to be a workaholic, at least at the start. Matt’s beginnings indeed show how his determination and work ethic were molded, which inevitably led him to create success in such a competitive industry. Matt’s father served in the United States Navy, which laid the foundation for his children’s upbringing. With Matt being one of five, it’s clear that Mr. and Mrs. Nolty had a lot on their plate. Following the Navy, Matt’s father picked up a trade as an electrician working for New York’s own, Con Edison. Matt’s mother studied and became a nurse, all while taking care of her five children. Matt’s household and upbringing provided something for him to aspire to. He likes to say, “My parents were always working, and while work was not always glamorous, they always tried to make work fun. They taught me that no matter what you’re doing, as long as you’re working and providing a service, it’s always honorable.”
One thing led to another. Matt attended SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx, and immediately upon graduation from college, he followed in his father’s footsteps and was commissioned an officer in the United States Navy. Once his active time in the Navy came to an end, Matt decided to pursue a career in construction. While working full time for Skanska, he went to school in the evenings and received a master’s degree in construction management from New York University. He elevated through the ranks of Skanska and left there as a Senior Project Manager, taking on a role as an executive and later Vice President at STV, Inc.
Matt started Greenway USA back in 2009 and ran that business while still actively serving in the U.S. Navy Reserves. While this was challenging, the biggest obstacle came within the first four years of attempting to get his business up and running, he was called to serve in Operation Enduring Freedom. He spent a year traveling on mission throughout Afghanistan. It must have been hard to manage a construction firm from an overseas war for a full year.
Today he holds the rank of Captain while still owning and operating his small service-disabled veteran-owned business. Few people on this earth are insane enough to put as many hours in as Matt does. The tireless days, evening, weeks and weekends spent through the ups and downs frequent in our industry, are why we consider Matt Nolty to be our favorite workaholic.