Page 35 - ATR 2 2015 web

“Robin did all the decorating,” Rice
said. “She wanted all woodwork in here
[in his office] and the other rooms. She
designed it all. She picked all the colors
out. The carpets, the colors, the walls,
everything.”
Robin operates Classic Apparel in
the complex; Classic carries clothing
for the company employees as well as
creating designs for other clients such
as a couple of the horse farms with
which Butch Rice does business. Those
“Landers” automotive shirts seen in TV
advertisements and on the employees
of Steve Landers’ car lots — they are
crafted at Classic.
Office personnel now numbers 32,
bringing total employment to 110 at
Stallion.
“We were just a small trucking Rice with sons Colt and garland iv
company up here in a house,” Rice
mused. “We had to go, as they say,
through a culture change in our office.
That was our first step to being what I “giviNg Back is our flagship here, aNd you
feel is a corporation. Now we offer all
of the same amenities and benefits as caN see it through our office. wheN drivers
the larger companies.” go through their orieNtatioN, they see that’s
what our compaNy is aBout.”
giving baCk
To see Rice well up even in front
of a stranger, just get him talking
about charity and giving. Rice seems
guided by his faith and giving over all responsibility to plant that seed and Stallion. Jeff Holt, Garland Rice IV and
else. He’s heard it more than once that then see what happens.” others in the company thought that
he’ll probably go broke because of the He says Stallion and its employees Make-A-Wish, and announcing a recipi-
money he gives away. He’d just as soon have donated $500,000 to the Arkansas ent at the company’s Christmas party,
avoid Christmas, he says, if it means Hunger Relief Alliance in the past six would “remind us of Tom Barry,” Butch
receiving presents. He’d rather be years. “From a company our size, it’s Rice said. The company raised $15,000
handing them out. unbelievable.” He looks at photos that at the first Christmas party with Make-
Stallion has been handing out food momentarily choke him up of seeing 23 A-Wish to fund another three or four
through the Arkansas Hunger Relief Stallion employees participating in the wishes the next year, he said.
Alliance for about eight years. Stallion Gleaning Project, picking watermelons, One area of the company offices
has been sending kids to Walt Disney planting vegetables. What’s captured by that stands out is what Rice calls the
World in Florida or Lego World in those photos are his reward, Rice said. “give-back wall,” which has photos and
California for the Make-A-Wish charity. The company’s involvement in plaques of Stallion’s work with Make-A-
Locally, Rice became involved early on Make-A-Wish began as a way to honor Wish, as well as Special Olympics.
in the Special Olympics. Tom Barry, a Stallion driver for a decade “I always had a heart for the kids,
“When it comes to giving back to who died from cancer. Barry was one of and it just kind of flowed into the
our state and communities, it’s huge the first Stallion employees to volunteer Special Olympics,” Rice said. “The ATA
for me,” Rice said. “It’s huge because to for any charity work, Rice said, and has a joint effort with the Arkansas
be able to see the reward of my other every Christmas Eve Barry would sneak Highway Police with the truck convoy
employees doing it, that never thought in early before the other employees to give truck drivers an opportunity to
about giving to hunger relief, to these arrived to leave little gifts for everyone.
charities we support, I felt it was my This went on for Barry’s entire time at 

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