Longtime Trade Show Producer Climbs Mt. Kilimanjaro

For Holly Judge, Vice President of Southeast Pet, the decision to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro was a spontaneous one. “I was walking with a friend one morning, and she mentioned that her husband wanted to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. I said, ‘If you do it, I’ll do it.’ And that’s how we decided.”

Following one year of training, Judge and a group of seven friends summited the tallest peak in Africa after a six-day climb. “The day we summited it was 17 degrees and windy,” Judge said. “I got frostbite in four fingers. That day was really stressful, but I saw the sun rise at the summit, and it was really amazing. The descent was another two days.”

Judge’s trip to Tanzania also included a week-long safari following the hike to 19,000 feet above sea level.

The African adventure was not Judge’s first test of her physical fitness. She has also completed the 400-mile Bike Ride Across Georgia, twice. Her husband, Greg Judge, CEO of Southeast Pet, says, “I am very proud of Holly’s Kilimanjaro adventure, and there was never a doubt the she wouldn’t be successful.”

Holly and Greg founded Southeast Pet (formerly Southeast Aquatics) in 1975. Today Southeast Pet is one of the most respected pet supply and food distributors in the nation. The company is headquartered in Austell and has produced an annual trade show at the Cobb Galleria Centre since 2010.

Greg also has something to brag about, as he was awarded a Pet Age 2016 ICON Award.  Each year, Pet Age, a leading pet industry publication, honors pet industry leaders who have shown a long-term commitment to the success of the pet industry based on experience, integrity and leadership. Chosen from a vast pool of qualified candidates, those selected to receive the ICON awards have at least 20+ years’ experience in the pet manufacturing or servicing industry.