After 26 years of shaping leaders, strengthening teams and building a culture centered on service, Ewing Outdoor Supply is celebrating the retirement of Tim Little, whose influence has touched generations of employees across the company.
While Tim Little may not be a familiar name to many in the golf industry, the impact of his work has been felt throughout the green industry. Ewing Outdoor Supply serves golf courses, sports fields, landscape professionals and irrigation specialists nationwide through more than 260 locations, making employee development and customer service central to its continued success.
Little spent more than two decades leading training and leadership development at Ewing, where he became known as both a mentor and a quiet architect of the company’s culture. His retirement has prompted an outpouring of appreciation from colleagues who credit him with helping shape not only their careers but also their lives.
Among them is PJ Rovinelli Jr., Ewing’s Director of Talent Acquisition and Development, who described Little as one of the most influential people in his professional journey.
“It is incredibly hard to put into words the impact Tim has had on our organization and the many team members over the years,” Rovinelli wrote in a LinkedIn tribute. “There isn’t a training development resource we’ve thought of that Tim hasn’t already created.”
Rovinelli said Little’s guidance extended far beyond leadership training.
“I owe a lot of my opportunity at Ewing to Tim’s guidance, mentorship and behind-the-scenes support. He taught me invaluable lessons of leadership, team, how to navigate change, communication and much more.”
Perhaps most meaningful, Rovinelli shared, were the life lessons that reached beyond the workplace.
“When I allowed work to consume me and my identity, Tim taught me and held me accountable to being a better father and husband. For that, I am forever grateful.”
Friends and coworkers remember Little for his humility, practical wisdom and sense of humor. Whether sharing morning memes, organizing harmless office pranks or taking time for a thoughtful phone call, he built relationships that lasted far beyond the office walls.
As Ewing continues its own leadership evolution with executive succession plans designed to guide the company into its next century, the culture that leaders like Tim Little helped establish remains one of its greatest assets. The family-owned distributor has emphasized that investing in people and developing future leaders continues to be a cornerstone of its long-term strategy.
Little now begins a well-earned retirement that friends say will include spending more time in his garden and on the golf course, where they expect him to continue outperforming golfers half his age.
His legacy, however, will remain in the leaders he developed, the careers he influenced and the culture of servant leadership he helped cultivate over more than a quarter century.
As Rovinelli concluded in his tribute, “I believe God puts people in your life at the right places and right times. I am forever blessed He used you. I love you and thank you, Tim.”
