How do you make an organization stand out? You can change the culture. You can leverage tech like never before. And you can build teams with life-transforming impact. But at year’s end, the proof is in your growth chart—and one North Texas nonprofit ended 2024 with record-shattering results.
Across 153 Goodwill stores in the U.S. and Canada, average growth in same-store sales was just 3.6% from January to November 2024. But Goodwill Industries of Dallas posted an eyebrow-raising sales growth of +48.8%—setting a new benchmark in the self-sustaining social enterprise nonprofit sector:
[Graphic: Goodwill Dallas]
What put Goodwill Dallas on track for this success? It started at the top—and worked its way down through 23 outlets across Greater Dallas, including stores and donation centers in Dallas, Frisco, Denton, Allen, Richardson, Plano, Mesquite, Lewisville, Irving, Garland, and Carrollton.
But it’s that man at the top—CEO Tim Heis—who’s had the biggest impact on Goodwill Dallas since he took up his post in 2019.
His not-so-secret weapons? After attending SMU—where he earned a Hunt Leadership Scholarship and played on SMU’s soccer team—Heis earned a Master’s in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Harvard Business School MBA, then spent several years at Deloitte Consulting and four years at Bath and Body Works, including roles as its director of brand strategy and VP of business optimization.
That background led to his last job in the for-profit world: the role of vice president of transformation at Neiman Marcus Group.
Yes, Heis traded life at the Dallas-based luxury retail giant for a scattered collection of North Texas thrift stores packed with donated clothes, housewares, electronics, and more.
A ‘humbling and fulfilling’ journey from Neiman Marcus to Goodwill
Cox School of Business alumni celebrate the opening of the new Goodwill store in Plano, Thursday, June 17, 2021. From left: Richard Albert, SMU Cox MBA Goodwill Intern (2020); Goodwill Dallas CEO Tim Heis; Daniela Maltos, SMU Cox MBA Goodwill Intern (2021); and Goodwill’s VP of Administration. [Photo: Goodwill Dallas]
“The transition has been humbling and deeply fulfilling,” Heis told Dallas Innovates of his journey from Neiman Marcus to Goodwill Dallas.
“At Neiman Marcus, I saw how luxury products could create joy and inspiration while providing a living for thousands of associates,” he said. “At Goodwill, I see how a simple opportunity—a job, a chance to learn, or even an affordable outfit—can transform lives. This experience has reinforced my belief in the power of purpose-driven work. It’s taught me that impact isn’t about price tags or exclusivity. It’s about connection, community, and creating value for others. Every day at Goodwill, I’m reminded of the resilience and potential in every person we serve, and it inspires me to keep pushing forward and make today a little better than yesterday.”
Aiming to triple revenue and double Dallas-area stores by 2030
Goodwill organizations across the U.S. have noted Goodwill Dallas’ mission successes and meteoric sales growth, and reached out for insights. [Photo of CEO Tim Heis, with award, courtesy of Goodwill Dallas]
Heis brought his own purpose to his new “purpose-driven work”: transforming Goodwill Dallas with the same energy, ambition, and tech-enhanced insights that he’d brought to luxury retail.
You can see that ambition in his “2030 vision” for Goodwill Dallas, which includes quadrupling the number of individuals served annually; tripling donated goods revenue from $20 million to $60 million; doubling the number of Goodwill Dallas stores and donation centers; and cementing Goodwill Dallas’ position as the leading organization in North Texas helping people overcome barriers to employment.
The CEO calls that Goodwill Dallas’ “4-3-2-1” plan.
Leveraging ‘lean table processing’
One key tool Heis has leveraged at Goodwill Dallas is lean table processing—a streamlined approach to sorting and pricing donations.
“Each year, Goodwill Dallas receives more than 700,000 generous donations from our community, and we’re committed to honoring that generosity by maximizing the value of every item to drive meaningful, local impact,” Heis said. “Traditionally, processing donations can be slow and inefficient, which limits how quickly we can get products to our sales floor. With lean table processing, we’ve reduced bottlenecks and introduced a standardized, team-based process that emphasizes speed without sacrificing quality.”
Heis said the method has increased Goodwill Dallas’ processing capacity, allowing it to create more jobs and get more items to the sales floor faster, leading to “significant revenue growth and increased support for our mission programs.”
Logistics, technology, and workforce development
Goodwill’s logistics at work. [Photo: Goodwill Dallas]
Beyond lean table processing, Goodwill Dallas has focused on optimizing logistics, technology, and workforce development under Heis’ watch.
“We’ve invested in inventory management systems that give us better visibility and control over product flow, and a point-of-sale system that gives us live data on our key performance metrics,” Heis said. “We’ve also decentralized our operations, cutting transportation costs and improving flow.”
But at Goodwill, it all really comes down to people.
“On the people side, we’ve prioritized leadership development and introduced new training programs that help team members grow with us,” Heis said, noting that in 2024, 64% of open leadership roles at Goodwill Dallas were filled by internal promotions.
“It’s all about creating scalable systems that fuel sustainable growth,” he said.
‘Transforming lives’ with upskilling and career building
A Goodwill Dallas team member poses with CEO Tim Heis. [Photo: Goodwill Dallas]
Those scalable systems have fueled more than growth—they’ve transformed lives, as well.
Heis said Goodwill achieves its mission of helping people build skills and develop careers in two ways: its mission-integrated donated goods retail program and its workforce development programs.
“Our workforce development team is out in the community serving clients with skills training and job placement beyond the walls of our Goodwill stores,” Heis said. “[But it’s] the mission-integrated skills training happening through our donated goods retail that has really boosted our growth while transforming lives.”
“More than half of our 850-employee base experience at least one barrier to employment,” he noted. “This could be a disability, involvement with the justice system, or homelessness. When those team members start a job at Goodwill, they’re provided with a fair chance and opportunity, a person-centered holistic assessment, and then multiple paths to success.”
When team members feel supported and see a future with Goodwill Dallas, they’re more engaged and motivated, Heis added.
“And that translates to both personal growth and business success. We’re not just growing an organization; we’re creating pathways for individuals to thrive.”
Former Goodwill Dallas board chairs gathered at the organization’s centennial celebration in 2023. Top row, L to R: Bill Vanderstraaten, Kyle Miller, Robin Robinson, Bob Ferguson, Neal Sleeper, Frank Mihalopoulos, and Brock Compton. Bottom, L to R: Richard Fisher, Tim Heis, Bob Williams, Suzanne Charriere, Roy Sheldon. [Photo: Goodwill Dallas]
Reinventing mission programs with a ‘Love for Goodwill’ plan
Heis isn’t a man with a plan—he’s a man with lots of plans, believing that setting goals are what keeps an organization on its toes and thriving.
Part of his “2030 mission” is a two-year plan currently ticking from 2024 to 2026. Called “Love of Goodwill,” it aims to deepen the impact of Goodwill Dallas’ mission programs by focusing on:
- Becoming a world-class thrift operator.
- Growing thrift operations.
- Reinventing mission programs for a second century of impact.
“It’s the second of three 3-year strategic plans in our climb to the summit,” Heis said. “Through this current strategic plan, we’ll expand our job training initiatives in high-demand, industry-specific career pathways, develop innovative partnerships that serve more people in need, and transform our program Empowerment Works for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
“By the end of 2026, Goodwill will be providing intensive career services to more than 2,500 people, support 100 clients in Empowerment Works, and place more than 600 people into jobs, annually,” Heis said.
Key team additions
To meet those milestones takes a team to pull it off. Heis has been enhancing his team with key additions.
In January 2024, Arden Floran was named the new vice president of mission services at Goodwill Industries Dallas. A Goodwill veteran since he joined the nonprofit in Indiana in 1998, he became VP of workforce development services in 2013. Floran is now leading the workforce development team at Goodwill Dallas, overseeing career services, disability services, certification programs, and more.
In June 2023, Goodwill Dallas brought two new vice presidents aboard in its donated goods retail division, as the nonprofit celebrated 100 years of operation. Joel Ibañez got a mission to improve store operations, collections, and workplace culture. Lance Anderson was given a focus on elevating post retail experience, logistics, centralizing processing of goods, and real estate matters.
Goodwill operations across the country take note
Goodwill Dallas is working to implement sustainable strategies across its organization. [Photo: Goodwill]
Heis’ success with Goodwill Dallas hasn’t gone unnoticed—organizations across the U.S. have taken note and reached out.
“We’ve definitely had the privilege of sharing our journey with other Goodwill organizations,” Heis said. “Our growth and innovations have sparked interest, and several leaders have reached out to learn about our processes and strategies. But to be clear, we’ve benefited greatly from visiting and learning from other Goodwills. It’s been incredibly rewarding to collaborate and exchange ideas.”
Heis—a Cincinnati native who lives in University Park with his wife Ashley, a director at American Airlines, and their three children—turned the kudos away from himself and toward Goodwill as a whole.
“We’re all part of the same mission,” he added, “and when one of us succeeds, it strengthens the entire Goodwill network.”
For more information about Goodwill Dallas, including store and donation center locations, you can go here.
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