B&H Construction owners Ronnie and Donnie Beller treat their 40-plus-year-old pipeline construction business more like a ministry – and helps many of its employees have a second chance at life — than a traditional business.
“Our business plan is to go and make disciples,” Ronnie said. “We do that by pouring into our employees. Our growth is a byproduct of working to make disciples. We’ve sustained that growth because our focus is on our employees.”
The twin brothers took over B&H Construction, a company their father started in 1981, with the sole focus of ministering to their employees, many of whom come in need of second-chance employment after years with drug abuse or other struggles.
The approach has worked: When the brothers took over in 2009, B&H had about 150 employees. Today, they employ more than 600. And, starting in 2012, the company saw 600 percent growth in a period of six years. Today, the company continues to see steady growth, adding about 100 new employees a year. Ronnie attributes this growth to the commitment to focusing on creating quality employees and giving his employees the training and help they need.
“We pray to God that we would be faithful to minister to the people that God puts before us,” he said. “When you go the extra mile for someone, they will walk that next extra mile with you.”
That extra mile comes in the form of financial and skill-building classes for employees and loans to help them buy cars and houses as they repair their credit. In addition, the company employs four full-time pastors who help during the hiring process and then mentor the employees looking for a fresh start.
“We meet them wherever they are,” Ronnie said. “God gave us a vision of how work should look through the lens of faith. We know if we give them a fish, we’ve fed them for a meal, but if we teach them how to fish, we will have fed them for life.
“Our faith should be lived out in our work, if it is lived out anywhere,” he said. “How do you work those things together? We don’t know how to do it any other way.”
