Forty Under 40: Bryan Henson, Allen Construction

President

Allen Construction, Santa Barbara, Calif.

2016 Revenue: $44 million

130 employees

Best Practice: “Our labor market is going to be hurt if the federal government passes an infrastructure bill,” Henson says. “People who might have come to us for work will take higher-paying infrastructure jobs.” It’s that kind of big-picture thinking that helps Allen Construction stay ahead of the curve. Henson answers the labor challenge by creating a culture of positivity, innovation, and trust for the entire staff of Allen Construction, an employee-owned company. He’s already brought on more than 10 people this year, and all of them came because they “want a great place to work,” Henson says. Most of the hires are friends of current employees. Henson also makes creative use of situations. For example, recently someone who lives one county north of Allen’s main office came highly recommended as a potentially great addition to the team. The company has staff living in that county, but didn’t have the right mix of people to open an office there. Henson seized the opportunity to open a fifth location and hired the man to develop new business there. 

Read more about the 2017 Professional Remodeler 40 Under 40 awardees.