Business Spotlight: Barnhardt Construction
Welcome to the DFB business spotlight! As a community bank, we like to highlight businesses within the local community to help celebrate their successes! We spoke with Sheldon and Tera Barnhardt, owners of Barnhardt Construction. In this article, they talk about how the company got started, when they started to see success, and what their overarching goals are for Barnhardt Construction.
They close by talking about how important it is to adapt as a business owner and then providing advice to other prospective business owners. Continue reading to hear from Sheldon and Tera of Barnhardt Construction!
How Barnhardt Construction Got Started
Barnhardt Construction began in 2012 when Tera and I got married. Tera was still in veterinary school at Kansas State University and I set out building houses in Manhattan and the surrounding areas. It was a huge learning curve, but we learned a lot and were fairly successful.
Tera can remember our first job site and how I fired her from grouting the tile because her technique wasn’t up to my standards. I told her to stick with vet school! Once she graduated with her degree, we moved to Johnson, Kansas. Both of us are from Southwest Kansas and it’s been very nice to be close to home again.
When we moved back to the area, we started with a couple of trailers and a few jobs. On one of the jobs, I had to have Tera lift me up on the skid steer so I could paint the eaves of a customer’s home because I didn’t have employees when I started out. Since then, we’ve undergone a lot of changes!
Growth and Success of Barnhardt Construction
Toward the end of 2016, we bought Parman Brothers, a countertop fabrication and installation company. We began construction on our showroom and shop that are on the north side of Johnson. Through the years, we have been challenged and enjoyed success. We have great employees and are fortunate to work in many of the surrounding counties.
Tera is a veterinarian in the cattle industry, serving dairy and feedlot clients in Southwest Kansas. She also keeps busy by speaking at veterinary and agricultural conferences across the country. We’ve got a young family and we strive to do good work and raise good kids.
The Goal of Barnhardt: Custom Construction
At Barnhardt, our goal is to offer a custom construction experience. Here are a few of the things we can do to help you see your custom construction goals to fruition:
- Remodeling
- New home construction
- New building construction
- Patio construction
- Business construction
- And more
We can do a lot of things to help you with your construction goals. We work hard to complete each project the right way and ensure a high-quality finished product.
I got my construction science degree at Kansas State University in the Engineering Department, so I am well-versed in building and construction codes. Our showroom is designed to help you get a feel for your construction preferences. I have software that allows me to draw projects and walk you through it both financially and visually.
The Importance of Adaptability
Tera says, “I’ve been amazed at the changes that have come since we left Manhattan. It seems like every year we make new goals, taking a breath and hoping things don’t change so fast. However, that’s not the line of work we’re in - adaptability is key and we’ve been fortunate to make good decisions with the information we have, pull on our boots, and keep moving the needle forward!”
I’m fortunate to have contacts in this area who are experts in their field. Whether I’m working with my lumber yard, subcontractor, accountant, or bank, I’m happy to have people who I can call to get expert advice or work done. Southwest Kansas is full of opportunity and the people who help me succeed in my business are right in my backyard.
Advice for Other Businesses
Before we wrap this up, we wanted to share some advice for other businesses. We’ll start with Tera: “Take the opportunities that scare you. If you’re not operating in a state of being slightly uncomfortable, your dreams are too small.
“We operate our businesses as a team, much like our personal lives. Sheldon challenges me in ways that drive me nuts and make me take steps I wouldn’t take without his confidence in me. We work hard and have a lot of fun doing it. Some days we scramble to make it back to Johnson in time to pick up the kids, but it’s a good life!”
My advice is to do the honest thing and do good work. People will stick with you if you have that mentality.
Where to Find Us
If you’d like to know more about Barnhardt Construction, our business is on Facebook and Instagram.
The easiest way to ask about getting work done is to contact the office at (620) 492-4099. Carol’s in the office Monday through Friday and will take down your information to get you on the schedule. We’re happy to make appointments for you to visit the showroom in the evening as well. If you haven’t been to it yet, stop by - it’s awesome!
Barnhardt Construction LLC | Facebook
Parman Brothers LTD | Facebook
Barnhardt Construction LLC | Instagram