Values
Our core values permeate every aspect of our business.
Collaboration
Our strong sense of community and history of subsistence in Egegik means collaboration is essential and natural.
Finding an Innovative Solution through Collaboration
When CEO Derek Bennett was working on a project connecting a new pump station to an existing pipe structure, engineers overlooked one aspect—how the station got connected within the challenges of the existing environment. The project location was next to a creek, which was an environmentally sensitive area. After doing the calculations they found 12,000 gallons within the pipe were going to flood back downhill to the point where the pipe had been cut to install the new station, causing a hazard to the environment. The client, the city of Independence, Oregon, asked for a price to do a line stop, and was given a proposal. However, who would pay for this new proposal was still in dispute and it would add time and labor to the project. Derek and his team decided to work with the groups involved to see if there was another remedy. They looked at the design of the new station, and figured out a way to rotate the new valve assembly 45 degrees, which allowed them to maintain use of the existing system up until the connection point of the project. This meant the team was able to keep everything operable, avoiding the need to go forward with the new proposal. In the end, all the team had to do was open the valve and they were up and running. Derek’s team was able to negate a legal dispute and save the company labor and funds, which resulted in a more profitable project and made the short-term bypass more efficient.
Adaptability
The way our people lived and survived before us, and the creativity they often employed, informs how we value adaptability in all projects we pursue.
A New Facilities Business Line
While working for a company that specialized in water mains (potable water), CEO Derek Bennett saw an opportunity to pursue sewer pump stations—an expansion in capabilities for the company. Derek noticed there were grant funds available for rehabilitation of these facilities that were increasingly coming out to bid. Funding covered new values, electrical controls for pumps, and other components. Derek and his team looked at the company’s plans and noticed these projects were not in the wheelhouse, traditionally. However, after reviewing the specs and engineering drawings, the team noted similarities with water line projects, —essentially it was just a different material passing through a line. There were of course different regulations and requirements with subcontractors, but Derek convinced the company owners to give it a shot. They located a low-risk project that would be a good point of entry and went after it. They were the lowest bid entrant and won the project. Even despite the bid price, it was also still a profitable project. After the first, the company started doing two to three of these types of projects a year, adding 35% in revenue growth for the company. In the end, the company was able to use the same people and the same resources, resulting in an immediately profitable new business line for the company.
Commitment
Our commitment to our clients, our vendors, our employees, and everyone our work touches, is valued above all.
Integrity throughout Company Challenges
Businesses sometimes have hardships, and the management of difficult circumstances always speaks to a company’s leadership and integrity. When a subsidiary experienced bankruptcy, CEO Derek Bennett’s team was able to ensure that all financial commitment to its suppliers, lenders, and contractors throughout the entire process were paid. This leadership allowed the subsidiary to keep its business integrity with its business partners. Derek’s team worked payment plans with each partner to guarantee they would be fully compensated within three years. This work was incredibly important to the corporation, and highlighted its commitment to its customers, suppliers, lenders and subcontractors, even in the face of difficult circumstances. Despite the existence of loopholes that could have saved the company money, it was important to maintain commitments even when advised to take legal avenues to get around them. As a result, this reputation of putting integrity front and center persists to this day for Becharof Corporation and its subsidiaries.