The Beacon Show with Tamara Jackson

Kingdom-First Business: Building a $250M Company for Kingdom Impact w/Alan Barnhart

Episode Summary

Alan Barnhart, CEO of Barnhart Crane & Rigging, shares his remarkable journey of building a $250 million company while maintaining a kingdom-first mindset.

Episode Notes

Alan Barnhart, CEO of Barnhart Crane & Rigging, shares his remarkable journey of building a $250 million company while maintaining a kingdom-first mindset. He discusses how committing to biblical stewardship and capping lifestyle expenses led to extraordinary business growth and charitable impact.

Alan's story begins with embracing Christianity in high school and choosing to view his business career as full-time ministry. Together with his brother Eric, they built Barnhart Crane & Rigging while committing to live on a capped income and give away 50% of profits annually. The company now operates in 60 cities with 2,500 employees.

Key Takeaways

1. Stewardship vs. Ownership: Everything belongs to God; we're stewards with responsibilities, not owners with rights
2. Profitable Purpose: Profit with purpose enables sustainable impact and ministry
3. Team Building: Character and work ethic matter more than credentials in hiring

Topics Covered

• Biblical approach to business ownership
• Strategic pricing and value creation
• Building lasting customer relationships
• Employee retention and development
• Kingdom investment principles

Notable Quotes

• "We're not owners with rights, we're stewards with responsibilities."
• "If you don't have a margin, you don't have a ministry."
• "God doesn't need your money. He doesn't want your money. He wants you."

Leadership Lesson 

The importance of breaking the connection between income and consumption, allowing business growth to fuel kingdom impact rather than lifestyle inflation.

Faith and Service Insights 

Alan demonstrates how business excellence and kingdom purposes can work together, showing that marketplace ministry can be as impactful as traditional ministry roles.

About Alan Barnhart:

Alan Barnhart is the CEO of Barnhart Crane & Rigging, one of America's largest heavy lift and transport organizations with over 2,500 employees across 60 locations. After joining his family's business in the early 1980s, Alan and his brother Eric made the countercultural decision to cap their lifestyles and commit 50% of company profits to kingdom work. Under their leadership, the company has grown to over $250 million in revenue while investing millions in global ministry initiatives. In 2007, the brothers transferred 100% ownership of the company to the National Christian Foundation, continuing to run operations but ensuring all future value would serve kingdom purposes. Alan's approach to business demonstrates how biblical stewardship principles can drive both organizational excellence and lasting social impact. He lives in Tennessee with his wife Katherine and their six children. Alan's story challenges traditional notions of business success, showing how limiting personal consumption can lead to extraordinary professional and charitable impact.