Brex Enterprises, based in Irwin (P.A.), about 22 miles south of Pittsburgh, provides services such as pipeline maintenance, earthwork, development, trucking, hauling, and right-of-way services. It is a family-owned business that has been in the construction industry for generations. The company operates primarily in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and New York.
Alicia Brentzel is the president and co-owner of Brentzel Excavation LLC. She and her husband, Andrew (A.J.).
A.J. A.J., who was working as an excavator for a member of his family at the time, decided to start his own business. The company began to do pipeline work in the oil and gas sector. Brentzel Excavation LLC renamed itself Brex Enterprises in 2014. Brentzel Excavation LLC changed its name to Brex Enterprises in 2014.
A.J.’s construction history spans four generations and includes most aspects of building.
Brex Enterprises received a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certification from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. This is a third-party private organization that certifies U.S.-based corporations’ women-owned businesses or WBE certifications through local, county, and state programs.
She explains, “The certification is another tool we can use to pursue certain government contracts which require a minimum level of participation in spending with small business and diverse businesses.”
A Foundation of Safety
Alicia Brentzel says that Safety is a key element of the foundation of the company. “Our employees are our greatest asset, and their health and security is the number one priority of the company,” says Alicia Brentzel. We attribute our safety record to the fact that we put Safety first. “We do not compromise safety at all.”
Brex Enterprises’ management provides comprehensive training on the company’s work to all employees every year. The company’s safety committee made up of managers and employees, meets monthly to monitor and discuss issues. The committee also performs random on-site inspections.
She adds that there is a commitment at all levels of the company to Safety, both from employees and managers. The initial training is followed by annual training. Safety training programs are designed to meet the needs of all clients and regulatory agencies, including the U.S. DOT and OSHA.
Brentzel explains that being in the oil and natural gas industry, we are required to comply with additional safety measures. SafeLandUSA is a standard orientation course for U.S. Onshore & Gas Exploration and Production workers.
As part of our bid process, we conduct a preliminary analysis of the work to determine whether or not additional time is needed and if safety measures are required. The cost and time of a project are accounted for upfront.
No claims for lost work were made by the company prior to 2018. Since then, there have been minor incidents.
Measuring customer satisfaction
Brentzel says, “Customer satisfaction is another part of our solid foundation. We are proud of it.” We also conduct surveys after each project to gauge customer satisfaction. The site supervisor and everyone else who worked on the job are usually sent these surveys.
The survey is just two questions asking for feedback. We ask questions like: How was our performance? What could we improve upon? Would you like to highlight anything positive or negative about it? This allows us to monitor and improve our customer experience continually.”
Innovation Drives Growth
Innovation is another important component. Brentzel says that the development and application of ideas, improvements, and technologies can improve processes, profitability, Safety, and productivity. This, in turn, drives company growth.
For example, the company created a custom attachment that increases the Safety and productivity of its excavating machine.
Growth through Vertical Integration
Brentzel says that growth is essential for the future of any business and should be a part of its foundation. Brentzel says that the company is always looking for new ways to attract customers and take advantage of opportunities.
We are developing new services for our clients by adopting a vertical integration approach. Our customers don’t have to visit multiple companies for work.
Staying true to core values
Brex Enterprises’ core values are the final components of its foundation: Accountability, selfless leadership, and integrity.
– Accountability. Brentzel explains that the goal is for all employees to take responsibility and be accountable for achieving the business goals of their company. To achieve this, the employees must understand these goals and company values.
Leadership. She says, “We have selfless leadership.” “As the leaders of our company, A.J. We work with our employees, not just over them. We don’t force our company culture on our employees. “We encourage everyone to become their leader by creating an atmosphere of respect and hard work.”
She says that both she and A.J. want their employees empowered to perform their duties, to take responsibility for their work, and to improve their performance. Everyone wins when employees embrace the vision of a company.
Brex Enterprises has a positive, caring workplace culture, and we think our employees enjoy working here. This has a direct impact on our business.
– Integrity. Brentzel says that everyone at the company must follow the cardinal rule of treating everyone as they would like to be treated. This means being ethical, honest, and trustworthy.
Employee Recruitment and Retention
Brex Enterprises employs about 40 people. The company newsletter, which is sent out monthly to all employees and managers, keeps them informed and engaged with company happenings. The newsletter includes a feature that recognizes a Performer and Safety Performer each month, selected by the supervisors and management staff.
The newsletter will also discuss the status of the current and upcoming projects so that employees of all levels are aware of what’s going on in the company.
Brentzel notes that employee development is one of the ways Brex Enterprises attracts and retains workers. We are proud of this.”
The employees are periodically asked if their job is fulfilling, if they have any goals, and what they hope to achieve in the next year or so. We are always trying to improve. This way, we can develop our employees to be happy and achieve their personal goals while aligning them with the company’s goals. It helps retain employees, as more satisfied employees are more likely to stay.
One of the questions that are asked of new employees is: What motivates you? Money, moving up in the ranks, trying out new jobs, or using new technologies are some of the questions asked of recent new hires. This information allows the company to create a customized development plan for every new hire.
Brentzel says, “We live in a highly competitive environment and monetary incentives can only go so far.” We want to motivate employees by recognizing them as valuable members of the company and recognizing their hard work. We also provide opportunities for their skill set improvement and growth advancement within our company.
She adds that an employee who feels stuck in their job is more likely to become restless and seek out other opportunities.
Hiring inexperienced employees
Brex Enterprises is not concerned about employees who lack experience in the pipeline maintenance and excavation industries.
Brentzel says that we can hire someone with no industry experience and train them in our ways of working.
She says that employers are reluctant to hire people who lack experience and will spend money to train them. If we don’t start to do that as an industry, we will have a real problem because of the labor shortage. In 10 years, we will not have any workers with expertise and experience in our industry.
To help them adapt to their new job and company culture, all new employees are paired with an experienced employee. The new employees are placed in different positions to allow them to perform other tasks.
Ramping up Social Media
Brentzel says that the company is stepping up its Social Media in order to attract potential employees, particularly younger people, because this is how they research companies before applying. The company also has “big goals,” which include using web-based technologies (social platforms) to create a learning environment. The goal is to mentor existing employees and to bring in new talent to the industry.
Brex Enterprises also uses social media to recognize and thank its employees. Every Thursday, the company posts a short interview with an employee. In the interview, the employee is highlighted, and they discuss who they are, their favorite activities at the company, and what they hope to learn in the coming year.