From strategic investments to new frontiers, Bejac continues to thrive under Ron Barlet’s service-first leadership
Every great company has a story. Bejac Corporation’s begins in 1953 with a small yard, a handful of equipment, and a simple promise: do the job right, no matter what it takes.
Founded by Bill, Ethlyn, and John, Bejac was named after their initials B-E-J And Company, and started as a modest underground pipeline contractor in post-war Southern California. Known early on for precision in the trench and reliability on the schedule, the company’s reputation was built on craftsmanship, integrity, and treating customers right. For decades, crews rolled out from a humble yard in rural Orange County, California, laying the essential water and utility lines that helped power the region’s growth.
In 1984, the future of Bejac hung in the balance. With the sudden passing of Jack Burnip, the company’s owner and son of founder John Burnip, the family faced a crossroads. Jack’s widow, Carol Burnip, asked her son-in-law, Ron Barlet, to step in and help wind the company down. Ron, who had just married into the family and was building a promising career in finance, agreed.
“I originally planned to help liquidate the business over the course of six months and then return to my job,” Ron explains. “But the construction world is so different. I enjoyed developing my technical skills and working with lots of new people. I started to really enjoy myself.”
Ron found himself trading tailored suits for Levi’s, learning to reseal hydraulic cylinders, paint equipment, and even drive trucks. His hands-on commitment quickly transformed what had been a temporary assignment into a turning point. One day, a local contractor asked to rent one of the few remaining machines in the yard, and Ron leapt at the opportunity. That single moment reshaped Bejac’s future.
“From that moment, Bejac pivoted into an equipment business,” Ron recalls. “I had just turned 24 and was only recently married. As the newest addition to the family, I had taken on her father’s legacy. Instead of liquidating the business, I created something new from it.”
Armed with a background in economics and an instinct for service, Ron began rebuilding Bejac around a new model: equipment rentals supported by exceptional customer care. His experience in white-collar industries gave him a unique perspective on what construction companies often lacked.
“At the time, construction was more informal than a lot of industries,” Ron says. “I decided that if I were to offer something different, it could be a bit of that ethos I’d picked up in the business world. I professionalized Bejac and marketed it as a customer-first service provider.”
Throughout the 1990s, Bejac became known not just as a reliable rental house, but as a full-service equipment partner. The company carved out a niche in compaction equipment, then expanded its capabilities, adding strong manufacturing partnerships and beginning its expansion into other cities in California.
Every step was strategic. “We never expanded for expansion’s sake,” Ron notes. “We did it to meet our customers where they needed us—with brands and support they could count on.”
Ron’s mindset was simple: be adaptable and never stop solving for the customer.
“When we first started working with manufacturers, it was to acquire machines that we could rent,” he explains. “Over time, as we became better known in the industry, I realized there was an opportunity for us to begin selling machines as an equipment distributor.”
Leading with service
In the 2000s, Bejac officially entered the equipment distribution business, selling new machines in addition to its rental inventory. The move reduced dependence on the residential construction market, which was starting to slow. Instead, the company targeted infrastructure clients and explored emerging opportunities in niche markets.
“It was a big initiative and a bit of a risk for the business, which was well-established as a rental provider by that point,” Ron says. “But I didn’t want the company to be overly reliant on one sector. We had to think long-term.”
While others pulled back during the Great Recession, Ron doubled down. Bejac began acquiring businesses and expanding into emerging sectors, including demolition, forestry, waste handling, and recycling, which were all markets demanding specialized machinery and dependable technical support.
That forward thinking paid off. Bejac soon became a trusted distributor and service partner for multi-billion-dollar manufacturers. Its footprint steadily expanded across California, Nevada, Arizona, and Washington, supported by a central parts and equipment hub in Visalia. As the company’s reach grew, so did its technical specialization, with a focus on niche industries outside earthmoving that used diesel engines and hydraulic pumps, allowing Bejac to serve industries few others could support at the highest level.
Most recently, Bejac opened a premier facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, after identifying a market opportunity when a major equipment dealer exited the region. Bejac moved in with its proven model: lead with service, build the right team, and listen to the market.
“Whenever we enter a new territory, we don’t start renting or selling until we have the right people in place,” Ron explains. “That’s what defines the Bejac approach. In Utah, we hired qualified technicians and a regional manager first. Then we looked at where demand was highest and found that scrap and demolition services were in high demand, so that’s where we focused.”
Customer commitment
Ron strategically expanded manufacturer offerings for Utah to include some of Bejac’s core partnerships like Liebherr, Tigercat, TimberPro, Shuttlewagon, Eggersmann, and recently expanded its offerings with the addition of Kobelco Excavators.
Ron sees the Utah expansion as a blueprint for future growth, not just because of the market opportunity but because of how well Bejac’s values aligned with the region’s business climate. “Utah is a very business-friendly state, and from day one we were able to form strong partnerships that helped us hit the ground running,” he explains. “We quickly earned a reputation as a customer-focused company that goes above and beyond to take care of our client’s needs. That kind of environment allows us to do what we do best—build trust, deliver solutions, and grow the right way.”
Looking ahead, Ron remains focused on opportunity-led growth. “At the rate we’re expanding, we’ll continue to consider new markets and hone in on new opportunities west of the Rockies. But we’ll do it smartly—by adapting to each new region and continuing to strengthen our relationships with manufacturers and customers. It’s these collaborations that enable us to offer the advanced, specialized equipment that defines Bejac,” he concludes.
From a family name on Van Buren Street to a multi-state enterprise known for excellence, Bejac’s evolution has been anything but accidental. It has been forged through decades of grit, smart risk-taking, and relentless commitment to the customer. This legacy, built on service, trust, and hard-earned partnerships, continues to grow one machine, one customer, and one promise at a time.