When Bernie Santillana, owner of Voltec Solutions (a Betenbough Homes trade partner), first stepped onto a Betenbough jobsite in Odessa 15 years ago, he carried with him everything he’d grown up believing about hard work, faith, and the construction world. He’d been in church all his life, and he knew the language of Christianity well. But he’d never heard of the Kingdom of God, and he’d never experienced anything like working beside Betenbough builders — inside the church or out. 

He’d seen other builders yell at trade partners, curse at him, and treat crews like they were disposable. That was normal in his world. But the first time Bernie watched Betenbough builders interact with trades, something inside him shifted. They valued him. They listened. They treated him with dignity. And when Bernie began learning about vision trips, leadership workshops, and the way Betenbough Homes invested in people, he felt a spark ignite. 

“I wanted to know more,” he remembers. “I thought: Who are these people? How do they do all this? How is this possible?” 

At the time, Bernie’s plan for Voltec was small: work for Betenbough Homes in Odessa and also pick up a little commercial business. Nothing beyond what he and three employees could handle. But the way Betenbough builders treated him — like his work and his future mattered — pulled something out of him he didn’t even know he had. He wanted to rise to the standard they saw in him and match the trust they’d given him. 

Bernie had always believed in God, but when Betenbough invited him to Lean Blitz, he began to understand his Creator in a new way. Lean Blitz involved trade partners meeting with the Betenbough team and a consultant to discover where money could be saved and efficiencies could be built. The experience helped Bernie see that in a well-organized business, everything is intentional and nothing is wasted.  

“Since God is a God of order,” Bernie reflects, “and Betenbough puts God first, their business runs with order.” 

Then Bernie attended his first Kingdom Leadership Workshop, and everything clicked. He heard Rick Betenbough speak about leadership, purpose, and hearing from God in his everyday work. Bernie realized for the first time in his life that the Kingdom wasn’t just up in heaven or confined to a church building. 

“I’d never heard about the Kingdom of God like that,” Bernie says. He discovered that his purpose wasn’t just to produce work; it was to serve. Not just to lead a crew, but to invest in the men God had placed around him. Not just to build houses, but to build people. “Church didn’t teach me these things. I learned them working with Betenbough.” 

Bernie’s crew at the time was a mix of young men from difficult backgrounds. They were dealing with addiction, depression, family struggles, and spiritual confusion. Bernie started asking God, How do I help these guys?  

He didn’t have all the answers, but God stirred a new purpose in Bernie’s heart: Serve them. Invest in them. Believe in them. 

So he did. 

“I can’t help them with every problem they face,” explains Bernie, “but I do what I can – whether someone just needs encouragement or they’re facing a crisis like losing their home.” He also sets an example of a godly man for his team. 

Over time, the crew started calling Bernie “sir,” something that felt uncomfortable at first because he was still young. But they weren’t doing it out of fear; they were doing it because they respected him. They saw him show up for them consistently. 

One particular team member has recently overcome drug addiction. This young man is so proud of his accomplishment that he’s now inspired to rebuild his credit, buy a house, and bring his family to the U.S. Bernie gets emotional when he talks about being part of his employee’s path to freedom: “To see the change in him, that impacts me. I saw him go from giving in to his addiction to fighting it. And winning.” 

Much like Bernie’s heart for his crew, Corey Lusk, vice president of operations for Betenbough Homes, has a special place in his heart for Bernie. “He’s taken advantage of every opportunity Betenbough has offered him, and he’s run with it,” Corey says. “You can see what’s happened in Voltec because Bernie has applied everything he’s learned here — leadership, good business practices, purpose, hearing from God. And now he’s multiplying it in his own company. I am proud of the Kingdom leader Bernie has become.” 

Voltec has grown from three employees to more than forty. Bernie no longer works in the field; he leads. And inside Voltec’s warehouse sits a training facility for Bernie’s team, a dream he once believed was impossible. 

Recently, Voltec needed to adjust the way it compensated its team members. The old hourly pay system wasn’t working, but change was frightening. Bernie worried: What if this lowers their pay? What if my team leaves? What if the business fails? 

But like he’d learned from Rick in the Kingdom Leadership Workshop, Bernie turned to prayer. God, what do I do? Give me understanding. Show me how to help my guys. 

The answer came with clarity: Switch to a home-based pay structure. Honor their skill. Reward their speed and excellence. He met with each man individually, explaining that instead of being paid by the hour, they’d be paid by the homes they completed. And the idea was received with enthusiasm. Over and over he heard from his team: “I appreciate the opportunity. I know you’re counting on me. Thank you for trusting me with this.” 

Production increased. Quality improved. Paychecks grew. Confidence rose. 

The crews went from struggling to finish their homes on time to completing them early. Some of his youngest employees have become his best, taking pride in their work, fixing problems, truly caring. Bernie shakes his head in amazement. Everything he prayed for, he’s now watching unfold. 

Voltec now has 15 apprentices enrolled in the IEC’s four-year electrical program, and Bernie cheers them on, even knowing that one day they may leave to start their own business. “I don’t want to keep them for life,” he says. “I want them to grow. Be better than me.” 

Betenbough Homes offered Bernie the opportunity to become better, and he now prays that over his guys.  

Not once, he emphasizes, not once in 15 years has he seen a Betenbough builder, construction manager, or general manager disrespect a trade. “All I’ve ever heard from them is, ‘How can we help you?’ That’s their heart. And it’s changed my life.” 

Bernie is now 42. He started working with Betenbough at 27. He’s excited to see what the coming years hold. “This place isn’t just a job. It’s an environment you want to be in. Love, appreciation, respect — that’s what everybody wants. And that’s what I found here. That’s why Voltec is where it is today.” 

He pauses, then says something that echoes with power: “I used to go to church thinking that’s where the Kingdom grows. But I’ve learned from Betenbough that the Kingdom is everywhere. You grow it at work. You grow it every day. Now I know why I’m on Earth.”