The intersection of stewardship, business, and money: A conversation with Alan Barnhart

The Generosity NOW Podcast

What does the Bible say about things like business and money? Surprisingly a lot. There is a tension that comes with navigating our finances, businesses, and families. After all, we want to be good stewards with what we have but how do we do it?

On today's episode, Eric and Laurie sit down with Alan Barnhart, the CEO of Barnhart Crane & Rigging for a great conversation about the intersection of stewardship, business, and money.

About Alan

Alan Barnhart is the CEO of Barnhart Crane & Rigging. He grew up working in the steel-erecting business his father founded in Memphis, Tennessee in 1969. During high school and college, Alan and his brother, Eric, worked summers as ironworkers and crane operators learning the business from the ground up. In college Alan studied civil engineering, coursework that would serve him well after joining the business full-time in the early 1980s. Barnhart Crane & Rigging has grown to be one of the largest Heavy Lift and Heavy Transport organization in the United States with more than 40 locations across the country and a nationwide reputation for solving problems.

Alan, Eric and their families decided to give 100% of their highly successful business to charity to keep wealth from taking over their lives. About 50 percent of all company earnings are donated immediately to charity. The remaining 50 percent is used to grow the business. And in 2007, they gave the entire company to National Christian Foundation. Though they still run its daily operations, the brothers will never reap its accrued value; they kept none of it.

Alan and his wife, Katherine, have six children and reside in Tennessee.