Meet the man building your new home in Bixby Village!

Brian Henry and Family

May 31, 2023

Meet Brian Henry, Director of Construction, the guy in charge of building new homes in Bixby Village, Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods’ new community in Bixby. Henry has been with Ideal for 24 years and has been a Director of Construction since July 2020.

Henry was born and raised in Oklahoma; his background is in finance, but a builder friend persuaded him to consider a job in construction and the rest is history. “I build every house like I’m going to live in it,” stated Henry. “Knowing I can help make a positive impact on someone’s life and provide a wonderful customer experience is what I work for,” he continued. “Everyone wants the American Dream … owning a good, quality home; and quality is what we do.”

According to Henry, it’s easy to perform well for a company when you believe in them. Ideal has been an amazing journey. When he started with Ideal, Henry didn’t have a clue what a “stud” was, much less how to build a wall. So, he began as a customer care field rep, worked warranties and orientation, and then, 20 years ago, became a builder.

Henry goes on to say, “I love the people and culture of Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods. This company stands for something, and a person can learn every day.” Ideal recently supported volunteer efforts to raise funds and food for the Bixby Outreach Center, which is an important cornerstone of the company. Philanthropy in the communities they build is a critical part of the company’s role as they see it.

“Every now and then, the Ideal owners will give each of us cash – sometimes $20, sometimes $100 – to use for the good of others. The stories we hear from our colleagues about this are great. I find myself paying it forward … buying dinner for perfect strangers, tipping the price of a meal. This is a great company,” he continued.

Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods also fosters a culture of inclusion, offering employees with disabilities the opportunity to grow and develop within the company. The organization currently employs more than 90 people with disabilities in various departments including customer service, sales, accounting and IT. In addition, Ideal recently created an internal diversity committee to ensure that their workforce reflects the communities they serve by promoting.

As a construction director, Henry has lead teams of expert builders, most of whom have more than a decade of tenure with the company. He’s always looking for better ways to do things, which is part of what makes him a great leader. “A better understanding of how to manage and empathize with my employees makes the job more personal for everyone. Learning to read people and understand their personalities has even made my family life better,” Henry said.

“I love coming to work every day,” says Henry. And loving your job carries over to your personal life. His soon-to-be-bride, a Realtor, would probably agree with that!