Natan Ben Shabat
Entrepreneur, business owner, multilinguist, and generous man
Ben is one of the most stubborn individuals I’ve ever encountered. Flip a coin! Tails, he can be a stubborn ass. But when you flip heads, you get the smartest, kindest, most generous, and loving person. Those qualities make him a talent worth knowing and the ultimate friend. Ben is intelligent and resourceful. Present him with almost any problem, and he’ll find a solution that works—whereas others might be slower and more cautious before committing to a solution, not Ben. The solution automatically comes to him. He knows just what to do and does it without hesitancy. That’s ok, confidence. That’s Ben.
Born and raised in Israel, he emigrated to the US at 23, unable to speak English, only Hebrew. He quickly mastered English and then Spanish, fully immersing himself among the native language speakers—just a matter-of-fact challenge for Ben. Starting in California, Ben and his family moved to Tucson. The timing worked out, and when they were ready to move to the desert, a bakery on South 4th Avenue was put up for auction. For 15 years, Ben ran Alexia Bakery in honor of their first daughter.
Ben purchased a small brick paving business after the bakery and various other opportunities and endeavors. The business had a few pieces of operating equipment and a small work crew. Immediately after the purchase, the crew quit, except for one fellow. So, Ben bought a business name, no booked client jobs, a one-person crew, and a few tools. He had to build the business from the ground up, which he did.
After thirteen years, Ben turned over the ownership and operation of a very successful business to his key employees. What do I mean by successful? A commercial and residential business with client jobs booked 6-12 months ahead, word-of-mouth-only sales, dedicated long-term staff, rave client reviews, no debt, cash-rich, and a stellar reputation of business integrity. A business built and operated Ben’s way. That is what I mean by successful.
Almost any business or challenge that Ben takes on will be a success. Ben is unique and is a talent worth knowing.
