Celebrating Paul Hanson:

A Steady Hand, a Trusted Voice, and a Legacy of Integrity

If you have spent any time around Valley Corp leadership over the years, you have probably heard the same theme come up again and again when people talk about Paul Hanson:  Trust.

Not the kind you have to hope for. The kind you earn through years of consistent work, honest decisions, and a calm presence when pressure is high.

As Paul steps into retirement, we want to take a moment to celebrate what he has meant to Valley Corp, and why his impact will be felt for a long time.

The Early Days: Helping build a Stronger Foundation

Roger and Bonnie Bevington, who led Valley Corp in its early years, remember when the company was still a small operation. Roger handled the technical side of the business. Bonnie handled administration. During that period, they made a decision that set the company’s financial direction for decades.

Bonnie hired Paul after she felt the company’s prior accountant was giving poor financial advice. Paul brought the experience and expertise they needed, and they credit him with helping turn the company around and improve profitability.

They also remember Paul as someone who was simply enjoyable to work with day to day. He brought a positive personality, professionalism, and the kind of steady problem-solving you want by your side when you are building something that matters.

“High-quality numbers” that Leadership could rely on

When Valley Corp CEO Matt Bevington reflects on Paul’s career at Valley Corp, he comes back to a simple point: Paul’s numbers were accurate, consistent, and dependable from the start.

Matt described Paul as “definitely dedicated” to providing reliable financial information to management, and that reliability grew into something bigger than internal confidence. Over time, Valley’s outside partners, including banks and bonding companies, learned they could trust the financial information coming from Valley Corp because it did not swing wildly or change dramatically. In fact, Matt noted that audits often came back with little to no adjustment, which says a lot in a world where accuracy matters.

That consistency helped Valley operate with clarity. It also helped Valley maintain credibility with the partners contractors rely on to keep projects moving.

Paul’s “Duck” Leadership Style

Jeff Grady, Valley Corp vice president, put Paul’s leadership style into a phrase that instantly made sense to everyone who has worked with him. “I call him a duck.”

Jeff explained what he meant. Paul stayed calm on the surface, even when challenges were real, but behind the scenes, he was constantly working through the details. Jeff said that steadiness brought peace and stability to the people around him, especially during tough stretches. It also shaped Jeff’s own leadership over time, a reminder that there are moments when calm is not just a personality trait, it is a responsibility.

Integrity Builds Trust, Reliability

One of the strongest examples Matt shared happened early in Paul’s career.

Paul had been preparing monthly financial statements, and the year looked like it was going very well. Then Paul found an accounting error that changed the story. The year shifted from looking highly profitable to something far more marginal. According to Matt, Paul did not try to hide it or soften it. He brought it forward immediately and owned it. “The moment he found that mistake, he brought it to us immediately.”

Matt described that as a defining moment of integrity, and one that built real trust. It also reflected something deeper that Matt saw consistently in Paul: decisions rooted in what is right and honest, even when the truth is inconvenient.

Jeff shared a similar theme from his experience working alongside Paul on a difficult project claim. Jeff described being frustrated and high-strung at the time, and Paul stayed calm, focused, and ethical. Paul pushed for a claim built on facts, with no holes to punch into it. The work was intense and intentional, but it was guided by discipline, not emotion.

Long-term Stability keeps Valley Corp Moving Forward

Construction is not an industry built on smooth, predictable seasons. The work is cyclical. Cash flow can tighten. Jobs do not always go as planned. Growth requires both courage and caution.

Jeff described a time when Valley faced real pressure and had to “grow to survive.” He pointed to a leadership group that worked through that reality together, and to Paul’s role in helping figure out how the company could survive and position itself for what came next. Jeff also emphasized Paul’s ability to keep the financial side clean and credible through it all.

Matt highlighted something just as practical and just as important: dependability. Paul was consistently early, often arriving around 5:00 or 5:30 a.m., and leadership could count on him to be there, to do the work, and to do it right.

For a company like Valley, that kind of reliability is not a small thing. It is a pillar.

A Teacher and Team Builder

Amber Arner, Valley Corp Director of Finance & Administration, joined the company in November 2024, and shared a perspective that matters because it reflects Paul’s legacy in real time. She said that one of the most important things to highlight is what Paul built in the accounting department. “He build a great team in the accounting department.”

From her vantage point, that meant she could step in and learn the company and the industry without immediately rebuilding staffing or recruiting to fill gaps. She also tied that stability to the broader culture of Valley Corp and TJ Cable, noting the importance of retaining quality people and what it says when there is no turnover in a department.

Amber also spoke about the balance that makes Valley different in her eyes: accountability paired with empathy and genuine care from leadership. She credited that to the culture Matt and Lisa have built, and she sees Paul as part of the leadership fabric that helped make that culture real, not just something said out loud.

Looking ahead, Amber expressed confidence in the leadership team and the company’s ability to keep moving forward, even as she acknowledged the weight of what Paul has meant to the organization.

The Person behind the Professional

Paul’s impact is not only measured in reports, audits, or forecasts. It is also measured by who he is. More than one person interviewed for this mentioned Paul’s faith and how it showed up in his daily life. Matt noted there was always a Bible on Paul’s desk. Jeff shared that Paul is a very godly man and that, at one point, he may have studied to become a pastor. Jeff also noted that Paul’s long-time Monday-through-Thursday schedule was tied to how he structured his life and commitments outside of work.

Several people also mentioned Paul’s love of woodworking. Jeff said Paul “geeks out” on it. He talked about the time and equipment Paul has invested in the craft, and how excited he is to pursue it in retirement. Matt added that Paul enjoyed working with his hands and using those skills to help people, including projects connected to church and community. (Paul, center, directs the milling of raw wood to eventually become the Valley Corp conference room table)

And if you want one small story that says something about Paul’s long career and attention to detail, Jeff offered a funny one: early in Jeff’s time at Valley, a paper timesheet mishap led to Jeff being the one person Paul did not pay for a week. It got fixed quickly, but the story stuck as a running joke, and a reminder that Paul handled a massive workload for many years, often as a one-man band across AP, AR, and payroll.

Thank You, Paul

Paul Henson helped Valley Corp grow stronger from the inside out. He helped build financial clarity and external credibility. He modeled integrity, even when it required hard conversations. He taught others how to approach problems with discipline and calm. He built a department and a team that will continue to serve Valley Corp well.

Most of all, Paul showed what it looks like to bring character to work every day.

Paul, thank you for your years of service, your steady leadership, the example you set – and your friendship. You will be missed, and your legacy will remain a real part of Valley Corp’s foundation.