Updated:
Originally Published:
Beta Engineering was founded in 1975—but for more than a decade, it existed only in name. There were no project sites, no full-time team, no deliverables. And yet, during those years, the foundation of what Beta would become was already beginning to take shape.
In the late 1970s, Steve Besson was a young draftsman working at DIS-TRAN Products (now DIS-TRAN Steel and DIS-TRAN Packaged Substations). One of his regular tasks was to run errands to Crest Industries’ offices, then located behind Mid-State Electric Supply at 3323 Broadway in Alexandria, Louisiana.
On the glass door was a list of Crest-owned companies. One name stood out.
“The only one I had no idea about was Beta Engineering,” Steve said. “I asked James Fuglaar, who was a Project Manager and Electrical Engineer at DIS-TRAN, what it was. I don’t remember the explanation, but from what I remember, it wasn’t what eventually became Beta.”
At the time, Crest’s leadership was focused on relocating DIS-TRAN Steel and Wood to a new facility in Tioga—a move that required major investment and organizational focus. With attention elsewhere, Beta remained a concept—a name without a dedicated team or clear direction.
By the early 1980s, Beta had started to take on a few projects. It was still in startup mode. Steve Besson, James Fuglaar, and Sam Brooks—who had been one of Mid-State Electric’s top salespeople, specializing in electrical and industrial products—began pushing the concept forward.
Steve Besson recalled those early efforts:
“From 1975 to around 1982, Beta existed on paper only. But we were working on it—just not in an official way yet.”
Kenny Robison, now CEO, reflected on that formative period:
“I remember working at Packaged Substations on some Beta projects during the summers of 1982 and 1983. We were working nights, borrowing resources from DIS-TRAN and Mid-State Electric, and making it work through sheer grit and determination.”
By 1985, Steve was producing proposal drawings, estimating job costs, and visiting project sites—all outside of normal working hours.
By the mid-1980s, Beta was turning a profit—but with little name recognition and no steady backlog, every project was a new challenge. As Kenny described:
“We would work overtime to bid and book a project. If we got it, all of our attention shifted to executing the project until it was complete. Then we’d have no backlog and had to start over.”
Even in those early years, Beta’s core behaviors were already surfacing:
• Follow through
• Do what you say
• Own the outcome
• Put in the work—no shortcuts
Jenny Kight, a longtime member of Beta’s project team, recalled the sense of purpose that defined those early days:
“What we were doing was important. You just knew it. You knew this was bigger than you.”
Sarah Halbert, Beta’s Vice President of Operations, echoed that same mindset:
“You’re here because someone trusted you to do hard things. You’re not here to look at the easy stuff.”
CEO Kenny Robison summarized the mindset that shaped Beta’s early foundation:
“Beta didn’t begin with a bold launch or strategic roadmap. It began quietly—with a few people working behind the scenes, after hours, without recognition. They were solving problems. Saying yes when it was hard. Figuring it out with grit and persistence.”
Hear Kenny share more about Beta’s roots and the mindset that still drives us today in his 50th anniversary toast.
Beta may not have built anything in the 1970s—but the decade still mattered. It introduced the name, attracted the people, and revealed the mindset that would shape the company for decades to come.
At the same time, the broader energy landscape was shifting. The U.S. experienced two major oil shocks during the 1970s—one in 1973 and another in 1978—that disrupted global energy markets and halted the consistent 7% annual growth utilities had enjoyed in prior years. These economic pressures rippled through the utility industry, reducing demand for packaged substations and forcing companies like DIS-TRAN to re-evaluate their strategies.
As a sister company to DIS-TRAN within the Crest family, Beta became part of that strategic response. With DIS-TRAN facing excess capacity, investing in Beta offered both a necessary outlet and a new opportunity. What began as a quiet idea on paper was now being positioned for a larger role.
Beta was officially founded in 1975, but its real momentum came from the people who started building long before there was a structure. Their approach, grounded in ownership, grit, and follow-through, continues to shape who we are today.
Updated:
May 22, 2025
Updated:
Originally Published:
Beta Engineering was founded in 1975—but for more than a decade, it existed only in name. There were no project sites, no full-time team, no deliverables. And yet, during those years, the foundation of what Beta would become was already beginning to take shape.
In the late 1970s, Steve Besson was a young draftsman working at DIS-TRAN Products (now DIS-TRAN Steel and DIS-TRAN Packaged Substations). One of his regular tasks was to run errands to Crest Industries’ offices, then located behind Mid-State Electric Supply at 3323 Broadway in Alexandria, Louisiana.
On the glass door was a list of Crest-owned companies. One name stood out.
“The only one I had no idea about was Beta Engineering,” Steve said. “I asked James Fuglaar, who was a Project Manager and Electrical Engineer at DIS-TRAN, what it was. I don’t remember the explanation, but from what I remember, it wasn’t what eventually became Beta.”
At the time, Crest’s leadership was focused on relocating DIS-TRAN Steel and Wood to a new facility in Tioga—a move that required major investment and organizational focus. With attention elsewhere, Beta remained a concept—a name without a dedicated team or clear direction.
By the early 1980s, Beta had started to take on a few projects. It was still in startup mode. Steve Besson, James Fuglaar, and Sam Brooks—who had been one of Mid-State Electric’s top salespeople, specializing in electrical and industrial products—began pushing the concept forward.
Steve Besson recalled those early efforts:
“From 1975 to around 1982, Beta existed on paper only. But we were working on it—just not in an official way yet.”
Kenny Robison, now CEO, reflected on that formative period:
“I remember working at Packaged Substations on some Beta projects during the summers of 1982 and 1983. We were working nights, borrowing resources from DIS-TRAN and Mid-State Electric, and making it work through sheer grit and determination.”
By 1985, Steve was producing proposal drawings, estimating job costs, and visiting project sites—all outside of normal working hours.
By the mid-1980s, Beta was turning a profit—but with little name recognition and no steady backlog, every project was a new challenge. As Kenny described:
“We would work overtime to bid and book a project. If we got it, all of our attention shifted to executing the project until it was complete. Then we’d have no backlog and had to start over.”
Even in those early years, Beta’s core behaviors were already surfacing:
• Follow through
• Do what you say
• Own the outcome
• Put in the work—no shortcuts
Jenny Kight, a longtime member of Beta’s project team, recalled the sense of purpose that defined those early days:
“What we were doing was important. You just knew it. You knew this was bigger than you.”
Sarah Halbert, Beta’s Vice President of Operations, echoed that same mindset:
“You’re here because someone trusted you to do hard things. You’re not here to look at the easy stuff.”
CEO Kenny Robison summarized the mindset that shaped Beta’s early foundation:
“Beta didn’t begin with a bold launch or strategic roadmap. It began quietly—with a few people working behind the scenes, after hours, without recognition. They were solving problems. Saying yes when it was hard. Figuring it out with grit and persistence.”
Hear Kenny share more about Beta’s roots and the mindset that still drives us today in his 50th anniversary toast.
Beta may not have built anything in the 1970s—but the decade still mattered. It introduced the name, attracted the people, and revealed the mindset that would shape the company for decades to come.
At the same time, the broader energy landscape was shifting. The U.S. experienced two major oil shocks during the 1970s—one in 1973 and another in 1978—that disrupted global energy markets and halted the consistent 7% annual growth utilities had enjoyed in prior years. These economic pressures rippled through the utility industry, reducing demand for packaged substations and forcing companies like DIS-TRAN to re-evaluate their strategies.
As a sister company to DIS-TRAN within the Crest family, Beta became part of that strategic response. With DIS-TRAN facing excess capacity, investing in Beta offered both a necessary outlet and a new opportunity. What began as a quiet idea on paper was now being positioned for a larger role.
Beta was officially founded in 1975, but its real momentum came from the people who started building long before there was a structure. Their approach, grounded in ownership, grit, and follow-through, continues to shape who we are today.
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