Forty Under 40: Ben Shankle

Ben Shankle is a team player.

Although he was hand-picked to start the Bentonville office of Dallas-based Pavecon Ltd. in 2011 and has grown the staff to 30 — in a market Shankle says is soft and unforgiving — he gives full credit to his staff: “My success is only a reflection of their success,” he said.

An engineer-turned-contractor, Shankle studied civil engineering at the University of New Mexico (where he played football) and then transferred to his home state, graduating cum laude at the University of Arkansas in 2003.

A few years into his career, he decided to build, not design, and he became a contractor.

Many Pavecon employees have worked with Shankle for years, and he says it’s because he treats them like family and “not another number.”

He is driven by the desire to see others succeed, and he also coaches several of his four children’s sports teams.

The extra time with family helps as he strives for a work-life balance, a feat at which his father, who still owns a plastic packaging company, excelled.

“He never missed one football game, one baseball game, even if he was travelling and had to come straight from the airport,” Shankle said. 

Shankle plans to follow his example as Pavecon continues an aggressive growth plan that includes a move into Oklahoma City.

“I really want us to be the best in our industry,” he said.