MSR On the Radar: The Buckner Family Builds Moltron Builders Together
On this MSR On the Radar episode, powered by JPMorgan Chase, Damenica Ellis talks with Pat and Babette Buckner, the couple behind Moltron Builders Inc. Pat started Moltron Enterprises in 1991 after earning certifications through the union trades. Babette, a former Target merchandise analyst with a degree in economics, introduced the company to Target as an early client and became majority owner and CEO in 2019. They describe pairing field knowledge with back-office leadership, hiring locally on projects, and working alongside their children P.J. and Bella. Annual four-hour planning sessions, led in turn by each family member, keep decisions shared.
In 1991, Pat Buckner took a risk and became his own boss by incorporating Moltron Enterprises. He built the company on something he saw as an African American man: one of the greatest economic stresses in the country is finding a job. Coming from a family of contractors and entrepreneurs, Pat entered the union trades early to earn certifications and knowledge.
“Construction for me is like art, like a musician with an instrument, an artist with a paintbrush,” he said. “So I didn’t go to work, went to school, and got paid to learn more about my art.”
By starting his own enterprise, Pat set out to bypass the job search entirely and create a lasting economic engine for his family, drawing inspiration from historically prominent family legacies.
In 1994, Pat married Babette Buckner, who was then a merchandise analyst for Target Corp. Babette started by helping with administration, drafting business plans and managing billing. After the birth of their son, P.J., Pat asked her to join the business full time. Before leaving corporate retail, Babette introduced the company to Target, which became one of its first major clients and a vital springboard for growth, she said.
The company’s strength lies in a deliberate division of expertise, Babette said. Pat understands the field and the assembly process through his union training, while Babette, who has a degree in economics, oversees corporate operations. She said entrepreneurs with deep trade knowledge should pair with leaders who can manage the backroom, including accounting, human resources, legal affairs and regulatory requirements.
In 2007, the Buckners established Moltron Builders Inc., the company they run today. Pat’s earlier company, Moltron Enterprises, is no longer in operation. In 2019, Babette became Moltron Builders’ majority owner and CEO, working in an industry where federal set-asides were available to women-owned businesses. She acknowledged the complexity of supporting her family while keeping the company accountable, and said objective metrics and financial data must guide business decisions.
Pat wants Moltron’s crew to reflect the community. “When we get a project, I go to the community I know, and I hire them,” he said. Following the models of his industry mentors, he recruits and hires locally on projects to build economic strength from within.
Two of Pat and Babette’s five children, P.J. and Bella Buckner, work in the business. Bella joined around 2022 after a yearlong internship with Opus Construction. She came from customer service and banking, and she was looking for a workplace away from client hostility and corporate structures that treat workers as replaceable. She is now Moltron’s project coordinator.
Working for the family company brought clear advantages, Bella said, including negotiating fair pay, flexible scheduling and a real focus on personal well-being. Running a business with family takes deliberate management, though. Bella and P.J. work to separate business decisions from personal relationships, and they advocate for clear boundaries inside and outside the office so home dynamics don’t bleed into daily operations. For Babette, managing her adult children means balancing a mother’s instincts with professional standards.
To keep everyone’s voice in company decisions, Moltron holds annual business planning through four-hour sessions that Pat, Babette, Bella and P.J. take turns facilitating. The structure ensures that goals and responsibilities reflect input from the whole family, not directives from the top. For Pat, working alongside his wife and children is the realization of a lifelong ambition.
For more information on Moltron Builders Inc., call 612-685-8388.
How to take part
To learn more about Black businesses like this one, attend the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder and Sister Spokesman’s second annual Best of Black Business Awards on Nov. 7. Honorees in five categories (Food & Drink, Hair & Nails, Health & Wellness, Retail & Merchandise, and Professional Services) will learn their first-, second- and third-place finishes live on stage. Tickets are available at spokesman-recorder.com/sister-spokesman/.
Damenica Ellis welcomes reader responses at dellis@spokesman-recorder.com.
On the Radar highlights established Black-owned businesses and the people behind them. To have your business considered for a future feature, email dellis@spokesman-recorder.com.
