BEHST Builders, Inc. is owned and operated by Jon Benoit.  BEHST Builders, Inc. has completed more than 100 projects in the St. Augustine area over the last eighteen years.  Our Portfolio web page shows a sample of the variety of projects that we have completed.  Jon earned a B.S. from Vanderbilt University and a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Commonwealth University.  Jon's graduate work focused on historic preservation and urban revitalization, a perfect training for working in St. Augustine's historic neighborhoods.   Jon obtained a Certified Building Contractor's license in 2004.    In 2021, Jon earned AICP certification from the American Planning Association.   

Prior to founding BEHST Builders, Inc. Jon worked as a project manager for a custom home builder in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. In Richmond, Virginia Jon worked as a project manager for a non-profit housing development corporation building and rehabilitating single family homes within historic neighborhoods.  Prior to finding a passion for architecture and construction, Jon worked as an operations manager and project manager for a Fortune 500 financial services corporation.  

Jon has also served as a Board member of the St. Francis House Homeless Shelter for over four years and served as board President for three years.  Over this tenure, the board and staff nearly doubled the shelter's housing capacity while finding ways to have lasting impacts on the community's most vulnerable men, women, and families.  Jon currently serves on the City of St. Augustine's Historic Architectural Review Board.  This board reviews development projects with the city's historic neighborhoods and entry corridors.    

BEHST Builders, Inc has expanded over the years to include a diverse team of associates who each bring a unique skill set to the construction industry.   

Joe Hill has worked with BEHST Builders in one capacity or another for over ten years.   Joe owned and operated an independent landscape and irrigation company for several years before working full time with Jon.   Joe brings great knowledge of Florida's unique site conditions and an uncanny ability to solve all sorts of problems in the field.  The reality is that custom homes and high end commercial construction are getting more and more complicated and Joe has the mechanically oriented mind set to navigate this new world. 

Kathi Jones is our Office Manager and Fiscal Commander all in one.   Kathi has the challenge of managing a group of guys that don't want to fill out paperwork and turn in receipts.   Kathi manages payroll and employee benefits such as paid time off, health insurance, and retirement investment plans.  Kathi brings a wealth of experience from the bookeeping world as well as having run her own small businesses.  

John Corpuz is the jack of all trades that every custom construction company needs to get the job done.  Johnny brings tens years of experience in property management to the team.   Johnny's strength is his willingness and ability to do anything from carpentry, drywall, painting, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, irrigation, roofing, and the list goes on and on.   Johnny was added to the team in 2018 and hasn't looked back.   

Ron Cordy is a master carpenter with more than 30 years experience in trim carpentry.   Ron has a motor that drives much of the energy on site.  His ability to problem solve and deliver all kinds of custom carpentry for our customers is why he has been a steady presence at BEHST Builders for over seven years.