Mark ‘Buzz’ Haldeman earned his nickname from his buzz saw-like energy. ‘Now it’s more of a ‘buzzard’ nickname, my friends tell me,’ he said with a laugh as he showed off his work in the Annaville Baptist Church playground. Details, such as adding a surfboard to the exterior of a playhouse, are his speciality. Photo by Suzanne Freeman
On a fast-paced tour of Annaville Baptist Church, contractor-carpenter Mark “Buzz” Haldeman takes his visitor from a newly remodeled youth room to a new welcome center to the sanctuary, where the gleam of polished maple stands as testament to his craft. With 39 years’ experience as a master carpenter, the owner of Buzz Custom Construction in Corpus Christi takes on jobs both large and small but none as close to his heart as the work he does for his church.
“It’s an honor to be asked by such a big congregation to do this,” Haldeman said. “Seven hundred people go to church here.”
A passionate man of strong beliefs, Haldeman looks at every job, whether a residential remodel, church playground or commercial construction, as if he’s building something his own family will live in and use.
“My dad taught me that a customer should become a friend at the end of the job if you’ve done it right,” Haldeman said. “And he taught me that it ain’t worth doing if you don’t do it right.”
His family does practically live at the church, where they fill a row of pews just four back from the front every Sunday. The pastor’s son often works with Haldeman, and the families are all close friends. Haldeman credits Pastor Robert Simmons with helping turn his life around.
“The pastor knows the Lord like I know woodwork,” Haldeman said. “He taught me to live my life with integrity. That’s in my prayers — to have wisdom, integrity and a good heart.”
He also gives a nod to his wife of 32 years, Priscilla (aka Mrs. Buzz), who often works with him, especially on the church projects.
Haldeman does so much work at the church that he keeps some equipment there. In fact, his tools travel around the campus almost daily as he moves from project to project, cleaning behind him as he goes. Except for the gleam of new wood, you would never know he was there.
When not working on the church, Haldeman does mostly residential remodels from bathrooms to high-end, long-term projects. He also does commercial work, new construction, doors and windows, decks, pergolas and exterior siding. He follows in the footsteps of his father, Jerry Haldeman, a longtime contractor and community leader who served as president of the Ronald McDonald House in Corpus Christi. The elder Haldeman died in 2013, a loss that still affects Buzz.
“I know my heavenly Father and my dad are watching me every day,” he said. “I have every reason to keep moving forward and to keep growing in Christ.”
Haldeman said he knew as a small child he would be a carpenter. As a toddler on job sites with his father, he stacked wood as blocks. As he grew, he began to hammer them together and soon started picking up power tools, despite his father’s worries about lost limbs.
“I’ve never lost a finger,” Haldeman said. ”I’m very anal about safety. I don’t even leave cords laying around to trip over. I keep a clean job site.”
Haldeman’s work is precise, clean and solid. Anyone walking the halls of Annaville Baptist Church on Violet Road can tell the love and attention he pays to detail. Proof also comes from his 30 years with an A+ industry rating and zero complaints about his work. The Lord gets the credit for that, he said.
“When you have integrity and serve the Lord, you live your life that way, you run your business that way,” he said. “My prayer is to be a Christian professional contractor or carpenter every day.”
Buzz Custom Construction is located at 4655 Sharpsburg Road, #107, in Corpus Christi. You can reach Buzz at 361-229-8808 or email him at buzzcustomconst@aol.com.
