Beneficial Systems Has Changed Ownership

As of January 1, 2014, Beneficial Systems was purchased by Melissa D.S. Rogers and Ron Sledd Jr. After watching the success of H.R. and Frances Sledd over the past 28 years, they felt it was the right move for them, and the company, as their parents moved on to retirement.

Melissa D.S. Rogers started the company with her father, H.R. Sledd, in 1986. Since H.R. didn’t feel that Melissa should be an electrician, she focused on office tasks and took office clerical courses in school. As time passed, Melissa was taught by her uncle how to set up an accounting system for the company. She furthered her education by becoming certified on whole-office Accounting Software for the Petroleum Industry. To expand Beneficial Systems’ reach, Melissa started traveling to sell and install the accounting software to various customers across the US. As the company started to grow, Melissa’s attention needed to be on the internal operations to support the growth, so her focus shifted; she no longer traveled for the software sales. Melissa has embraced H.R.’s philosophy – “We don’t sell. We solve problems.” She remains focused on staying customer oriented by working with the customers, not for them. Melissa is proud that she has the honor of owning the company that her parents started. Her goal for the future? “Keep H.R. and Frances’ traditions of fairness, personability, and determination alive.”

Ron Sledd left his position as a Director of a call center in 2004 to move back to Virginia and join his father and sister at Beneficial Systems. His first project was to implement a 70-site rollout of a Fuel Management System for a national freight company. Ron’s role as the Service and Project Manager gave him the ability to familiarize himself with the client base, focusing on the heart of the trucking industry. He quickly learned the importance of surge suppression, correct wiring practices and standardization; thereby extending the life of equipment and protecting the client’s investment and operations. Ron developed a keen sense of what prospects are looking for – what solutions would fulfill their needs. He was promoted to V.P. of Client Fulfillment in 2006. Since that time, he has worked hard at being a consultant to current customers as well as developing new business. Keeping his father’s values at the forefront of Beneficial’s business model, Ron explains, “We want to be an extension of our customer, on their team.”