TYLER, Texas — There is a story behind the build of every house, with passion and consideration for the family who will one day call it "home."
This is a truth that Tyler natives and respected builders Jesse and Veretta Rider know well. The couple own Rider Homes Incorporated and Rider Construction Incorporated
"When you're building houses of this caliber, you want it to say something, and this one is definitely saying something," Rider said.
Jesse left home as a young man with $35 in his pocket. He was determined to get a college education and pursue his dream of becoming a contractor - a vision he adopted as a teenager after working as an assistant to a contractor his father hired to build their family's home.
“It was something that I was determined to do," Jesse said. "From that day forward, everything else has been history. When I got to the college, they hired me as a cook and later on as a night watchman in the cafeteria. That paid my tuition and paid my schooling for four years."
In 1959, Jesse graduated from Prairie View A&M with a degree in industrial engineering. Though certified to work in the field, he was unable to work full-time as a builder.
"Back in the 60s, we had what we called 'tale of two cities," Jesse said. "The contractors in North Tyler where I grew up and where I was working said, 'do not hire that schoolboy because if you do, he'll take all your jobs'. I could not get a job in my own hometown doing what I was trained to do. I was forced to go into the teaching field, but I did not lose my love for the contracting business."
Jesse started his teaching career at Dogan Middle School in Tyler. He would go on to obtain a Master's Degree in counseling and guidance from Texas A&M University in Commerce. Until his retirement in 2000, he worked as a vocational counselor and lead counselor at Robert E. Lee High School.
"I taught school in the daytime and in the summer, I built houses and repaired houses," Jesse said. "I still kept my goals."
When Jesse retired from education, he committed to completely focus on his two companies. Rider Construction Inc. is the commercial arm of the business, while Rider Homes Inc. is the residential side.. From the beginning, his wife, Veretta, has served as his business partner. In recent years, the Riders' children have stepped up to contribute to the family businesses.
“We have a daughter who has been instrumental in working with the business for the last several years," Jesse said. "So that the Rider Homes doesn’t die, she’s going to pick up the legacy of the Rider Homes and continue the legacy to go on."
In all, Jesse has been in the business for more than 40 years. He has built 120 homes and seven churches in Smith County, Gregg County and Louisiana. In past years, several of his homes have been featured in magazines and in the Parade of Homes Tour.
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Among that, Jesse is the first and only African American to serve as president of the Tyler Area Builder's Association.
“We enjoy taking bricks and sticks and rocks, concrete, and then turning into facilities such as this," Jesse said. "It just gives us pride in order to be able to do this and that’s what we’re about."
In addition to the family business, the Riders' are also known for giving back to their community of North Tyler.
"We’ve done quite a bit of work with Neighborhood Services, where we’ve worked and given back to the community, and that’s what we call our long suit," Jesse said.
Jesse worked with the city to build custom homes for qualifying families, while also gifting deserving families with their dream homes through Rider Homes Inc.
"I don’t want to forget from where I came, and this is why I do that," Jesse said. "The Lord has blessed me down through the years and I want to be a blessing to somebody else.”