Hilltop Structures, located in Cumberland Furnace, Tennessee, northwest of Nashville, is trying something new this spring. Screened backyard pavilions. “It’s a new product, and we are just testing it at this point,” says owner Dave King. “It appears to be an item that might help jump start the work in[Read More…]
Past Issues
Hot Shed Trends
When homeowners are exposed to new shed-use ideas, it can spur them to think in new ways about their own needs for a shed—and why they might need to buy a shed from you. What was once the domain of traditional storage sheds has transformed into sheds that are unique and[Read More…]
Shed Builder Hires Marketing Agency to Increase Sales
Northland Storage Sheds, based in Milbank, South Dakota, hired a marketing company to boost Northland’s online presence, the company reports. Owner Derek Wipf contacted the marketing agency in January 2017. Shortly thereafter they signed a contract to set a monthly budget. Northland says the agency is implementing CRM (customer relations[Read More…]
Facing the Challenge
Every build brings its own challenges. But wouldn’t it be nice to have a roadmap to those challenges? Fortunately, those builders who have been in the shed business a year or two … or considerably more … are often willing to share the challenges they’ve faced, and how they’re working[Read More…]
Protecting the Bottom of Shed Doors
Race Storage Sheds in West Seneca, New York, is providing aluminum splash guards along the bottom of doors for protection at no extra charge, the company reports. According to Race, fiberglass doors used on sheds haven’t had protection at the bottom. Over the years, the company says it has noticed[Read More…]
Chaotic Markets
Prices will move around a lot.” Did I really say that in the previous column? What an understatement! The catalyst for this volatility is the same—the failure to resolve the softwood lumber dispute and the uncertainty in the near future. Prices Lumber prices have been all over the map the[Read More…]
Updated Window Installation Instructions
More sheds than ever are including windows, providing natural lighting and, increasingly, a breath of fresh air into backyard structures serving as workshops, studios, and more. “When I started, we were selling the old awning-covered crank-out [windows],” says Shane Hartman of WEH Supply Inc. in Denver, Pennsylvania. “They’re still around[Read More…]
‘It’s Just Sticks and Slices’
He was born Homer Embree Overfelt. We called him Pop. He was married to his one-and-only love, Agnes, whom I never had the honor to meet due to her early passing when my dad was only 22. He always spoke of her with a gleam in his eye and a[Read More…]
Are You Providing Excellent Customer Service?
Sam Walton once said, “We only have one boss, and that is the customer. And he can fire us any time by simply deciding to spend his money somewhere else.” Newsflash! Providing excellent customer service in the shed industry is vital, if you want to sustain growth and gain market[Read More…]
For Want of an Air Conditioner, Part 2
If you’ll recall at the end of last issue, my crew leader—who shall remain unnamed—decided that we should bring our little F-150 the next day rather than the tool truck to a brutally hot build. Why? Air conditioning! After a stop by the hardware store for a pallet of blocks,[Read More…]
