In many industries, community involvement is a way to bring businesses and residents together.
In the shed industry, community goes a lot deeper.
Within businesses, often family and friends work together, helping one another. Outside of the shop, shed companies more often have closer ties than in other industries.
“For some companies, especially family-owned businesses where faith is part of their culture,” religion plays an integral role in the close-knit nature of the shed and construction industries, says Chris Stevenson, vice president of 730 South Exteriors in Colorado.
According to Joel Steele, chief people officer of E-Impact Marketing in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, “It seems no matter where you go, or what state you’re in, the (construction) industries seem to have tight-knit communities.”
But are shared religious values the main reason people in those businesses maintain tightly woven communities?
Steele says the shed and related industries are considered close-knit partly because they are heavily populated by Mennonites, Plain Anabaptists, and Amish, groups to which religion is a primary focus of daily life.
While acknowledging religion plays a role in the intertwined nature of the shed industry for some, Stevenson says, “It’s more about shared values like integrity, hard work, and treating people the right way. Those are things that earn trust, no matter your background.”
Steele agrees, “When you are building something from nothing, it builds teamwork and community.”
THE PROS AND CONS OF WORKING IN A CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITY
Steele’s company offers marketing services to many industries, including the shed world. He says he enjoys the camaraderie of professionals he has met and worked with throughout the shed industry.
“I don’t think people are designed to be alone, so having a sense of belonging in a community is mentally healthy,” he says.
Even though he is in the roofing and siding industries, Stevenson’s company partners with many of the same suppliers, manufacturers, and contractors that also support shed builders.
“It’s a smaller world than people might think. You see the same faces at industry events, you build relationships over time, and your reputation really matters. When people know you’re honest and do quality work, those relationships tend to stick,” says Stevenson.
Anthony Mitchell, the founder and owner of Outdoor Options in Milledgeville, Georgia, has his own views.
“It’s remarkable the way the industry comes together to be helpful, making sure everyone has tools to be successful, whether that’s from a business perspective to community disasters,” he says.
Mitchell says he enjoys knowing “there is always someone to lend a helping hand.”
Another benefit of toiling in an intertwined community is that people are willing to share information about things that worked for them.
Stevenson says there is at least one negative to toiling in a close-knit industry.
“The flip side is that your reputation follows you. If you don’t do right by people, word gets around pretty quickly. Personally, I think that’s a good thing because it encourages everyone to do their best and stand behind their work,” he says.
Steele cites another potential negative: working with family members can be challenging.
“It’s hard to fire your family, but you have to run the business for everyone’s best interest,” he laments.
Steele is a huge proponent of creating and supporting an emotionally healthy work environment. In his mind, communication needs to be honest.
“If people just say what they think you want to hear, it is not honest. Family and co-worker honesty is paramount,” he says.
Open and direct communication creates a foundation of trust, an intrinsic element to stable interpersonal relationships.
SERVING THE COMMUNITY WITHIN
Community-building, both within the walls of E-Impact Marketing and in the outside world, is a daily pursuit at the firm.
“(Internally) we want our staff to have personal and professional communities,” says Steele.
To foster those interactions, one of the company offerings is a weekly catered lunch on-site. Employees can also play pickleball, trivia games, and go out to eat, for example, all organized by staffers who step up to volunteer.
Recently, a large patio with grills and seating was added to the company’s headquarters. A pool table, dart boards, and lounge area with large-screen TVs are also readily available for chats, camaraderie, and fun.
“We have put the time, resources, and focus on creating several outdoor and indoor spaces designed to make community get-togethers natural and easy,” says Steele.
More Community Participation
Many shed building entities are active participants in their communities. Here is a sampling of a few:
According to Josh Payne, the general manager of The Shed Depot in Sanford, North Carolina, for 18 years, relieving homelessness in his area is of paramount importance to the company. As such, the company formerly donated lumber and other materials to Outreach Mission, a homeless shelter in Sanford, to build a small shed to sell at auction. However, it wasn’t long before The Shed Depot started building the shed in-house. Not only did the company donate the shed for auction, but it also moves the structure around town to publicize the auction. Nowadays, The Shed Depot moves the shed up to seven times before the auction ends so countless potential bidders can see it. The fundraiser’s kickoff begins with the county fair in September and ends with the shed being featured in the town’s annual Christmas Parade. After the auction ends a few days later, Payne’s employees deliver the shed to the lucky winner’s house. In 2025, the shed built by The Shed Depot raised nearly $30,000 for the homeless organization.
In 2023, Fruita Shed Company, formerly known as Alpine Buildings, in Fruita, Colorado, built and donated a shed to STRiVE, a Golden Junction, Colorado, nonprofit providing support and early intervention services to children and individuals with developmental disabilities and delays. The shed was auctioned off at STRiVE’s annual Tulips and Juleps fundraiser.
In both 2025 and 2026, students in a Vertical Construction course, a project-based learning class at the University of Nebraska School of Architectural Engineering and Construction, Lincoln, Nebraska, built several sheds to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Emmeline Watson, an assistant professor of practice in the school’s Architectural Engineering and Construction program, led students in erecting the structures for “Sheds of Hope,” a community-based construction project giving students real-world experience erecting sheds complete with framed walls and floors, installing roofs, siding, doors, and windows.
COMMUNITY-BUILDING IN THE MACRO
As much as E-Impact Marketing has highlighted its commitment to the happiness of its community of employees and clients, it recently announced a new endeavor to assist the community at-large.
On August 19, the company announced its goal to donate 25 percent of its net profits to neighborhood improvement projects to “assist refugees and poorer margins of society,” says Steele.
If the plan is executed as hoped, the company will donate approximately 16 percent of net profits generated between January and December 2027. From December 31, 2028, and every year thereafter, E-Impact plans to donate 25 percent.
Dubbed the “wildly important goal,” or WIG for short, the donation effort fulfills the company’s mission of being positive ambassadors to both their own community and those who can benefit from E-Impact’s resources.
Among the contributions made by Mitchell and his Outdoor Options entity to their local Georgia community is sponsoring children’s sports teams.
“Our name has been on T-shirts, banners, and practice jerseys,” he says.
It’s especially fun when one of his daughters plays on a team his company sponsors.
“It’s exciting to see my daughter wearing a T-shirt with my company name on it. I am proud to support my community,” he says.
Mitchell is also a member of the Oconee Builders Association and a few local chambers of commerce, where he has sponsored several events.
For Stevenson, the close-knit nature of the shed and construction industries was a big draw for him. He says the sense of community is one of the reasons he enjoys his work.
“At the end of the day, this business is about people. You build relationships with customers, coworkers, suppliers, and other contractors, and many of those relationships last for years. It’s rewarding to be part of an industry where trust still means something,” Stevenson sums up.
