Keeping customers coming back
Yoder Barns prides itself on customer service, custom construction and quality materials
This red barn, built from the ground up in just four days, is an example of a custom build by Yoder Barns. It sits on Vandemark Road. Photo by KARL GERHARD
WEST SALEM – For the last 20 years, the folks at Yoder Barns have been building customized barns and other structures and also during that time they have been building quite the loyal customer base.
Instead of handing a customer a brochure with a few options of barns or outdoor structures, Yoder Barns will work closely with each customer to customize a building to suit that specific individual’s needs. In fact, it is very seldom that two buildings come out the same, Matt Miller, general manager of Yoder Barns said.
“We have customers who have become personal friends,” Miller said.
Miller added many customers have come back for repeat business over the years, which is something the company takes pride in. While Yoder Barns has a large customer base within Wayne County, the business has traveled up to 120 miles to construct a barn or other outdoor structure on someone’s property.
Yoder Barns builds customized storage barns, pole buildings, equipment sheds, horse arenas, garages, shop buildings, barns and tack barns. Miller said the best way to get started is for a customer to stop by Yoder Barns’ office at 10809 Wohlgamuth Road in West Salem.
“We will help you with whatever you want and we can give you a quote,” he said. “If you like the quote and like the service you are getting, then we can get started.”
Miller said some customers come in knowing exactly what they want down to the last details, while others are unsure. In these cases, he said he and his staff can work with customers to help them see what is possible.
Miller said the time frame from the first visit to the structure being complete can vary depending on how busy the company is and how large the scope of the project is, but he estimates the average time frame to be about two months.
“A lot of times we build it right there on the site,” Miller said. “Some of the smaller sheds might be built offsite and brought to the location though.”
Miller said it is customer service that sets Yoder Barns apart from its competition. He said the company works hard to give customers the personal attention necessary to make sure they are satisfied with the work and the service they are receiving. He believes customers are confident that the work that was promised to them will be done. The folks from Yoder Barns also pride themselves in staying away from high-pressure sales tactics or surprising customers with hidden fees.
“I think that is something you still see in this area, but other places not as much,” Miller said.
Besides constructing barns, sheds and outbuildings, Yoder Barns hires local roofing experts and offers services in roofing, siding, decks and re-roofs. Whether it is standing seam metal or standard shingles, Yoder Barns can transform the look and increase the property value of a home or outbuilding with a brand new roof. In fact, short of building a completely new home, there aren’t many projects Yoder Barns won’t take on.
Miller said that they believe it is important to use the best quality materials so their structures can last for generations. They are adamant about using only high-grade lumber, inspecting every single piece to ensure it is up to snuff.
“We use a different kind of decking than most people do because it is nicer and holds up better and doesn’t warp,” he said. “We use a different metal paint that has a warranty and it doesn’t fade as fast. We want to build something that is going to last.”
Miller said Yoder Barns has a total of 28 employees who are well trained and ready to work with customers to help meet their needs.
The company started out as a two-man operation two decades ago, but as time went on and the reputation of Yoder Barns became well known, the company began to expand and its customer base grew over a broader geographic area.
“We are actually much larger than we were just three or four years ago,” Miller said, adding that the company was only about half its size a few years before.
While Yoder Barns has expanded and grown considerably since the humble business began 20 years ago, one thing has stayed the same – a loyalty and respect to the customers by working to get them a quality product for a reasonable price.
“That is something that is still very important,” Miller said. “We want to treat our customers right.”
In honor of 20 years in business, the company is having a special sale Aug. 24, 25 and 26, offering discounted prices on select products.
Roots in family
Yoder Barns all began two decades ago by Joe Yoder, and it was managed for many years by his brother, Enos Yoder.
Joe began dabbling in metal work after years of working miscellaneous road construction jobs, and went on to transition into storage shed construction. Eventually, Joe abandoned metal work to focus on storage shed work, which progressed to more and more barns as more and more people liked what they saw.
For the first few years, the customer base was limited to a 10-mile radius because all deliveries were done by a horse-drawn wagon. Eventually a truck and trailer were used to broaden that base.
Just a couple of years ago, the Yoder Barns building burnt to the ground and the owner at the time thought that was the end of the business. However, thanks to the help of family, friends and the community, the building was rebuilt in just over a week’s time, delaying customer jobs by only seven days.
For more information about Yoder Barns and the products and services the business offers, call 330-749-5182 or stop by the office in West Salem. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Instead of handing a customer a brochure with a few options of barns or outdoor structures, Yoder Barns will work closely with each customer to customize a building to suit that specific individual’s needs. In fact, it is very seldom that two buildings come out the same, Matt Miller, general manager of Yoder Barns said.
“We have customers who have become personal friends,” Miller said.
Miller added many customers have come back for repeat business over the years, which is something the company takes pride in. While Yoder Barns has a large customer base within Wayne County, the business has traveled up to 120 miles to construct a barn or other outdoor structure on someone’s property.
Yoder Barns builds customized storage barns, pole buildings, equipment sheds, horse arenas, garages, shop buildings, barns and tack barns. Miller said the best way to get started is for a customer to stop by Yoder Barns’ office at 10809 Wohlgamuth Road in West Salem.
“We will help you with whatever you want and we can give you a quote,” he said. “If you like the quote and like the service you are getting, then we can get started.”
Miller said some customers come in knowing exactly what they want down to the last details, while others are unsure. In these cases, he said he and his staff can work with customers to help them see what is possible.
Miller said the time frame from the first visit to the structure being complete can vary depending on how busy the company is and how large the scope of the project is, but he estimates the average time frame to be about two months.
“A lot of times we build it right there on the site,” Miller said. “Some of the smaller sheds might be built offsite and brought to the location though.”
Miller said it is customer service that sets Yoder Barns apart from its competition. He said the company works hard to give customers the personal attention necessary to make sure they are satisfied with the work and the service they are receiving. He believes customers are confident that the work that was promised to them will be done. The folks from Yoder Barns also pride themselves in staying away from high-pressure sales tactics or surprising customers with hidden fees.
“I think that is something you still see in this area, but other places not as much,” Miller said.
Besides constructing barns, sheds and outbuildings, Yoder Barns hires local roofing experts and offers services in roofing, siding, decks and re-roofs. Whether it is standing seam metal or standard shingles, Yoder Barns can transform the look and increase the property value of a home or outbuilding with a brand new roof. In fact, short of building a completely new home, there aren’t many projects Yoder Barns won’t take on.
Miller said that they believe it is important to use the best quality materials so their structures can last for generations. They are adamant about using only high-grade lumber, inspecting every single piece to ensure it is up to snuff.
“We use a different kind of decking than most people do because it is nicer and holds up better and doesn’t warp,” he said. “We use a different metal paint that has a warranty and it doesn’t fade as fast. We want to build something that is going to last.”
Miller said Yoder Barns has a total of 28 employees who are well trained and ready to work with customers to help meet their needs.
The company started out as a two-man operation two decades ago, but as time went on and the reputation of Yoder Barns became well known, the company began to expand and its customer base grew over a broader geographic area.
“We are actually much larger than we were just three or four years ago,” Miller said, adding that the company was only about half its size a few years before.
While Yoder Barns has expanded and grown considerably since the humble business began 20 years ago, one thing has stayed the same – a loyalty and respect to the customers by working to get them a quality product for a reasonable price.
“That is something that is still very important,” Miller said. “We want to treat our customers right.”
In honor of 20 years in business, the company is having a special sale Aug. 24, 25 and 26, offering discounted prices on select products.
Roots in family
Yoder Barns all began two decades ago by Joe Yoder, and it was managed for many years by his brother, Enos Yoder.
Joe began dabbling in metal work after years of working miscellaneous road construction jobs, and went on to transition into storage shed construction. Eventually, Joe abandoned metal work to focus on storage shed work, which progressed to more and more barns as more and more people liked what they saw.
For the first few years, the customer base was limited to a 10-mile radius because all deliveries were done by a horse-drawn wagon. Eventually a truck and trailer were used to broaden that base.
Just a couple of years ago, the Yoder Barns building burnt to the ground and the owner at the time thought that was the end of the business. However, thanks to the help of family, friends and the community, the building was rebuilt in just over a week’s time, delaying customer jobs by only seven days.
For more information about Yoder Barns and the products and services the business offers, call 330-749-5182 or stop by the office in West Salem. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.