John Byers and his son Chris Byers started North Mountain Structures in 2004 in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. John had worked in construction most of his life.
I started working at the company in 2010, and Caleb Heckman joined in 2013. We’ve been managing the business since 2020, so the transition was smooth when we purchased the company from John and Chris in January of 2022.
What products and services do you provide?
We build and sell custom storage sheds, simple economy sheds, garages, double-wide garages, and two-story garages retail from our shop in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Additionally, we offer shed trade-ins and shed moving.
Three dealer lots sell for us on consignment: Needmore Structures in Needmore, Pennsylvania; Countryside Flowers in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania; and Double T. Homes in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.
We also deal in Vinyl Playsets from Adventure World Playsets, and chicken coops for Bird-In-Hand Pet Structures. We deliver gazebos for Lancaster Backyard, too.
What is your current territory?
We service the Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, area and the outlying area to around 60-80 miles, plus or minus. This distance depends on the direction the building is going and the size of the building.
What is the current business climate in your area?
The business climate is strong here in Chambersburg. We have several large local companies and a growing population. Main routes run through town (I.81 and Rt.11 run north and south and Rt.30 goes east and west) and help with access.
What is your primary customer base?
Our primary market is residential storage with an occasional commercial project. We love helping people solve their problems, and the biggest problem we solve is the frustration of not having an organized space for valuable tools and lawn equipment.
Many people store their tools in their garage, but then have no room for their vehicles. When we provide a storage solution for their tools, they can keep their vehicles safe and not risk losing value due to hail and storms.
How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors?
There are several local shed builders in our area. We have a great relationship with them and we will work together if we can help each other out. Everyone is doing their best on quality and building a shed that will last. We want to exceed in quality, but we take the focus off the shed and put the focus on our customers.
I find that no one wants to just buy a shed; they have a problem that needs solving and we are here to learn about their pain point and offer the best solution for each individual customer. If we can’t help them, I make sure we send them to someone who can.
Who are your main suppliers?
• Metal Roof from Cumberland Supply in Newville, Pennsylvania.
• Shingle Roofing from Lumbermans Associates
• Lumber from Lumbermans, Capital, US Lumber, Lowes, and several others
• Windows from W.E.H. Supply
• Doors from Bird-In-Hand Window & Door
Tell us about challenges the company has overcome.
Our manufacturing shop is located about 3.5 miles off the main route through town, so we do not have drive-by traffic. Since we are not easily found along the road, we had to ensure that we could be easily found online. We have invested in our website and getting our inventory in front of our customers when they search for storage sheds online.
To what do you owe the success of your business?
First of all, the blessing of God in our lives. We owe every good gift to Him.
Word of mouth, local contacts, and networking help get our name out and build trust.
A large online presence helps people find a trusted place to learn more information before they start shopping.
What advice would you give yourself five years ago if you could?
I would focus more on local networking and promoting other small local businesses. Reaching out and building relationships takes a lot of work and time, but it is worth it for the support everyone receives.
What is your advice to somebody who is brand new in your line of business?
Focus on your customer and what they need. Build relationships with people even if they aren’t customers.
Where do you see the biggest opportunities in the future?
I believe the biggest opportunities are in collaborating with other business owners. Also focusing on the current trends and providing an attractive solution to current problems.
Where do you see the biggest challenges in the future?
One of my challenges is time management and getting everything done that needs done.
As a business owner, I am always praying to God for work for my guys, or praying for guys for the work.
God has provided both for the last 20 years and I believe He will provide in the future.
What would you love to learn more about?
I love the marketing and the sales side of the business and I would like to learn more about the website and SEO side of marketing. This is important to keep us in front of our customers and potential customers when they search for our products and services.
What are your Three Keys to Good Business?
God: Committing everything we do to God and serving Him. Matthew 7:12, The Golden Rule
Relationships: Building relationships and trust with everyone, customers and our team.
Customization: Focusing on our customer’s needs, not our product.
Tell us about your company culture and business philosophy.
We are a Christian company and do our best to align our culture with God’s principles of service. Our company is not looking to be the biggest or best, but to be a light where we are planted and serve the people in our local economy. We believe by doing this, God will provide. We all strive to do the best we can no matter what we are doing; we just happen to be in the shed business. GSCB
