In 2015, Alan Fluharty owned a small furniture business and was looking for a storage solution for his overflow inventory. After starting his search, Alan found a local dealer, but the company was only able to supply one of the two portable buildings he was looking for. Alan decided to order the one building available, but found the entire process from the original order to eventual delivery to be rocky at best–arriving late with quality that was less than ideal and the dealer seemingly disappearing after the sale.
Unhappy with the original building he received, Alan resumed his search. News of Alan's storage needs traveled fast and soon reached Milo Byer.
The Sturdi-Bilt Story
“I didn’t have any doubts about Alan becoming the new owner. He was always easy to get along with. He pays us a fair wage and he keeps the standards of Sturdi-Bilt.”
Milo, an Amish man from Ohio and then owner of Sturdi-Bilt Storage Buildings, visited Alan at his furniture store and assured him that he could manufacture and deliver the two buildings that he needed in a timely fashion.
Milo also noticed a vacant lot across the street from Alan's furniture store and suggested Alan become a dealer for Sturdi-Bilt. Starting with just four buildings on the lot, all of them sold within a matter of days. Another round of buildings arrived and again sold quickly. Five years and hundreds of buildings later, Milo shared with Alan that he'd purchased some land in Wisconsin and planned to sell Sturdi-Bilt to a local Ohio Lumberyard.
Sturdi-Bilt Storage Buildings was known for the quality of its work and its hard-working Amish employees. Alan wanted to be sure that those aspects of the business remained as ownership shifted to an "English" or non-Amish man.
In February 2020, Alan decided that he was going to buy Sturdi-Bilt and on June 1, 2020, it was official.
Alan admits that he knew very little about the Amish or even the shed manufacturing process, but the Amish employees had met Alan as a dealer of the buildings, and despite living very different lives, felt that he would be a great replacement for Milo.
According to Eli, one of the contracted Amish employees, “I didn’t have any doubts about Alan becoming the new owner. He was always easy to get along with. He pays us a fair wage and he keeps the standards of Sturdi-Bilt.”
After the purchase, Milo remained in the Ohio shop for two months teaching Alan how orders were placed, who to contact for specific lumber and metal needs, as well as who provided services such as waste disposal and sanitation services.
The success of Sturdi Bilt is attributed to the strong team throughout all stages of the building process. From the hard-working Amish employees who are always up for a challenge, the salespeople at each location who are passionate about what they do, and the highly-skilled Shed Shuttle delivery drivers who put buildings in places others may think impossible; they each play a pivotal role in the Sturdi-Bilt process.
Sturdi-Bilt continues to build the highest quality sheds and barns with Amish craftsmanship in West Virginia and Ohio.
Where to Next?
Now that you’ve learned more about us, let’s take the next step! Browse our building styles, learn more about rent-to-own or even request a quote!