AJ Portable Buildings has become a staple throughout the Northwest Indiana and Eastern Illinois regions for custom-made, quality-crafted Yoder buildings designed to give customers the extra space they need to live life to the fullest. It all began when Owner Patrick Dykes was approached by Yoder Buildings to be a dealer in the midwest region many years ago – which he hesitantly turned down at first. It was only a matter of time, however, before he had a change of heart and the journey to build the AJ Portable Buildings began.
“I had two gentlemen from Yoder’s walk in and ask me if I wanted to become a dealer,” said Dykes. “I said no, and they said thank you and turned around and walked out. Within the next two weeks, I drove around and saw these little storage units going up and thought there may be something more to the industry. The next time the two gentlemen from Yoder’s walked in and said, ‘Why don't you try it?’ I said, ‘All right.’”
Today, with its large inventory, AJ's offers a variety of Amish and Mennonite-built garages, barns, sheds, gazebos, pavilions – even tiny houses – throughout the Midwest and beyond. AJ Portable Buildings now has 13 locations, offering free delivery and set up for anyone within a 50-mile radius of its lots in Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan.”
Most importantly, when ordering a building from AJ's, you can guarantee that it’s quality-made. Whether it’s getting the right dimensions in place at the start of the project or screwing the final hinges on the door, each step of the process is always handled with the utmost care. This specialized approach never fails to keep customers coming in, as many stop by after seeing just how much a friend or a neighbor is enjoying their new space made possible by AJ's.
“We have quality buildings that we sell, which puts us on top of the competition. We have Amish and Mennonite families building these buildings for us on their farms – they do a fantastic job,” said Dykes. “We have a great sales team that helps out, but honestly, our customers can be our top advertisers. They show their buildings to the neighbors, and the neighbors end up really liking them. It’s pretty often that they’ll come to us saying ‘Hey, I want something like Tim has but a little bit bigger or in this color.’”
For those looking to add their own spin on any of AJ's designs and buildings, customization options are also available. Whether it’s a bit more natural lighting or a few different ways to exit or enter the space, AJ's can make it possible with specified options catered to how the customer plans to use the space.
“During the summer, we stick with our 10 or 12 building styles we have, and we can add doors and windows and such as needed,” Dykes said. “People also come to us and want some customizing – it happens a lot during our slower months in the winter season. We can do just about anything.”
Warranties are also a big deal at AJ's, and each building comes well-equipped with specialized warranties to make sure the customer is covered should any type of unexpected situation occur.
“The warranties are really big. We have a 50-year warranty on our LP siding, a 40-year warranty on our metal roofs, and a 15-year paint warranty from Sherwin-Williams,” Dykes said. “Our buildings come with a seven-year warranty with an optional 25-year warranty on the craftsmanship – nobody else does it like that.”
AJ's makes it easier than ever to take your building with you wherever you may go! Whether it’s moving things around in the backyard with a new landscape or a move across town, it’s never a hassle to bring some extra space along for the ride.
“We can move our buildings if needed,” said Dykes. “If for some reason a customer buys one of our buildings and they're selling their house or something like that, they can move to their new property and bring their building with them.”
Not only does AJ's create quality buildings for Region residents, but the company also enjoys being a part of the communities it serves and getting to know its customers outside of the business realm. Whether it's on the radio airwaves, the TV, or helping out with county fairs staples like Valpo’s annual Popcorn Parade, AJ's is always eager to immerse itself with the community whenever possible.
AJ's is currently looking to grow its team and is hiring for salespeople to join the crew. For more information on how to apply, Dykes encourages prospective applicants to give him a call at 219-405-5284. More information on AJ Portable Buildings can be found ajportablebuildings.com.
