MilMar Buildings – Indiana
MilMar Post Buildings is poised for growth to support the intense demand for post-frame structures.
For the past 16 years, MilMar Post Buildings has witnessed firsthand the post-frame industry mature and grow from its LaPorte, Indiana, headquarters. Marvin Miller, Owner, Jack McDonnell, Manager, and the MilMar team have successfully navigated growing pains, adapting as needed to succeed. Case in point, the company recently revamped its operating model to accommodate the increased demand for post-frame homes.
MilMar split into two divisions: one serving residential and another serving commercial and agricultural. One thing is a consistent recommendation on both sides of the business: Perma-Column® precast concrete columns or Sturdi-Wall® brackets. They are standards on MilMar homes and commercial structures.
"I highly recommend Perma-Column precast concrete posts to anybody with a house or commercial building."
McDonnell credits the barndominium boom with helping fuel MilMar's growth.
"Half of our daily calls are requests for barndo homes," McDonnell says. "Those have been the hottest topic for the last two year or so."
Recent MilMar projects range from an economical shell that the customer will finish up to a 7,000-square-foot estate with six bedrooms, two kitchens, and all the bells and whistles.
"The misconception is that a post-frame home can only be an ugly little box, an economical solution but not a beautiful place to call home," McDonnell says. "That's not the case at all."
MilMar is a modern building company, employing tactics like social media and search engine optimization to attract clients, but old-school referrals still drive plenty of business. Coupling that word-of-mouth with exceptional customer service is MilMar's winning formula.
Customer service includes advising on materials. Perma-Column's precast concrete columns, Sturdi-Wall brackets and precast concrete skirt boards eliminate all wood contact with soil, putting the products atop MilMar's must-use list.
Perma-Column products are also the top choice of most MilMar commercial customers.
From the builder's perspective, MilMar appreciates having the option to attach posts to concrete or install them in the ground. "If customers want a poured foundation, we rely on Sturdi-Wall brackets. Otherwise, we trust Perma-Column posts and skirt boards," McDonnell says.
That trust extends to MilMar's own structures.
"We don't just sell Perma-Column products, we also use them," he adds, explaining that a large addition at the company headquarters is being built on Perma-Column permanent foundation products.
The explosive growth of the industry goes hand in hand with increased willingness of lenders to finance structures with permanent foundation solutions like Perma-Column.
"People are realizing how important it is to build to last," McDonnell says. "We've always had Perma-Column as an option, but more clients are demanding it. We all realize that if you're building a permanent building, you need a permanent foundation."
No matter what kind of building customers need, financing is easier to secure when lending institutions know a building will last.
"Full concrete foundation' is the magic phrase for many lenders," McDonnell says. "Perma-Column products allow us to have a full concrete foundation without having a traditional poured concrete foundation."