A Barn Business Is Born
Photo by Eugenia Jones Steven Jones from Jones Hollow is excited about opening his locally owned and operated custom barn business. All of the barns will be built locally in McCreary County.
There’s a new locally owned, locally operated business coming to McCreary County with the start-up potential of a half dozen local jobs…and, if successful, future expansion and more employment opportunities down the road.
Steven Jones, owner of Jones Farm & Garden Supply LLC, is establishing Mountain View Barns, a custom design barn building business. Having worked for Better Built Barns in Monticello for more than six years when he was younger, Jones says he owes a Mennonite, Lyndon Yoder, credit for inspiring him to start the new business.
“I worked under Lyndon Yoder,” Jones commented. “He is really good, and he always gave you a good reason to work-he wanted you to enjoy your job. I have to give him credit for giving me the enthusiasm and the experience to build barns!”
Even though Jones kept busy with his primary farm and garden business, he got bored during his spare time and started building chicken tractors and, eventually, mini-barns.
“I built one or two mini barns, and people wanted them,” Jones recalled. “I built more, and people wanted those. I saw demand for this type of business in the county. Mountain View Barns will be doing lots of different sizes of barns, but we will put our own touches to them. We aren’t going to be assembly line!”
In fact, Jones is committed to working with customers to make their barns extra special.
Now manufacturing barns from his home in Jones Hollow, Jones hopes to expand and bring his production “closer to town” in the spring. He will begin by selling barns off of one sales lot, and if successful, eventually expand his sales into additional counties. He also wants to eventually include metal buildings as well.
“I decided I could either stay small or grow,” Jones said with a grin. “I’m taking a chance and going out on a limb. I feel really good about this.”
Jones plans to follow the same plan with his barn building business as he did with his Farm & Garden Supply.
“I can’t afford to borrow millions of dollars,” the self-taught Jones remarked. “I’ll do the same way now as I did before-start small and keep the overhead down. I try to learn from others. I watch other businesses and study the good and the bad. It’s learning to be business smart.”
