Meet the Team
Our Story
Moving the Nationwide Needle
Back in 1990, Jerry Ulrich founded Bluegrass Portable Buildings as a family owned business in Kentucky after serving 21 years as Mennonite missionaries in Costa Rica. Starting with a shoestring budget, the business grew very little but the passion for helping families live more memorable lives grew strong on son Jonathan as he watched his father sell and then deliver structures that helped families live the lifestyles they dreamed of! Jonathan helped his dad with the business doing anything he could from a very young age and learned how to build a shed by himself at age 9.
In 2001, Jerry relocated to Texas and he and son, David, rebranded as Ulrich Barn Builders where the Texas factory still is today. In 2003 another son Jonathan dropped out of high school after his freshman year and started as the first full time product design consultant. The company’s sales grew over 650% through 2008 and he made a deal with his father at the age of 18 to buy 50% of the family business and in 2014 he purchased majority shares from his brother David. Today, Jonathan serves as CEO of the 2nd generation lifestyle structures company and carries on his dad’s legacy.
EXPERIENCED BUILDERS
a combined 250 years of
industry management
experience
THE PREMIER SOLUTION
Today, Byler is a part of the Ulrich family of companies, the premier solution for your backyard and lifestyle structure needs.
In 2015, CEO and Visionary Jonathan Ulrich, incorporated Ulrich Holdings with a vision to expand nationally, working together with many other small family businesses with incredible work ethics. By 2017, the first rental lease company was acquired in Bakersfield, California. In 2018 a partnership was formed with Willard Martin from Dry Creek Mini Barns, a 12-year-old company in California, as well as with Steve Byler of Byler Barns, a 46-year-old company in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
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At Ulrich, we have built and sold thousands of sheds, cabins, garages, and outdoor living structures in California, Texas, and Virginia. As the highest rated shed company in America, we are strategically expanding into more U.S. markets. With a combined 250 years of industry management experience, we offer a unique ability to truly understand your needs and find solutions for them with a 5-star experience.
History
1990 To 1996
Bennie opened their first retail location on Rt. 340 between Waynesboro and Stuarts Draft. He worked with local craftsmen to construct the storage sheds as he focused on attending to the customer experience. This led to more product options with shorter lead times while maintaining quality. Later, Bennie took his son Steve into the business as a partner, and the company became Byler’s Storage Buildings, Inc.
Byler’s retail location moved a mile north on Rt. 340 to its current location, and a new retail location was opened just north of the city limits in Harrisonburg. Later, company founder Bennie Byler retired from his position as president of the company, but still served as a design consultant in the Waynesboro office. His son Steve became the CEO of the company.
2004 To 2009
2010 To 2017
The company name changed from Byler’s Storage Buildings, Inc. to Byler Barns & Backyards. Byler expanded to five retail locations in western and central Virginia, supplying storage shed and backyard solutions to Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland.
Byler Barns became a part of the Texas-based Ulrich family of companies. Ulrich’s focus on customer satisfaction as well as its aggressive plans for nationwide growth offered Byler Barns a unique opportunity to grow as an organization, while staying committed to serving families in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland.