Consistency Has Driven Success For This Michigan-based Butler Builder.
Nearly everyone in the construction business has a story about how and when their business changed based on new or bigger opportunities. Typically, those stories include a significant adjustment to the type of buildings or the materials used to achieve that growth.
But that’s not how Jim Ware did it.
It’s rare to hear a success story that centers around never changing your approach. But Jim discovered the quality and efficiency of the Butler Classic™ building system (including the product Butler sold before calling it Classic) and never left that path.
“You can pretty much do anything you want with the Classic line,” Jim said. And he has.
Through his company, James Ware Construction in Sturgis, MI, Jim has been a Butler Builder® for nearly 45 years. (That makes him a classic.) He grew up on a dairy farm, so he knew the value of hard work. But by the time he was old enough for his father to ask him if he wanted the farm, it was clear to him that wasn’t the life he wanted.
He worked in a trailer factory briefly, then started building houses. Jim said he was interested in getting into metal buildings at that time and “one day a couple of guys from Butler showed up and signed me up,” he said. He changed his business focus from residential to commercial and never looked back. Motivated to succeed, (thoughts of returning to the dairy farm will do that to a young man) he “beat on doors” to find the customers that would sustain his new business.
Today, James Ware Construction is consistently in the ranks of the top 100 builders in the country. Last year, they landed at number 43.
Consistency Breeds Efficiency
Whether it was common sense instilled in him on the farm, or business sense he picked up along the way, Jim has maintained an unwavering approach to his construction business. He knew that using the same materials and building the same type of structure as often as possible would help him establish a unique level of expertise and be more profitable in that niche.
“I just want to build big boxes. I don’t want to build complicated buildings if I can help it. The bigger the box the happier I am,” Jim quipped.
Using the Butler Classic line lets him do that quickly and efficiently. It allows his crew and roster of subcontractors to work with familiar methods and processes on every job because the steel shows up the same way every time.
With the engineering that goes into Butler products and factory punching that is part of the manufacturing process, Jim is able to keep his growing list of projects turning.
“We have five Classic buildings, all over 100,000 square feet, going up right now,” Jim said.
It is almost certain that James Ware Construction has erected more square feet of Butler Classic buildings than any other builder. Over the years, they have worked with a wide range of companies building everything from warehouses and machine shops to manufacturing facilities and distribution centers. Jim remembers plenty of “odd buildings” with special requirements such as tall crane bays.
“Any special requirements, I just contact Butler and you can get it for a Classic building,” he said.
Loyalty To The Butler Brand
James Ware Construction never built any other brand of metal building – nothing but Butler all these years.
When asked if he was ever tempted to explore what other PEMB manufacturers offer, Jim simply replied, “If I can’t sell it using a Butler building, I’m not interested in doing it. Butler builds a really good building.”
His consistency has been rewarded with a strong relationship with Butler, and a very loyal customer base. “We never lose a job for a repeat customer,” Jim said.
Once they experience the service Jim’s company provides and the quality of the Butler products, they never go anywhere else. In addition to the legendary structural quality, customers also like the appearance of Butler products. One feature Jim points out is the grey primer on the structurals and galvanized secondaries that are standard with Butler products.
A Range Of Advantages
The Classic Building System comes in two tiers, each specially curated to deliver unique advantages. Tier I focuses on speed while Tier II brings more flexibility.
There are many standard advantages that include:
- Fast delivery
- Budget friendly
- Shorter build times
- Integration with other Butler systems
- Various wall options for the aesthetic look you want
“You can build just about any building out of the Classic line. We can make them work,” Jim said.
And that’s exactly what he has done for nearly 45 years.
