Rockin A Arena
A combined medical headquarters and indoor arena brings two brothers’ vision to life with Butler® systems delivering clearspan performance, lasting protection and the confidence to grow and serve their community.
Project
Overview
Joel and Shaun Anderson travel the country competing in roping events while also operating a successful veterinary supply distributor.
Their business outgrew its existing space and needed a new facility with offices and a dedicated warehouse for climate-sensitive materials. At the same time, the brothers shared a long-held goal: an indoor practice arena that would allow them to train year-round and support their family, friends and community.
To pursue that vision, they selected general contractor and Butler Builder® Heimer Construction Co., Inc.
Said Dave Serbin, senior project manager for Heimer: “Shaun recognized the quality of Butler products from his days as a contractor. He also knew the quality and reliability that Heimer stands for, so for those reasons he was anxious to work with us on the project.”
“The choice was an easy one. We considered other builders, but the good reputation and personal touch that Heimer Construction brings to the table put them over the top,” Shaun Anderson said.
After consulting with Serbin, the Andersons determined that the most effective solution was to bring the business and arena together under one roof with a Butler building system as the foundation for the project.
The requirements for the combined Pro Med headquarters and the future Rockin A Arena were ambitious. The structure needed to accommodate a full roping arena with no center beams, provide enough height for a viewing mezzanine, offer a country aesthetic suited to the Andersons’ vision and ensure a premium roof system to protect Pro Med medicines and supplies.
The final design included a partitioned warehouse and office area, 18 horse stalls, a tack room, wash bays, a mezzanine with bleacher seating for more than 1,000 guests and a crow’s nest for announcers and VIPs. The arena also features an air-conditioned visitor area with a kitchen, restrooms, showers and living quarters.
The arena layout introduced structural challenges. Roping and barrel racing required a building at least 125 feet wide without interior support columns. The clearspan structural system from Butler provided the ideal solution, delivering space for uninterrupted use while strategically placed intermediate columns supported the mezzanine and crow’s nest.
The foundation also had to perform across distinct applications: a sand-clay mix in the arena and concrete in the Pro Med warehouse. Custom footings addressed both needs and ensured proper anchoring of the entire structure.
Serbin collaborated with Butler engineers to ensure future expansion would be feasible, and the design accommodated a linked extension built approximately one year later. The Butlerib® II wall system delivered the country appearance the Andersons wanted, while factory-punched panels ensured precise fit and alignment. Four-foot forest green wainscot and the high-performance Butler-Cote™ finish system completed the building’s durable aesthetic.
Shaun remarked, “Everything just fit together so well, and that’s one reason we chose that wall system.”
The goal was to give us enough room to operate our business more efficiently so we could continue to fund our passion and have this wonderful facility to share with our family, friends and community. Those goals have been met and exceeded.
Pro Med’s portion of the facility brought operational efficiencies by consolidating products previously stored across multiple locations into a single climate-controlled environment. Serbin engineered an isolated floor area for a 30-foot cooler and designed the warehouse for optimized racking, while the new offices provided a professional setting for walk-in customers.
The MR-24® roof system delivered the premium performance the Andersons required to safeguard temperature-sensitive materials. Its exclusive 360-degree Pittsburgh double-lock seam offers superior long-term protection, reinforcing the confidence central to Butler’s promise.
The completed Rockin A Arena now supports the Andersons’ passion and strengthens their community. The facility has hosted church events, rodeos, roping and barrel racing competitions, concerts and fundraisers.
Reflecting on the outcome, Joel shared, “The goal was to give us enough room to operate our business more efficiently so we could continue to fund our passion and have this wonderful facility to share with our family, friends and community. Those goals have been met and exceeded.”
As they look to future expansion, Joel added, “We can’t say enough good things about working with Dave Serbin and Butler Manufacturing. We’re really proud of this building, and Butler should be proud of it, as well.”
