“We don’t like to say pole barn; we like to say post-frame building,” says Jimmy Terry, local crew foreman for FBi Buildings, Inc. of Remington. “The things that I’ve seen over the last six years that can be built out of post frame, well, we build anything from the small backyard barn to $600,000 equine buildings. Everyone thinks FBi just builds barns, but we build farm buildings, industrial buildings, churches and office complexes.

Founded in 1958 by Edwin A. Bahler, FBi has developed into a major innovator and leader within the construction industry over the past 45 years. During that time, FBi has grown to employ over 300 people, who build more than 600 buildings annually. Among Pulaski County’s FBi buildings are The Life Center, Riparian Farms, R&S Fabricating and several of the buildings in Winamac Town Park. But, Jimmy says that it’s not all about wood and steel held together by screws and nails. He says FBi is more about building people.

“It’s not just building buildings,” he emphasizes from the front porch of his home west of Winamac. “It’s more about building people and relationships. Several of the crew I started with now have their own crews. It just grows and grows. The career potential at FBi is unlimited.”

Much of FBi’s continued success is based on following the values and beliefs of founder Edwin Bahler. Bahler expected every employee to be an ambassador of the principles on which he based his business and his three sons, Barry, Kurt, and Ed continue those ideals. The elder Bahler believed that integrity, generosity, self-discipline, economy and hard work and by following the Golden Rule - would create a strong foundation for growth. And, it has.

“FBi has never had a major slump,” Jimmy says. “There has never been a layoff. That’s saying something in 40-something years.” He believes one of the reasons for that is FBi’s groundbreaking innovations, state-of-the-art technology and dedication to customer service and product quality. He sees FBi as far and away the leader among the dozen or so companies building post buildings in his northern Indiana territory.

“Where FBi kind of sets apart from all the rest of the other companies, is we are actually building walls on the ground and tilting them up,” Jimmy says. Traditionally, post buildings are constructed around long, solid posts, which are set in the ground and framed in place with two-by-four lumber, placed from bottom to top. But, since FBi makes its own poles, the company has come up with an inventive idea that greatly reduces climbing and increases safety. “(The pre-built wall method) greatly increases productivity and it’s also for safety reasons. We get a lot of recognition from OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). They don’t like the idea of us climbing up the sides of buildings, even though we’ve been doing it for 40 years. But the main reason is to show that we have a safer way of doing things.”

The way the process works, Jimmy explains, is that FBi uses laminated columns rather than solid poles. The laminated posts are set between four and five feet in the ground, leaving at least five feet above ground. A laser marker is used to mark all the posts at the same height. Then, the posts are all cut to the same length. Each laminated post matches up with posts in the prefabricated wall. The wall, which has been constructed on the ground, is lifted with a crane and matched up to the buried post. A steel “stiffening plate” is used to bolt both posts together. Once the walls are set, trusses can be lifted onto the top of the walls and tie the walls together.

Roof trusses, when first implemented, used just three boards to create a stable triangle. However, these early trusses could span only short distances. Then, in the 16th century, Andrea Palladio figured out that trusses made from a series of smaller triangles would be stronger than just one triangle. FBi also makes its own trusses, and these trusses, like the walls, are set by crane. But, Jimmy says it’s the steel siding that provides most of the diaphragm strength in a post building.

The strength of the building is reinforced by the steel and FBi has the best steel. It comes from McElroy Metal in Michigan.” But, laminated posts and pre-engineered walls are not FBi’s only innovation.

“FBi began offering a concrete post called a Perma-Column,” Jimmy says. “Over the next couple of years, the amount of treated lumber that is going to be penetrating the soil is not going to come to an end; but it is going to be dramatically reduced.”

Jimmy explains that the chemicals used to “pressure treat” wooden posts to slow down wood’s natural rotting process are not considered environmentally safe. And, the lifespan of wood, even when treated with chemical preservatives, is limited.

“FBi has the best lumber in the business, but still, it only lasts about 50 years,” Jimmy adds. A better option is concrete Perma-Columns. “FBi offers a lifetime guarantee with the Perma-Column. There is no other company in the business that offers a lifetime guarantee.

“The Perma-Column is a full concrete post that goes in the ground with a U-shaped bracket on top. We build the wall on the ground again, lift in place, then bolt it to the post, just like other buildings,” he explains. “We’ve done 40 jobs already, using these concrete posts.”

Yet another state-of-the-art technique that FBi is using involves shipping prefabricated packages to other states and countries.

“We’ve been in Illinois for several years, but we just started shipping all over. We’ve shipped as far away as Mexico, Ukraine, Japan, and Korea.”

All pre-cut materials and a set of blue prints are sent by truck, and building is done on site by local builders in that location. FBi prides itself on using local construction people at home as well.

Jimmy is in charge of one of FBi’s area construction crews for North Central Indiana. Most of the members live locally, and the company tries to keep the crew within an hour’s drive of home.

“A territory is three or four counties, and the crews are strategically placed. We work in Valparaiso, LaPorte, and Winamac,” he says. “We very rarely drive more than an hour to work. There are about a dozen guys from Pulaski County who work for FBi. Many of them are from around Francesville. There are 28 construction crews and five service crews. We have salesmen called Project Sales Consultants.

At the start of every year, all the construction crews get together and set yearly goals. Unlike many companies, FBi has experienced continued growth, and Jimmy thinks that is because FBi bases its compensation on production.

“FBi has expanded so much in the last couple of years. We’ve increased sales to between $25 and $30 million a year,” Jimmy smiles.

All crews are graded by a 10-category system called “The Key Metrics,” Jimmy says.

He adds, “It’s based on safety, production, efficiency, quality, things like that. It’s something for the crew to shoot for.” This year Jimmy’s crew hit the bull’s eye - and did something no other crew has done in FBi’s 45-year history - getting a perfect score of 100 points.

“We are the first crew to get a perfect score,” Jimmy smiles. “I knew we were going to score pretty high, but I was shocked when they called and told me what I’d done. I’m not saying I’m the best crew foreman, but I’m trying to be.”

“Our motto is ‘do right, on time, with excellence’,” he says. “That’s what we’re trying to follow.”

FBi Buildings, Inc. is located at 3823 West 1800 South in Remington. There is a retail store on-site, which sells all materials needed for finished post building construction. For the Project Sales Consultant nearest you, call toll free (800) 552-2981 or email info@fbibuildings.com. Customers can visit the website at www.fbibuildings.com.