Writer / Angela Cornell Photography Provided
A L P H A B U I L D I N G C E N T E R C E L E B R AT E S 36 YEARS IN BUSINESS
Just south of the corner of U.S. Highway 20 and State Road 5 in Shipshewana is Alpha Building Center. Most people know the business as a lumberyard that carries quality wood. However, what fewer people realize is that Alpha is a one-stop shop for almost any home or property improvement project. “We’re a lot more than a lumberyard,” explains General Manager Kyle Ulrich. “That is our primary good that we sell, but we also sell an entire experience.” Alpha Building Center got its start in 1985. Henry Hershberger, a born-and-bred local, started it as a business for doors, windows and siding. “It was kind of a father-son team,” Ulrich says. “In the early years they worked out of a barn and had one pickup truck doing deliveries.” The business quickly expanded its products and services to include hardware, EtchWood and trusses, according to customer needs. As their product lines and reputation grew, they started looking to other towns, eventually opening two other locations in Nappanee and in Michigan. At their Shipshewana storefront, they have several different departments to help fulfill every improvement project need, from exteriors like garage door installation, trim and roofing - both tin and shingle - to fencing, additions and interior projects. This includes replacing hardwood floors, painting walls, updating plumbing, modernizing sinks, showers or toilets, improving lighting, and more. Some of their most popular services are handled through their vinyl division. Not only can they manage the finer details of exterior home improvement like decks, railings, shutters and the like, but they can also get custom independent structures like pergolas or garden arbors. Experts in the vinyl department can custom design these projects in-house. After the
THE LAKES MAGAZINE / JUNE 2021 / TownePost.com
