Ahead of Success

February 3, 2021 by Paul Gibson Posted in NewBlog Tagged building, contractor, diet, Do it yourself, energy efficient, energy saving, envelope, hybrid, opportunity, post & beam, system design, teammate. construction, thanks, truth

By Olivia Truesdale (Martial Thevenot Editor)

Former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, has been attributed to saying, “Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”

While the facts are such that he never actually said anything of the sort, it would have been very fitting to his reputation if he had!

Many of us know him for the position he held during World War II, but it is a little-known fact that he also was actively involved in the first World War. History probably wants you to forget about that part because it did not go very well.

He actually helped plan several *UNSUCCESSFUL* battles. Of course, today we only remember him for the leadership position he held during the early 1940s and the important role he played in helping the Allies win World War II. So how did he go from a seeming failure to a national (and international) hero and inspiration?

In a simplest of ways, he “had the courage to continue”. He didn’t let his failures define him. If he had, we would not likely be living in the world we know today.

Unfortunately, the opposite is also true, as expressed by this (misquoted) quote: “Success is not final.” Often, after succeeding in something, we find ourselves “coasting”. After a “big win”, many people tend to slow down, relax, and “celebrate”. Now, there is nothing wrong with congratulations when they are in order, but it becomes a problem when we use our success as a reason to take our foot off the gas. “Oh, I finished that yesterday. I don’t have to worry today.”

Of course, it’s perfectly acceptable to take a break after a big success, sharpen the axe so to speak… unless it becomes a constant excuse. Sometimes we push ourselves so far backwards after a success that we wind up worse than before!

The easiest and most common example of this can be found in dieting. “I was really healthy yesterday. I did all my workouts; I ate well. I guess that means that I can have junk food and skip my workout today!” And when that attitude drags on for days, we can end up undoing all of our hard work. Yikes! Sound familiar?

So how do we overcome this?

While the answer can be simple, it can also be much easier said than done. “Just do it.” (Huh, that sounds coincidentally like the motto for a popular brand of athletic wear.) I know it’s cheesy, but hear me out.

No one can force you to persevere after you succeed. Others can motivate you, but you are the biggest determiner of whether or not you are going to continue to evolve after a big success (or a big failure, for that matter).

You are the only one who has control of your actions. All that to be said, it is helpful to have a strong support system surrounding you, encouraging you to keep going and persevere towards reaching your next goal and your next success. This could be friends, family, or anyone else who has the same goals as you.

At Team Perka, we would love to be a part of helping you achieve your building goals!

Whether you need a building for your new startup business, are looking to build your dream home, or trying to find a place to store animals or equipment or toys, we can help. While we can’t say that we have seen everything, we can say that we have definitely seen a thing or two!

Contact us for a consultation! Even if you don’t purchase from us, we love to help, as we know that good begets good.

(Of course we would also love it if you did purchase from us, because we want to get to know all the super cool we can and collaborate on great dreams and successes!)

Don’t forget to check us out on Facebook, visit our website, and let us know how we can become part of your next big triumph, as we would are always happy to support and help ensure that you keep succeeding in whatever is important to you!

Peace on Earth, One Customer at a Time

December 29, 2020 by Paul Gibson Posted in NewBlog Tagged advice, barndominium, building, carreer, contractor, dealer, DIY, Do it yourself, econo, energy efficient, energy saving, envelope, flexible, lumber, shed, shouse, steel building, sustainable, system design, teammate. construction, thanks, truth, welcome

3… 2… 1… Happy New Year!!! That’s right, folks. 2021 is almost here, and no doubt most of us feel that we are sure ready for something new – and that is not going to be too hard since so much this year has been “new”! YES?

Check out these last minute DIY ideas for a stay at home type of celebration!

2020 seems as though it has brought about one messy situation after another. But is it the calendar year’s fault!? Is it a curse or can it be a blessing? How we respond and deal with it can make a huge difference.

(Does anyone even remember those Australian fires from January? How about those murder hornets?)

Just because the Earth has made another rotation around the Sun does not mean that everything will just “go back to normal”. Humans have always been faced with challenges and problems (aka opportunities), ever since the very first people walked the Earth.

That is why it is so important to stay connected to friends and family.

This year, more than ever, we might be most served by and for each other in order to keep ourselves positive (and sane). Your friends and family may be a phone call away, a long car ride away, or even a socially-distant-and-masked airplane ride away. No matter the distance, we believe in the significance of strong, caring relationships. The slower times around the holidays are the perfect time to reach out to our loved ones and let them know how much we care.

But maybe this message doesn’t necessarily apply to you. Maybe your loved ones live too far away, and you are unable to be with them. Perhaps the pandemic of 2020 has taken its toll on those who are dear to you. Maybe you even lost a loved one. May Peace be with you.

It is possible too that you have just grown apart. Change and pain can be quite problematic aspects of human life (even though very normal), and we would like you to know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and all those who are facing challenges this holiday season.

At Team Perka, we care deeply about our teammates, our friends, our neighbors, and our families. Do you know who else we deeply care about? You!!! You, our fellow man/woman, our potential new personal friend-to-be, are one of the driving causes of what we do.

You are the highest priority of our business. You are at the TOP of our Team’s organizational chart!

If there is ever anything we can do from and with the growing resources of experience, “tools” and solution seeking creativity related to almost any sort of “building” question – that we can share, to give you a better experience in any way shape or form, feel free to contact us. Do you need help with a building solution or consultation, even if a Perka Hybrid Building is NOT your first choice? Let us know.

Or you are just not sure where to start? We can help!

Also have you had great a great experience while working and co-creating solutions with us? We would LOVE to hear it! And even if your experience was less than the best, please let us so we can improve. One of our inner team hashtags is #CSI!! Standing for Continuous Sustainable Improvement. So we welcome ALL the feedback we can get to be able to do that to the MAX!!

We would love to partner with you to make your building project simpler, more stress free and/or easier so you are happier and freer to do what YOU love to do best.

After all, another of our many guiding mottos is “Keep It Simple and Stress-free (K.I.S.S.)”!

In other words, and in the spirit of the holidays, we hope to make as big a contribution to “peace on earth and goodwill to all” as we possibly can — even by one client at a time.

Giving Thanks!

November 27, 2020 by Paul Gibson Posted in NewBlog Tagged building, contractor, dealer, Do it yourself, energy efficient, energy saving, flexible, green, honest, hybrid, pole barn, post & beam, steel building, teammate. construction, truth

Welcome back to the Perka blog!

Today, we are going to be talking about one of America’s favorite holidays. (Here is a hint: It’s happening “NOW” – at least at time of this writing!) That is right; we’re talking about Thanksgiving. Giving Thanks!!

Though it is not a distinctly American holiday, here in the United States, it is celebrated it, in a fashion, as only Americans can. It’s actually one holiday of the year that is truly and purely ALL DENOMINATIONAL, regardless of race, creed, religious belief or otherwise; – THANK YOU can be practiced by, literally, EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN – let alone HUMAN BEING!!

So there’s no wonder it’s such a popular holiday. It is a day off work that is typically used primarily to gather with friends and family, and EAT!

Unfortunately, some of the thankfulness often falls to the wayside during housing friends, preparing the meal, and eating until we cannot hold another bite. And, of course, this year, things are going to look quite different. Now, is that a blessing, a curse, or both?

I’m sure I don’t need to remind anyone of that dreaded Covid-19 epidemic. It continues to wreak havoc upon our world every day. Unfortunately, because of it, many people are not going to be able to safely be with or see their families.

One would think that we just would not be in the mood for giving thanks. However, it is often the most difficult situations that makes us realize the good things all around us.

While we may not be able to go visit our loved ones this year, we live in an age of technological marvels. Anyone up for a family Zoom call? And it’s true that we won’t be able to share special holiday treats with friends and family, but at least we have food available.

(By the way, you should totally check out the delicious recipes from our last blog post!) I know that this all might sound cornier than your aunt’s special casserole, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Even in the midst of Covid-19, we’ve certainly got a lot to be grateful for.

But now, you’re probably wondering how does a Perka Hybrid Building fits into all this. At Team Perka, we pride ourselves on “keeping all we can as simple and stress-free as can be”.

While Covid-19 is not simple or stress-free, nor does it mix well with our favorite holidays, we think we’ve found a very viable stress-freeing solution.

If you have ever owned one of Perka’s unique hybrid buildings, you know how VERY spacious they can be. (They are customizable, with large free and clear spans for breathtaking rooms, and these incredible structures can be as large or as small as you please!)

And if you have never purchased a building or frame from Perka, now is the perfect time to get one! Picture this: Your whole family in one place. Easily 6-10 feet apart of need be. Thanksgiving dinner (or lunch or breakfast). Ample easy ventilation. Great healthy sun or moon light beaming in through grand windows. Everyone with their own “safe space”.

One of Perka’s larger buildings can become the perfect venue to gather your family and keep them safe, comfortable, and still TOGETHER? Yes, you might have to speak a bit louder to project across the room, but let’s face it. You were probably going to do that anyway.

Even if this year’s holidays don’t look “normal”, staying connected is always something to be thankful for. Whether it’s over Zoom, across the room, or using some other innovative way, we hope you find a way to enjoy the holidays with your loved ones.

And, speaking of staying connected, we would love to connect with YOU! Feel free to contact us, check out our website, or find us on Facebook. And if there is anything we can do to help you “keep it simple, safe and stress-free”, whether it’s with new holidays venue traditions or your dream building project, let us know. We would love to be a part of your journey.

One of my favorite authors says,

I’m glad that, even in the midst of these difficult times, we at Team Perka still have incredible customers, neighbors, friends, family, like you. That’s ALWAYS something we will be thankful for!

Harvest: Reaping What We Sow!

October 22, 2020 by Paul Gibson Posted in NewBlog Tagged building, Do it yourself, econo, energy efficient, green, hybrid, peace of mind, pole barn, prefab, stress free, teammate. construction, thanks, thanks giving, truth, wood shed

By Olivia Truesdale (Martial Thevenot Editor)

As autumn “falls” upon us, it’s typically a time where we get to harvest or consume some of our favorite fall foods!

Today, we’ll be cooking up some pumpkin, apples, and squash to launch us into the fall festivities.

Do you care to join us for some tasty recipes and a “side” of wisdom, too?

Oh, but before we begin, do you want to hear a funny fall joke? “

Why didn’t the chef want to use the pumpkin? 
Because it had been squash-ed when the car ran over it!” 

A groaner I know…   
Maybe, let’s focus on those fall recipes.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Yes! You can eat pumpkin seeds! And they’re quite delicious and simple to make. They only require a few ingredients, and you can flavor them however you want.

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Scoop out the “guts” and seeds from the inside of your pumpkin. Separate them by placing them in a strainer and rinsing. Deposit your seeds into a bowl and determine how you want to flavor them! You could use salt to enhance the flavor, cinnamon, and sugar (or pumpkin pie spice!) for a taste of fall, or any of your favorite spices.

Mix the seeds with whatever seasoning(s) you want; place them on a baking sheet and bake for 15-25 minutes. Pumpkin seeds are best when eaten shortly after they’ve been baked, but they’ll stay good for at least a week, when stored in an air-tight container. Enjoy!

Homemade Apple Cider
A quintessential autumn treat this is. And now you can make it at home! All you need is a gallon of apple juice, an orange, a teaspoon of whole cloves or ¾ teaspoon ground, and a half teaspoon (or half stick) of cinnamon.

Cut the oranges into slices, being sure to leave the peel attached. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could even add a splash of orange juice to the drink. Dump all the ingredients into a slow cooker and simmer, stirring occasionally. Leave the drink in the slow cooker until it is warm enough to serve and all the ingredients are mixed well. Voila! Serve warm for a great cozy – fuzzy feeling.

Apple Cake
Here is something you can do with all those extra apples! For this recipe, you will need the following: 4 cups of diced apples, 2 cups of sugar, 2 cups of flour, 2 eggs, ½ cup butter or oil, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and an optional cup of nuts.

Mix all the ingredients, and place in a 350 degree oven, allowing to bake for 35 to 45 minutes. While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting. You’ll need 6 ounces of cream cheese, 3 tablespoons of butter, 1½ cups of powdered sugar, 1½ teaspoons of vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Combine the frosting ingredients, and when the cake has cooled, top it with the cream cheese mixture. Can you taste it yet? Yum!

Spaghetti Squash
Yes, I know that this is just a plain squash, with no fancy recipe. That’s because spaghetti squash is so delicious and creative on its own!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, cut the squash in half, and remove the innards from each half. (But don’t throw out the seeds! You can follow the recipe for roasted pumpkin seeds, using those from your squash instead.) Drizzle the halves in olive oil, place them skin-side up, and bake for 30-60 minutes. Check them every so often to make sure you don’t overcook it. To make sure your squash is done, poke it with a fork to see if it is tender enough. Once it reaches the desired doneness, flip the halves over and scrape out the insides of your squash. It will look just like noodles! Top with your favorite pasta sauce or serve with butter and seasonings. Simple and healthy too. Bon Appetit!

Well, now you know what to do with some of your bountiful harvest. Reaping what you sowed! But you can only eat so much at one time.

So, if you are a grower, gardener, a seller, or just plain PUMPKIN ADDICT, you need a place to store all your delicious fall fruits and vegetables.

Perka has a solution for you! Our unique wood-and-steel building frames and structures have been used numerous times as barns for both produce and livestock. They can also be set up as additional living quarters, right with your “shop”. Whatever you need!

They make for a very safe, comfortable, stress free place to sow good seeds, good thoughts, good deeds and good harvest.

Feel free to Contact us or visit our website, or our facebook page, and ask us to help in any way we can. And do not worry, we always shoot for “Keeping It Simple and Stress-Free” (#KISS) so that you can get back to doing what you love most with the people you cherish as soon as possible.

Maybe even head on back to the kitchen and whip up some more tasty treats with your family, while resting assured that we are taking care of the stuff we LOVE TO DO MOST!

So, we would be more than happy to help you reap MORE of the good things that you sow! For your building. For your family. For you.

When Life Gives You Lemons

September 15, 2020 by Paul Gibson Posted in NewBlog Tagged building, dealer, Do it yourself, energy efficient, energy saving, envelope, flexible, hybrid, opportunity, pole barn, post & beam, prefab, sustainable, system design, truth

By Olivia Trusdale

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

This popular phrase is one of those “easier said than done” things. It isn’t always easy to sweeten what’s been soured, especially in the midst of the unprecedented times we’re living.

During the chaos and seeming madness, we can easily lose sight of the beauty in our everyday situations. (And sometimes, it can be really hard to find or see that beauty!) So how do we stay positive and insightful when we’re living through a literal PLAGUE PANDEMIC?!?!? And societal tensions? And a volatile economy? And don’t forget those murder hornets!

As TEAM PERKA, we are trying our utmost to “Keep It Simple and Stress-free” (K.I.S.S) So in this article, we’re going to be sharing 5 of our favorite tips for positive, hopeful, and connected OPTIMISMS.

Tip 1: Post positive sticky notes around your work and living spaces. It’s almost impossible not to smile when you’re looking at a cheerful note, from you, for you, to you! According to a Time Magazine article, posting constant visual reminders of positive thoughts or even inspiring photos can significantly improve your mood, your outlook and increase your confidence.

Some fun ideas for these happy little notes are “Smile!”, “It’s going to be a good day!”, and “You can do it!” You might also want to utilize your favorite quotes and Bible verses. There are endless possibilities. Focus on reviewing these positive messages frequently. Anything that sends you happy thoughts and “good vibes” does affect the psyche. (And if your happy sticky notes are spread throughout one of Perka’s hybrid buildings, that provides an extra burst of positivity and good MOJO!

You can virtually have a quantum vortex of optimism from a quality building, affordably constructed, comfortably furnished, AND boosted by happy thoughts posted all about the premises. How does it get better?

Tip 2: Stay connected with friends and family. Countless studies have proven that spending time with friends increases your happiness. Even though you may not be able to physically gather with the people you love, there are many other platforms that make it possible for you to stay connected. Skype, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet are popular and fast evolving online choices.

And there is always the old fashion phone call, postcard, letter or even a telegram! Yes telegrams are still possible – but maybe more so as a novelty! And of course there is a new digital app attempting to replicate the Telegram “feel” as an online chat messenger!!

Whichever way you choose, it’s important to keep communications open with the people you care about, and with anyone you basically have a meaningful relationship with. Just having that assurance of knowing that you aren’t alone helps you feel better about yourself and your situation.

Also being informed in a timely fashion of any “important or change in circumstances” can totally remove uncertainty that leads to “stress”! — The truth is, we’re all going through challenges of various degrees, right now, in real time.

We as TEAM PERKA are also living through this very same volatile yet expanding world like you. A GINORNOUS component of our culture – most of which pertains to creating more joy and less stress — is all about COMMUNICATING!! WE have a “hashtag” acronym we use every chance we get — #DWC. No, it’s not Dancing with Canadians or Drinking with Cowboys… it’s DON’T WAIT COMMUNICATE!!! We would love to be a part of the stress-free solution “lemonade” making that life is presenting to you. Contact us and let us know how we can be of service!

Tip 3: Let others know that you care about them and what they’re going through. While this piece of advice is not necessarily an obvious idea to foster positivity, reaching out to others can make a big impact on your own happiness, not to mention theirs.

When you help others, something happens in our brains and heart that promotes a realization of how blessed you are, inspiring gratitude and furthering more caring generosity. Plus, investing in other people (whether it’s with your time, talents, money, words, etc.) can be extremely gratifying. And you will just feel better, knowing that you’ve made a difference in someone’s day and life. Not only does it make you feel more positive, but they grow in positivity, too, because they received kindness from you. It creates a ripple effect. Which, if paid forward, can literally become perpetual in kinetic potential! Try it. If it’s not working just yet… increase the dose. This ideal is an important element in our Team’s culture as well!

Tip 4: While it’s good to reach out to others and connect with friends and family, don’t forget to take some time for yourself, too. Taking a break and having some fun- at the appropriate times- can help you refresh, relax, recharge, reignite, refocus and thus work (or play) more efficiently, especially when it’s time to begin again on your necessary tasks.

You shouldn’t ignore your problems, but brief distractions can help you return to them with new ideas and a fresh perspective.

Team Perka seeks to be a trusted advisor to help you look at your situation from as many perspectives as possible. From over 200 years of combined experience from the advisor team alone – you can benefit from the wisdom that life offers from making mistakes… and while there is a lot of training and education built in to our team – there is little to replace someone who has been through many relatable situations and has “seen a thing or two”!!

Tip 5: Stay flexible! BE flexible… this is one of those things that is less skill and almost all ATTITUDE!!! It’s a CHOICE!!! Being loose, calm, open, go-with-the-flow-, NO PANIC can really make a difference when seeking out STRESS FREE SOLUTIONS!

What is happening or is going to happen, is often just going to happen. The main thing you have control over is the way you respond to it. You can treat everything as a “problematic” challenge of extreme proportions or consequences OR you can see it as a new opportunity/way to serve and grow.

Worry less about “if you make a mistake”, or can’t respond “on some particular time line” per se; but yes do the best you can, with the resources you have and COMMUNICATE!! #DWC. Keep all concerned parties up to date and aware of the roadblocks, challenges or obstacles that need to be overcome!

Some things just are or are not in total synch with our moment to moment needs. Stay calm, poised and open to any, all and even “other” solutions! You will always receive the gift of knowing or understanding more about how to or not to possibly do or say something. Own it. Apologize if it serves. Make amends, reparations and KEEP MOVING. Keep evolving. It’s a secret to Happiness!

With TEAM PERKA, seeking to be calm, poised, reflective and specifically flexible is one of the five core values in our “S.A.F.E.R.” solution manifest. Flexibility means adapting in the midst of difficult, changing, unexpected, unplanned, or challenging circumstances and being open when change comes to work WITH IT. To seek out and then deploy a solution… Own it. But still grow with it.

Though this may sound presumptuous, we do sincerely hope that buying a new building is a change or opportunity that does comes your way. And when that presents itself, whether it came from a lemon or not – you can be assured that our Team will be here, able and willing, to help you stay positively on track, connected to purpose, calmly caring for your situation and for YOU personally – so that we can be poised to flexibly arrive at the best, most serving, joy filled solution.

For more information about our “Safe, Affordable, FLEXIBLE, Easy, Resilient” buildings, customer service, and company culture as a whole, contact us here.

Vertical Farming Garden Barns

August 1, 2020 by Paul Gibson Posted in NewBlog Tagged building, contractor, crops, dealer, Do it yourself, energy efficient, energy saving, farm, farming, garden, green, growing, hybrid, lumber, pesticide, pole barn, post & beam, prefab, shed, steel building, system design, teammate. construction, yield

Believe it or not, it looks like farming is taking an “upward turn” – and hopefully in more ways than one!! As of this writing, crop and livestock prices were inching up. There appears to be some good negotiations on new trade deals that will favor more Farms and Ranches. Weather is not seeming to have as big an impact as of late. (Though that can change quickly.) Despite the COVID, there is some optimism in the Ag world!

Throughout the history of farming, crops need several things to grow, and it is seldom ever truly predictable! One of the newest factors that is becoming more and more difficult to have in abundance is one of the most important elements: space, land and fertile soil.

Present day farming already takes up a huge amount of land for crops to grow. We have more people to feed every day and therefore need more food everyday! Plus, certain lands have to “rest” to re-build their natural nutrients. On top of that , while the population of our world keeps growing ,more and more land is being re-purposed for other uses and some even in the name of LOVE.

So, unfortunately, our could be slimming. It is estimated that within the next thirty years, the human population will surpass 9 billion! Not only will they need more living space, but they will also require more food, which takes up even more area to be grown. Here is the latest PIVOT potential: vertical farming!

Vertical farming is the process of stacking garden boxes in a controlled environment, rather than spreading crops out in fields. With vertical farming, you don’t have to rely as much on nature to provide everything needed to grow crops or gardens. The grower can control the amount of light and heat that the crops receive. This process requires minimal soil and uses up to 95% less water than conventional farming. And there are NO bugs, meaning you won’t have to apply pesticides. You can have more control over more variables of your farm.

Not only that, but vertical farms can yield four to six times MORE per area than conventional farming methods. Vertical farming can definitely “stack up” as a viable solution to our world’s growing needs. It’s a win-win-win: more food, more control, and less space! In more ways than we can imagine then, things are certainly “looking up” for the farming industry!

At Team Perka, we understand that your crops are especially important to you and our world. That’s why we developed a hybrid building- part wood, part steel- in order to provide you with the highest quality structures for any and all of your projects.

And we are confident that you’ll love your Perka building as much as we do! Not only are they affordable and functional, they’re also extremely reliable and safe! Our unique hybrid buildings are strong and secure, perfect for housing anything you need. These one-of-a-kind models are customizable, re-designable, AND up to safety code!

We also guarantee that our buildings will meet any safety requirement around, so you can rest assured that your valuable equipment and animals are well-protected from the environment: dangerous winds, damaging rains or snow, and the powerful sun.

Your building can have a full or partial roof, along with custom doors to ensure that you get what works best for you. Whether you want open or enclosed walls, doors that fold up or roll up or slide or open regularly, one door or two or more- It’s all up to you! We work with you, so that your buildings have the highest quality, guaranteed! Besides, if something doesn’t work properly, or you change your mind, Perka’s building frames have a 50-year warranty.

Speaking of changing your mind, Perka buildings are EXTREMELY re-usable! They can be repurposed into almost anything you need! Our buildings have been turned into places for livestock (horses, pigs, cattle, poultry, sheep, goats, ducks, llamas/alpacas, etc), crop storage, equipment repair shops, milking barns, hay storage, even man caves and she sheds, OR just additional living space! These structures are incredibly versatile; they work well for the whole family! (Even the non-human members of the family!)

All models can be fit to size- height, width, length, steepness of the roof, or anything else! We want to get YOU the perfect size for your building.

Most of our buildings are completed by a vaulted ceiling. This adds an extra level of storage, which can be used for holding more goods, more equipment, and more food!

You don’t have to worry when faced with gusting gales, snowstorms and sleet, rattling rains, or anything else that quivers, quakes, and shakes! Perka buildings are strong enough to weather the storms of life. They are also affordable, to give you the best space for your dollar, so you can invest in other things around the farm. Our buildings and our team are flexible; we’ll work with any changes, fixes, or add-ons, should you so desire. If extra space is what you are looking for, you can consider it done! We make sure it’s easy to get the information you need, AND easy to assemble your building! We hope to ensure that your building is effortlessly and effectively insulated and simple to change. Whatever you need, we’ll get it done quickly, so that you can enjoy the return on your investment sooner. Plus, they are extremely resilient: no small storms can blow them down! They are built to withstand even the toughest of circumstances. However, if they don’t quite hold up, they are simple to repair, remodel, or reuse. With Perka on your side, there’s no way you can lose!

Perka is proud to be the S.A.F.E.R. solution for you, your family, and your farm. Contact us to receive more information and direction. We want to work with you and provide the best buildings we can for your equipment, your products, and YOU!

Great Expectations

July 29, 2020 by Paul Gibson Posted in NewBlog Tagged building, Do it yourself, energy efficient, hybrid, lumber, opportunity, pole barn, prefab, QUALITY, steel building, teammate. construction, truth

“Great Expectations:”
What happens when they don’t get met?

We all thrive on making and having big plans, big dreams, and big aspirations. Often, children are told that “they can be whatever they want to be.” Whether it is an astronaut, lawyer, doctor, engineer, builder, entrepreneur, architect, or artist, we encourage our children to “reach for the stars”. And we ourselves, through the form of books, movies, and other media outlets are pushed to “pursue our dreams”. But what happens when you wake up and are left grasping and wanting of the visions that visited us during the night?

Happy and sad twins A recurring issue in our society is in how we deal with our sometimes overwhelming, unrealistic, and therefore unmet expectations. We are constantly bombarded with a notion that “If you don’t achieve this goal or get this product, you’ll never amount to anything or achieve certain things or ever find happiness and peace.” The unwritten and subliminal rules of life are presented all around us, reminding us of all the things we “are supposed to” have or do to be “successful” and HAPPY! This is NOT to say that there is something necessarily wrong with being a high achiever of success or accomplishing goals. But is there a way to set up feasible expectations for ourselves without feeling like we aren’t doing or getting “enough”?!?! And then becoming upset from it and then taking it out on those we love or count on to HELP us?

Step 1: NON ATTACHMENT

Clear away the belief or mindset of “I won’t be happy if I don’t accomplish or “get” this…” Oftentimes, our goals will not serve us well – only because of how LOFTY or rigid they really are! Again, there is nothing wrong with “dreaming big”, but there is a GIGANTIC difference between big dreams and near impossible expectations, especially if it will upset or unnerve you.

If and when we can let go of the idea that we won’t be happy until we finish a certain (or several!) task(s), we can put more of our productive energy on being present, calm, cool and kind to inspire and lift self and others to find the solutions to easier achieve more goals, even the big ones!

For example, earning a promotion is a reasonable, attainable goal in most cases. Becoming manager within your first two months of service in your career? Alot less likely! There are some things that are not very likely to happen if even just not possible at this time… or within a certain time frame. It is possible that you could become the manager. It is possible that you could finally get that treehouse or shed built in your backyard. (Although the shed would be even faster if you partnered with Perka!)

It is possible that you could write that award-winning novel you’ve always dreamed of. Nearly anything is possible, but it certainly most likely will not be instantaneous. That said whether it takes ten weeks or ten years, it serve us best to make sure that we DON’T base our inner peace and happiness on particular objects or achievements.

Step 2: SMALL CONSISTENT STEPS

Break the goal into “bite-size”, attainable chunks. For example, let’s look at some of the sample goals from Step 1. Building a treehouse? It is a 100% plausible goal. However, building a beautiful treehouse, complete with walls, a kitchenette, and an exit slide? Probably not going to happen fast that is for sure. And not all at once. That’s why we can choose to take it one step at a time, as it comes, methodically, reading ALL the directions (as tedious as it seems), and give yourself and everyone around you plenty of grace. If everything doesn’t happen at once, or over one weekend, THAT’S OK!!!

Now, let us look at the writing of a novel example (because don’t all us “writers” want to see our names on the New York Times bestseller list???). Again, like the treehouse, it is attainable. But it certainly won’t happen just like that – nor with our first publication! Therefore we need to set simple, reachable daily goals. In our busy lives, it can often be difficult to find time to sit down and write a large segment. It’s even more difficult if you attempt to do this every day! So, we go with a smaller portion. A chapter a day. Or even just a page or sub story per day. Or even less, like a bullet form outline, if need be. It doesn’t matter what amount you decide to do, as long as it’s consistent.

Author Robert Collier says “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out!” For larger projects like these, you are only going to burn out your energy (and motivation) if you try to “plow through” large pieces all at once, all the time. It’s more serving in the long run to stick with your small portions. Do it daily, do it well, do it consistently! Next thing you know – it’s MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Step 3: ENJOY THE JOURNEY

This can be easily overlooked, but remember that the truest path to inner peace and happiness is accepting what American Essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson is very well known for saying “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey” that really matters.

As we stated previously, you shouldn’t base your happiness on whether or not you’ve completed a list of tasks or acquired particular objects. Anyone can fill out a checklist, but not everyone can pursue it with everyday JOY! While you were on the “journey”, you can also gain invaluable skills that can help you in other things, regardless of whether you fulfilled the goal (yet) or not. We are extremely fortunate to now live in a world where “anyone can be anything”. BUT not everyone is or will be successful, every time. And often, even if the goal is attained, not successful where it matters most, anyway.

Our typical definition of success requires people to compromise their values, compromise their dreams, or compromise their priorities. We need to remember that it truly is the process that counts! Life can change so quickly; no one really knows what will show up tomorrow, or become of the things we create?

If we focus on what kind of legacy we want to leave, rather than taking shortcuts in order to get a job done faster, we can take the time to get it done right, and that, in and of itself, is an achievement worthy of being called SUCCESS. Appreciate the little victories. “Stop and smell the roses.” Allow yourself to grow and glow, while remaining poised and flexible! Hard times do happen, and certainty comes and goes. But if you’ve focused on growing and evolving during your journey, it will help you stay open and centered when bigger trouble hits.

At Perka, we whole heartedly know that it is important to be as flexible as possible, preparing for the unexpected, while always moving towards what is best. We understand that times change quickly, and many things are incredibly “up in the air”, especially during these times. But life is short, and time is too precious to spend it worrying or arguing or complaining. That is why strength and flexibility are two of our core values. It is why we specially engineer our buildings to be up to every safety code in your area and then some. It is why we work WITH you to ensure that your building goals are achieved, realistically, accurately, safely and correctly. We will never cut corners or compromise integrity. We choose to do things right, by choose to do the “right” thing. This way, you can know that if all else fails, you can rely on your friends at Team Perka, to flex with you to seek out the most stress free and realistic solutions. #sssTsss

There is much in the way of unexpected, unplanned, unpredictable and even un-thought of events these days — it behooves us to remain calm, open, understanding, gracious, compassionate and seek out the next best solution, trusting sincere selfless service and continue to apply the everyday (baby) steps towards GREAT EXPECTATIONS without the pain of being so attached that we actually HURT ourselves and those we love and count on around us.

As our local Rotary Club President just said in weekly update…

“Let’s keep our heads on a swivel, be creative, be positive,
and most importantly, be kind and we’ll continue
to make this world a better place one good deed at a time.”

Contact us to find out how to start your journey with us, and know exactly what to expect, including being poised to address all the unprecedented, unexpected twists and turns of 2020!

Life Expectancies too short?

July 27, 2020 by Paul Gibson Posted in NewBlog Tagged building, built to last, contractor, DIY, Do it yourself, durable, energy saving, envelope, garanteed, hybrid, material, pole barn, steel building, system design, teammate. construction, truth

Life Expectancies too short?
Expect More with a Perka Hybrid Building!

There are certain things that we sometimes just kind of assume like: “That’s going to last forever… This will never break down… I’ll be able to keep it for a long time.” Have you ever thought that?

Unfortunately, “they just don’t make ‘em like they used to!”is an axiom that has become pretty literal these days. Have you heard, if not even experienced, that one already??!!

Modern things break down very quickly. And we may have also heard that other old saying: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, Yes?

So, what, if anything, can we actually depend on these days? What happened to doing things right?

With every passing day – it is becoming easier and easier to admit affirm: “they just don’t make ‘em like they used to”.

While this may seem like a reminiscent phrase exclaimed by our grandparents, or even great-grand parents, it’s actually quite true.

Some facts: many household appliances used to intentionally be built to last. It was part of the design strategy. Now, it seems like every time we turn around, something needs replaced. In some ways, that is done with purposes… Like to keep initial costs down. And be able to prosper from an after market of parts and services, or all out replacement! It’s sometimes referred to as <<planned obsolescence>>.

For example, washing machines from the 1940’s and 1950’s are still in existence… and still work! However, fast forward 30-40 years and you’ll be lucky to get 15 years out of your newer washing machine. (The actual average lifespan of a washer is now anywhere from 10 to 15 years.)

New dryers “live” about as long as their washer counterparts.

If you’re looking to wash dishes instead of clothes, the average dishwasher will now last only somewhere between 7 and 12 years.

While we’re on the subject of kitchen appliances, what about the oven and microwave oven? Ovens last a bit longer, with a lifespan of 10 to 20 years, while microwaves only work well for a mere 5 to 15 years. The short longevity of basic household appliances is shocking, especially when you consider the fact that they used to last for multiple decades!

But why do our parts, pieces, and appliances have such shorter lifespans today? What corners have been cut? Firstly, the appliances run off of fancy electrical devices. This means that they have more functions, and these particular components are currently made such that they are much more prone to wear and tear, breakage, and damage. Secondly (and more commonly), companies are also just looking to make more money. They make their parts out of cheaper material, faster with less attention to the details. It’s often all about the money!

Because there aren’t very many appliance companies, those that still exist practically “own the market”. Then the companies that have these pseudo-monopolies that can charge you “an arm and a leg” for each new piece, uncontested by competitors and God forbid there might be some inadvertent collusion.

So, now, more often than not, it’s just cheaper for people to buy a new machine, rather than purchasing a new part and paying someone to replace the old one.

The things we use (and rely on) every day are usually also made with less durable or resilient quality parts in order to also be lighter, more efficient, more productive, more aesthetically pleasing, etc. And the companies who sell them can make (more) money either way, because they know that consumers need their products for everyday life. These are considered commodities! Unfortunately, without a significant cultural shift, one to include providing long term value thinking, it doesn’t look like products will be improving in their longevity any time soon.

We don’t particularly like that. And we also realize sometimes it’s just better to “BE THE CHANGE” we seek!

So, that’s why Team Perka’s approach to product design is different.

One of our core values is in doing the “right” thing – by doing things right!

As Team Perka, we are a more that a family owned business with values that focuses on consciously choosing quality materials, assemble by caring craftsman and delivered with intentional service. We don’t measure our success on the number of orders we get, we measure it by the number of new friends that we make as teammates and ‘clients’ with intentions to KEEP!

Instead of less expensive components that are sometimes indeed planned with obsolescence, to wear out or break down quicker, our wood and steel hybrid structures are consciously designed with intention to be built to last.

By the number of multi generation clients that we already have – (i.e. children of existing clients buying from us now 20 and almost 40 years later) we pride ourselves in knowing that clients, AKA OUR FRIENDS, will keep coming back to see us, because they understand the value built into our products and trust us to partner with them on a collective future, building projects for the long haul.

YOUR trust, your satisfaction, YOU and your elation over the quality, ease and resilience of our buildings are our higher priorities.

And being now a third generation business, we want our Grand Children’s kids to be proud of being part of this legacy.

PLUS, we are happy to back this intention up with our Perka designed and manufactured Steel Frames 50-year warranty.

Our teammates, our family, would be absolutely delighted to assist you and your family with your building plans.

For more information about beginning your next building project with Perka, contact us here. To check out our high-quality steel frames, click here. And don’t forget to keep reading our blog!

Chasing Perfection, Catching Excellence

July 15, 2020 by Paul Gibson Posted in NewBlog Tagged building, contractor, dealer, DIY, Do it yourself, energy efficient, energy saving, green, hybrid, pole barn, post & beam, prefab, steel building, sustainable, system design, teammate. construction

Chasing Perfection, Catching Excellence

In 1959, American football coach and legend Vince Lombardi inspired the Green Bay Packers, and the world, when he said, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”

That said, how often do we feel as though we are chasing perfection to no avail. Running around in an endless loop, pursuing something that seems unattainable. And it is exhausting! Many people quickly do realize that perfection is impossible, but they do not like that answer. Instead of looking AT the progress, many just quit altogether. Why do they give up on their goals, and how can we break that pattern?

Why people quit 1.0: staring at failure. We often catch ourselves looking at everything that goes wrong, and that can be extremely disheartening. Why don’t we look more to what can go right? Often it is difficult to set our gaze beyond our failures. We have all heard that old cliche: “Every failure is a new opportunity”. But sometimes, listening or hearing that phrase can be even more frustrating, because we are unable to see what that new opportunity actually is.

The American inventor Thomas Edison said it best: “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” In some situations, if we never find the 10,000 wrong ways, we may never find the one RIGHT way! We must not see our shortcomings as a failure; let us view it as an unusable path. Keep track of your unusable paths, certainly to avoid them in the future, and we will soon be on a certain road to success!

Why people quit 2.0: distractions. Cacophony. Clamor. Din. Hubbub. Pandemonium. Racket. Hullabaloo. They all mean the same thing- “noise”. #bignoise. With our typical everyday hustle-and-bustle, it is pretty easy to become distracted. Whether it is due to audible noise, the noise from endless tweets and social media post, or the noise that comes from inside our own heads, we often take our “eyes off the prize” and become bogged down, totally distracted and off course. With everyone, be it our boss, kids, spouse, parents, pets, neighbors, alter ego – constantly needing something, we can mis-use our time that could better be used to focus on our goals. That is why Team Perka is here for you. Perka Hybrid Buildings offers noise free and very affordable building designs, which can be perfect for when you need to work close to home… but not too close. Structures also known as a “man cave” or “she shed” (or how about a “dream destination”, “plan place”, or “house of hopes”), TEAM PERKA is in the business of helping man and woman kind – be safer, happier, healthier and kinder.

They aspire to be a presence so that you can find your solution to create a space for your private, quiet time to “formulate, focus, pursue and attain your dreams” without or with at least LESS, of the usual distractions and NOISE! Our favorite goal is to help you attain yours, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to ensure that your very own space is exactly what you want and need.

Why people quit 3.0: unwillingness to change/grow. No one likes or ever wants to be told that they are wrong. No one wants to believe that their method is inferior. Most people simply lack the willingness to change. This is a major hindrance in achieving progress. Some people are just looking for perfection, but they do not want to take the time to learn, improve, and to focus on personal advancement. This is an issue that is often rooted in a certain stubbornness and pride; an “I’m just right, you’re wrong, and you can’t convince me otherwise” mindset. Unfortunately, that attitude generally gets everyone NO-WHERE. If you are willing to listen and can be open to change, while there is still a possibility that your ideas might fail, there is much HOPE there. To totally refuse to listen to possible ideas and differing perspectives from your peers and adapt, adjust or evolve your ideas to make them the best they can be, will almost certainly guaranty that you will definitely not find any perfection, excellence or happiness for that matter.

If you wish to have a partner to help with building choices, our trained and dedicated advisors also known as Team Perka are here to assist you, to adapt with you and for you. One of our core values is flexibility. We strive to have flexible personalities, to be able to take whatever comes our way and adapt – roll with the punches; AND similarly our buildings are flexible, able to also change, adjust and adapt in order to suit varying and sometimes forced pivots.

Why people quit 4.0: fear. This explanation could go on and on. There is fear of failing, fear of what your peers will think, fear of letting others down, fear of letting yourself down, even fear of success. These, of course, all stem from that goal of and being totally attached to “perfection”.

However, if you “strive for perfection and are willing to catch excellence”, none of these fears can ever dominate. If you catch excellence, you haven’t failed, you haven’t let anyone down, not even yourself. Of course, the first step to conquering these fears (and to catching excellence) is to begin the journey by SHOW UP to take the first step. Set your goals, and then figure out ways to achieve them! It may not be perfect. It does not HAVE to be really! — But it certainly will feel excellent once you’ve begun on the path towards your dreams! Progress is the key. Tony Robbins says that the MAIN ingredient to HAPPINESS is not possessions, destinations, or even permanently bliss filled relationships… it is growth and making PROGRESS towards something! It is the Journey!!

At Perka, we want to join with you, to help you, to progress on that path, on that journey as you pursue your goals… towards an ever evolving better today! Contact us and let us know how we can be a part of your journey!

Top Priority

July 14, 2020 by Paul Gibson Posted in NewBlog Tagged building, contractor, Do it yourself, energy efficient, energy saving, hybrid, pole barn, post & beam, prefab, steel building, sustainable, teammate. construction

Top Priority

No one tries to “keep up with the Joneses” anymore… do they? “Keeping up with the Joneses” is an older phrase or idiom that means you attempt to base your success on how well you match up with the success of your neighbors. Sounds exhausting (and at times difficult), right? This requires us to take note of everything the neighbors do, see how our lives compare, and make ourselves seem as good (or better) than the folks next door.

Unfortunately, this concept is one that we often practice nearly every day. We are so often tempted to constantly compare… and often attempting to be just a little bit better than that other person. We look around to see how we stack up or at least differentiate from the people around us. Bigger house? That’s one point for me. My kid threw a tantrum, when hers never cries. OK, one point for her. My car is nicer than his; I get another point. The list can go on and on when it comes to comparing. Sound familiar?

However, comparing ourselves to others isn’t always wrong or undeserving… if we’re comparing the right things and in the right “way”. Like doing so with a certain admiration, to learn from and GROW! What we shouldn’t compare, especially with any attachment or competitiveness per se, are our families, our finances, certain personal life choices, even relationships, etc. We don’t always have control over the things our families do, some of the choices we can get forced into, or the adversity we may encounter. Besides, those perfect Instagram posts and family photos don’t show everything. Those are typically just ONE moment in time….

In reality, almost everyone has uncomfortable, messy, less-than-perfect moments that sometimes lasting days, weeks, and those moments, those photos rarely end up being posted. Do they? We shouldn’t compare material things either: things like houses, cars, finances, possessions, etc. If we keep looking at those things, we’ll always find someone who has it just a little bit nicer or “better”. Those collations can often disappoint, in one way or another.

This begs the question: Is it ever OK to compare? The answer is “yes”. However, this has to be done in a healthy, constructive way. As earlier mentioned, it isn’t serving to look at other people’s lives and wish that ours looked more like theirs. But it can be constructive to observe other people’s behavior or personalities: the way they act, think, and speak. By observing others without judgement, we can learn from their consequences, accomplishments, and appreciate the differences while respecting their strengths. We can work to figure out what they do well, and if it fits, apply that to our own lives. To practice this kind of healthy comparison doesn’t produce jealousy, bitterness, or longing; it produces kindness, understanding, appreciation and a mindset of growth or evolving.

If you have read this far, you’re probably curious as to why we’ve been talking about collation and “keeping up with the Joneses” (or any other families who happen to live next door to you). What does this have to do with buildings? Well, it’s because of Perka’s dedication to our customers: to YOU. The products and services we offer are part of the bigger picture goal of wanting to make our world better… To serve man and woman kind!

So, guess what? We are not concerned with your neighbors. We are not “worrying” about what others are doing. It matters not as to whether their house is nicer, whether their car is larger, or whether they have more social media followers than you or us. Our number one concern is you. You, as you. You, with a lived-in house – a well-used vehicle or children filled with abundant enthusiasm and energy. (Although, if your house is a bit cluttered, as in lacking in space, well, Perka Hybrid Buildings can be a great choice for adding storage, extra room and or functionality. – Just saying.)

More than supplying you with high-quality, well thought out building and structure solutions, we want to provide you with the best possible stress free service that will earn your trust and help you find the right solutions for YOU.

And as to comparing? We will definitely do that with you. We will compare quality and type of the structure. Is it Steel? Or is it Wood? Or is it Hybrid? Is it pre-designed? We will look at how the buildings are produced? Are they pre-fit to eliminate headaches on the job site, or are they sent to you with a WISH and a HOPE that they will fit? We will indeed compare so that you know that you are getting a 50 year warranty from a business that has been around long enough to re-assure you that they are not going anywhere! We will compare to make sure your choices meet the minimum requirements you would expect to protect you and your family – like strength, and affordability, like flexibility so you are not stuck with a never look back decision. Like ease & simplicity so that you don’t get all lost in the jargons and the attempts at “BS to impress”! And we will compare to be sure you realize the building you choose is resilient to withstand whatever challenge or adversity that sometimes LIFE just throws at us! The unexpected. The unplanned for. The unpredictable.

We aim to be robust, resilient and remarkable at the very least… Because with TEAM PERKA, YOU are our highest priority. Not the Joneses. You. Your goals. Your dreams. Your aspirations. Your SAFETY. Your future… To find out how you can begin a project with your very own trusted building adviser and Happy Perka Teammate, contact us here.

Farms, Food, and Finances

July 1, 2020 by Paul Gibson Posted in NewBlog Tagged barndominium, building, chicken coup, contractor, DIY, Do it yourself, econo, energy efficient, energy saving, envelope, flexible, food, greenhouse, meat, meat packing, milk, opportunity, post & beam, poultry, systainable, teammate. construction, thanks

Farms, Food, and Finances

All of us with Team Perka really LOVE OUR FARMERS! Since our founder “ET” began the TEAM PERKA journey way back in 1981, he always stayed rooted in his own humble beginning as a son of a farmer. And so, men and women workers of the earth’s fields, always held the highest stature in his eyes! We just can’t exist without our food supply chain… and they are right at the ROOT of it all – (puns intended!)

Perka’s Hybrid Buildings can be used almost anywhere around the farm yard or even in the fields, as farmers have been one of our most valued clients over our near 40 year history.

Unfortunately, and it is sad to see, farmers are struggling right now. There are a lot of questions surrounding farmers and the food they produce. People are ever more curious to know where their food comes from… how it is grown, and then where is it going!? Fear not, O wise ones who read this blog. Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at some of the main questions about what’s happening in the food industry.

Let’s begin at the farm, the actual source of our entire food supply chain. (No, it’s not the “store”!!)

Farmers are currently being forced to eradicate months’ worth of work because the demand for their services is not as the same and therefore not as timely as it once was and therefore not as “great”.

But wait… if anything, shouldn’t their demand be greater? One might think that at least the same if not even more people are still hungry and possibly even without supplies or access now than they were before quarantine/shelter protocols. Schools have been shut down, and most restaurants are only open for a drive-through or curbside pickup. People are eating at home more often.

Food that goes to restaurants and schools is packaged much differently than food that gets distributed to the public. Meat, cheese, fruits, and vegetables are transported to restaurants in much larger quantities than that same cuisine being bought at a grocery store. The problem is, sadly for the moment, is that the farmers don’t have the capacity or resources to package their own goods, and much food has been left to rot. That said there have been some bright lights standing out in the darkness of current uncertainties as we try to figure this out.

One Pennsylvania farmer, Mr. Ben Brown, came up with an alternative to dumping the milk from his many cows. He was fortunate to have access to equipment that would allow him to process the milk himself. He worked long and hard to make sure he wouldn’t have to waste an ounce of his milk… even if that meant waking up at midnight to continue bottling. His farm opened up for people to come buy his milk, and he sold out in a matter of hours.

Pretty inspiring, isn’t it? Thankfully, more of those sort of pivots are happening as we speak!! In our home town here of St. Joseph, MO – people have organized a FREE farm-to-family distribution by volunteers to GIVE AWAY the food that might otherwise get wasted. They meet in our shopping center parking lot – three times a week and cars line up to take fruits, vegetables, dairy products they can use or pay forward themselves.

The next link in our “food chain” is the processing plants. What’s happening there? Unfortunately, over 14,000 cases of COVID-19 have been linked to meat processing plants across the United States. It seems that it has been difficult to maintain social distance and take other safety precautions when working in a meat processing plant. New measures have been slow to implement. If any sick person continues to work at such a place, they not only expose their co-workers, but potentially anyone who eats the food that may have been handled by the sick person. As such, companies like Tyson Foods, https://www.tysonfoods.com/ Smithfield Foods https://www.smithfieldfoods.com/, and JBS https://jbssa.com/ have closed one or more of their plants around the country. Since these processing locations have closed, farmers have had no way to slaughter and distribute the meat they produce; millions of animals have gone to waste.

So as we see this happening, we also see that there is by no means a shortage of food; there is only an insufficiency of processing and handling. Because of the causal difference in a lower supply and still the same demand, meat prices have skyrocketed, and we may not see as much of certain foods (the healthier kind) on the shelves at the grocery store in the coming months.

And this brings us to the final link in the food supply chain: you. The consumer. The “eater”!! What can we do to help your local farmers?

Wherever you can, buying locally grown food, like from the people who supported Ben Brown – can make a huge difference – right up front.

Also, we can mindfully choose to follow recommended quarantine protocols, so that we can aid in mitigating and hopefully ending the spread of COVID-19; if there could come a day, sooner than later, where we can confidently say that we have contained the spread (till safe medicine is available) this will most definitely help our farms and food industry bounce back sooner.

And if you decide to plant some of your own fruits and vegetables while you’re more at home these days with more telework and certainly less travelling, we would love to help you with any possible building add on needs! Perka’s hybrid buildings work well for greenhouses, crop storage, or any form of agricultural, farmer, rancher needs.

If you are interested in more information about the food shortages in America, check out these related articles: Tyson, pigs, vegetables, plants closing.

And, as always, for more information about Perka Buildings, contact us. We’d love to help you as and if you embark on your new or next food, farming and financially friendly adventure!

GIVE UP, GIVE IN OR GIVE MORE – “Winners never Quit”. UPDATE 4/16/2020

April 7, 2020 by Paul Gibson Posted in NewBlog Tagged barn, barndominium, building, contractor, covid-19, Do it yourself, forecasting, implement shed, infinity, planning, posibilities, post & beam, shouse, steel building, survive, teammate. construction, thrive, tut

GIVE UP, GIVE IN OR GIVE MORE
“Winners Never Quit”.

With 7 important and invaluable tips to stay ahead of the curve.

How about this current experience that we ALL find ourselves in these days? What are you thinking?

If it were a football game or a hockey game, and we had just gone through a most disastrous quarter or period of scores/goals against, “turnovers”, “setbacks”, “uncertainties” and “injuries”, what would you do?

And what if the likely outcome for any sort of “victory” looked anything but probable let alone possible, what is the plan?

What are the options Coach? Give up? Give in? or Give more?

Would we GIVE UP and “quit” to just END THE GAME right there? Or would we GIVE IN and just go through motions to get this whole thing over with ASAP and start again another day? Or might we seek out to GIVE MORE, and crunch each moment into an opportunity to grow, to learn, to adjust, to evolve and maybe even to transcend into something even greater?

These can be things to make you go hmmm, eh?

If the 2020 Superbowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs, led by the remarkable phenom Patrick Mahomes, are an example of the potential impact of a GIVE MORE practice and mindset, then one can readily see that, even in the face of something even futile, applying consistent, determined, moment to moment, synergized effort, discipline and dare I say faith or belief, one can still “prevail” and overcome!! DO YOU BELIEVE?

Not unlike this Covid-19 pandemic, most of us are facing totally unexpected and unplanned-for setbacks, losses, changes, uncertainties and, for some, sickness (and God forbid, death). What do we do?

For many, who are probably some of the more fortunate ones, we are working from home. With all the possible disruptions we are enduring, we are still able to be and do something productive, in some form of comfort, that can still add value to our business, our job, our lives, our selves, our community, our world.

For some others, it is work, almost as usual. Albeit with social distancing protocols, hyper hygiene habits, though still in a factory, warehouse or job site setting. (And most thankfully, not a war zone.)

For a certain other group of strong, brave, devoted, courageous and no doubt dearly admired, appreciated and needed – they face daily overwhelm and un-bargained for risks, as they serve, every day, selflessly, to keep our world tended to, cared for, fed, sheltered or otherwise protected.

And yet for another group, most unfortunately, they are out of work, out of purpose, running out of resources and no doubt experiencing fear and an almost unbearable amount of uncertainty!

What do we do?

Thankfully, for those who are able and willing, there is an overwhelming consensus to reach out and help each other. Protect each other. Connect with each other. In fact, there are many businesses, not for profits, churches, service clubs, individuals and local governments – who are pro-actively seeking out to be our brother’s and sister’s keepers. #Inthistogether.

So, if you are reading this now, and are finding yourself in a place that knows not what to do, and would be served by some help with a call for you to seek out some sort of assistance – feel free to reach out to us. Team Perka is currently working with many agencies from Rotary International, to United Way, to Kiwanis, to the Optimist Club, to our Chamber of Commerce, to the Second Harvest Food Bank and with many of our family, local businesses, friends and neighbors to be on call to assist. No one needs to go through this alone. Resources from all sectors of our society are being deployed to help. Please call. Reach out. Ask!

And, if you are debating on what to do with your current new construction, retrofit, remodel or re-purpose of your building or expansion plans, there actually might exist, TODAY, HERE and NOW, a very good open opportunity of extra available time, readily accessible talents, more accessible resources and even lowered interest rates and costs that you could take advantage of immediately to still keep moving things forward, despite all the uncertainty.

I’d be remiss not to mention that most of the business leaders in our building industry are noticing a pent-up demand that is exponentially growing every day, which could literally and significantly bottle neck and possibly overwhelm schedules, especially once we do get an all clear. This is not unlike what is happening in New York, Michigan, California, Illinois, Louisiana and Georgia hospitals. – That said, pretty much EVERYONE believes we will get that ALL CLEAR, it’s just a question of when!

Our question is: where do you want to be when that happens?

To help you stay ahead of that upcoming event, here are seven very important and very doable things you can initiate right now! TODAY!

If you haven’t already done so, you may want to apply for the Economic Injury Disaster Relief (EIDL) advance. You could get a forgivable $10,000 in relief. (As of today’s writing, the system is already on overload and the demand will most likely cause for a fourth stimulus package, so it behooves you to get in that queue!) This one can take less than an hour to fill out. Even though it says allow 2 hours – some have done it in 15 minutes!! Click here: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/economic-injury-disaster-loan-emergency-advance
If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, sole proprietor or even self-employed with one or more employees – you could also qualify for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). There too you could get forgivable loans to help you keep all your employees paid and on YOUR staff. For many of us it have been a big challenge to find and train great teammates. The last thing we want is to lose them! This will help everyone! Apply for that NOW! Fair warning: the queue line is growing there too. But as one of leaders in our industry said – it is FREE MONEY to help keep our teammates employed!? Who wouldn’t want to do that? Go here for that info: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program-ppp. You will need to go through a SBA approved lender for this one. (*** As of 4/16/2020 – the allocated amount for this “phase” has run out and there is talk of adding more — the suggestion is to apply anyway – just in case!!)
You can refinance any existing assets to take advantage of the current near zero interest rates. Your home, your office building, your church, your car, your warehouse, your home equity line – can all be possibly refinanced to new lower rates. Banks are poised to refinancing that could save you several hundred dollars or more every month!
Get your new construction loan set up for your shouse, barn, garage, barndominium, warehouse, hangar, store, shed, arena, stables or dream home, ready to deploy as soon as you want. There could be several steps to this process. The sooner you start, the sooner you will have it done! As you can see from the above – banks will be extra busy for a while too. Don’t despair. GET IN THE QUEUE NOW ANYWAY! Inaction is NOT AN OPTION. At some point things will get back to some sort of new normal, — this is not the end of the world… so it behooves us to stay in motion! #KEEPMOVING… the motion can create a vacuum for attraction.
Begin the research process of getting exactly what you want for your new structure. Strength. Affordability. Flexibility. Ease. Resilience. All very important factors to seek out and find out as much as you can about. With the help of a trusted building adviser you will not need to rush or worry into a most stress-free building solution, and make sure you get the one designed for you and your circumstances! You do not want to get this wrong! Ask questions. In fact, you can get a free white paper on the top 7 things to ask before you buy. Click here for that. You might invest a bit more time and money up front – but this will pay back MANY FOLD in use value, long term savings, asset appreciation, ease of construction, little or no changes or rework, flexible retrofits and in so many other ways.
Get yourself into the ever growing queue of pre-orders for their building drawings and materials by getting yours written up, drawings detailed out and approved with your building department and permit offices NOW. While things appear to be slow in the overall economy and people planning — time is still of the essence! This too shall pass. In fact, for these code enforcement officers, while they may be working from home, they are actually responding quicker in relative terms, to most requests, Reason for this could be since there are less people acting on their plans and they are actually available! So, this would be a perfect time to get ahead on that.
You can even begin on your site work (especially if you are DIY – Do-It-Yourselfer and are having to shelter in place at home), and can maybe even get the concrete poured right away; as we also know weather (rain, flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc.) can also put a wrench into building and construction plans… And, in reality, with only so many GOOD concrete guys around (it is a very highly skilled craft – DO NOT CUT CORNERS HERE!), you will be well served to get that in, with the best contractor you can, when you can get it done, as soon as you can! This will help your builder who may have to change up his own queue by WHO IS READY TO GO NEXT!! (Being ready could also get you a break in labor costs if your timing is right and the contractor needs to fill a gap… many will cut margins to keep the flow!) A big key factor to this is COMMUNICATION! DO NOT WAIT – COMMUNICATE. The better you do this – the more stress free and actually enjoyable your experience will be.

Like the disaster relief funds that are being issued by the Federal Government CARES ACT, as big that number was, ($360 Billion) unfortunately, it appears that there won’t be enough to serve everyone. (Just added as of 4/8/20 from a phone presentation by Senator Roy Blunt (MO) – there might be an add on of $250 Billion more! – $70B has already been issued he said!) It was and is going to ever more be on a “first come first served” … so, it’s the doers and decision makers, – albeit calculated risk takers, who may very well come out of this ordeal on the better end of the recovery phase. (*** As of 4/16/2020 – the allocated amount for this “phase” has run out and there is talk of adding more — the suggestion is to apply anyway – just in case!!)

As we might expect, there is definitely some pent up demand in so many ways of so many things… from going to restaurants, to theaters, to beaches, parks, parties, bars, weddings, birthdays, vacations, holidays, you name it… people are chomping at the bit to “get out”. While this experience may be dampening spirits for now, today, when we begin to get back to some sort of normalcy – people will be wanting to get out like it was the last day of high school – free for summer vacation! Even if it’s not an ALL CLEAR – there will be some line up queues forming! Where do you want to be?

It behooves those who can, and this looks very much like YOU who is still reading this now, the optimist, the hope filled spirit, the planner, the wise, the more fearless, the hungry, the doer, the person of ACTION – to KEEP ON MOVING, even if it’s small steps every day. To quote Mike Dooley from TUT – “Your Zenith of Magnificence awaits”!

NOTHING IS PERMANENT.

We too here at TEAM PERKA, are planning on this to pass…, because it will. We take steps every day. Making conscious choices and thought out decisions that will bring us closer to our goals, our intentions, our vision, our dreams, every single day. The “destination” is actually the Journey. Our purpose is to seek out the most Stress-free Solutions while Trusting Sincere Selfless Service. #sssTsss.

Being a big fan of Simon Sinek, our intentional “WHY” culture at TEAM PERKA does rely a lot on this all being an Infinite Game.

So, we strive every day:

To wake up every morning enthusiastic, inspired an engaged.
To go through each and every one of those days on purpose, energized, lifting up our families, our mates, our friends, our neighbors.
To go to bed at night feeling fulfilled and satisfied from a day well spent!

Are you with us? Are we truly in this together? Even though temporarily apart?

Call us, – we want to help you tap into your reservoirs of tenacity, understanding and asset building for the future of your homestead, your business, your family, our community and our world! Let’s do this!

PRICE IS TOO HIGH? Price is too much? Overpriced?

July 12, 2016 by Paul Gibson Posted in NewBlog Tagged building, contractor, Do it yourself, econo, energy efficient, envelope, flexible, honest, information, pole barn, prefab, steel building, system design, truth

overpriced

How can that be? They are the same model… or they are the same size. Or it’s for the same service. They are both the same thing… or is it? How can there be such a price difference? That price is way too high? OR IS IT?

While it may not be so “obvious”, some suppliers may indeed have difference costs of doing business, more insurance, more levels of quality assurance, better service protocols, different values of their overhead – or even just different markup percentages as per their calculations for what they need to stay in business, let alone prosper some.

When all is said and done however — one really CAN NOT get SOMETHING for NOTHING. There is a natural law of business balance that will always be maintained. At least over time.

If you are into “WIN-LOSE” deals – then the game becomes one of trying to (consciously or not) “outwit”, if not even “fool” the other into LOSING and you winning? Though less and less these days – it is a “game” that still gets played.

All too often however, it is played at the detriment of BOTH parties. If you “take from another” to advance your agenda, you are definitely in a competitive mode — and, inevitably, a time will come when either the cards will be reversed, or sooner yet, even the one you contracted with – may just not be able to ((satisfactorily)) fulfill his/her obligation or promise. And then, NOBODY wins. This is not naive. It’s part of our natural laws. The Golden Rule. What we sow we reap. What goes around comes around.

If one is of a CREATIVE perspective – then it’s more about COLLABORATING TO FIND THE BEST SOLUTION for the product or service need, with a WIN-WIN agenda; while staying within the allowed resources (funds available), and also taking into account as much of a “longer” term perspective as one can. Cost over time must be part of the initial cost!

For example, cost/value changes like: after the sale/service maintenance costs, the appreciation or depreciation in value of the asset, the actual use value (which may not be quantifiable per se), the profit from use value if a business of any kind, any future “changes” costs, insurance costs, “recovery costs”, etc., etc. If you don’t do, even a bit, of that exercise analysis – you may very well be in for some fairly large “ADD ON” costs in the future — and those are inevitably and effectively PART OF YOUR (accrual) COST “TODAY”!

Over and above those considerations, one must be as sure as one can be that the comparison of quality, features, benefits, between your choices, are indeed “apples to apples”!!! It’s easy to say that yes – this 4 wheel drive pick up is $25,000$. And that 4 wheel drive pick up is $27,000, so I’ll buy this one. But are they really the same?

With regards to a building: Is a 40 x 60 building going to be the same price regardless of what it’s made of? How it’s made? For what it’s made for, or even by who it’s made? etc.?

There really are dozens, if not hundreds, of “options”, and “features”, and “benefits” that you can put in, or out, of a building package (initial) price offer. And in each of these they may, or may not, be a SERVING benefit for you. If you don’t need to have enduring strength to withstand the wrath of our sometimes harried climate conditions – then maybe you don’t have to have that pre-built in and therefore pay for it! If you don’t need to have things designed in to make life easier and quicker for you or your builder when you install, refine, modify, or even later upgrade, retrofit or remodel, then why have those features priced in now? More at paydayloanfence These can be the very reason why the prices differ.

Furthermore, do you know the value or even the potential VALUE that each special feature has? If no, is it therefore really MORE EXPENSIVE? What are you comparing? What if certain options can actually save you hours and hours of time in install? What if it saves you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in extra materials, or hired hours; – or what if they can save you hundreds if not thousands in energy costs? Making it less costly a bit later on!?? What if it saves you unnerving, debilitating stress, unfathomable worry and even heart ache! What price do you put on that?

This is not to say all suppliers or service people will not have YOUR overall best interests at heart. From experience one can say that at least half will, — maybe even 75% if you are optimistic! But the challenge then is which 50 or 75%? How will you know? How can you tell?

Just because the representative is happy, sincere, polite and kind (which is not always the case anyway) — does that make the product or support the ONE FOR YOU? There is POWER in education… and there is even MORE POWER in using the “education/information”…

One of the BEST ways to get VALUE for your hard earned money and time — as well as peace of mind — is education… information. It almost always is worth the investment of your time. Be an informed purchaser.

And, if you can find it, it’s even better if you visit this link TEAM you can trust, who has experience, is passionate about their vocation, loves to do what they do and is sincere about being of selfless service.

And as a bonus, if you do have that kind of support – that will surely make a huge difference in your overall stress level and well being —- now, how much is that worth?

Yes, BE informed!

Cheers,

ICS

pricevquality

Rigid buildings and your future

June 21, 2016 by Paul Gibson Posted in NewBlog Tagged dealer, DIY, Do it yourself, econo, energy saving, envelope, honest, hybrid, lumber, pole barn, post & beam, prefab, steel building, sustainable, teammate. construction

Before I even start this blog post – I will admit that I AM BIASED! I was raised by parents who demanded I be truthful, honest.

They only wanted the BEST for me – but also taught me that I HAD to BE and DO my BEST to earn it. They showed me what it looked like to be a good steward, to NOT WASTE, to do things right and do the RIGHT thing. They encouraged me to THINK, to not just TAKE things as fact just because someone said so, but to do MY OWN homework and research. They showed me the importance of making sure the things meaningful (to me) in my life had value, integrity, durability, quality and purpose; from the people I could choose to be, work , live and play with to the “things” I choose to own, operate, use, share and/or have stewardship over. So quality, value, durability, integrity, flexibility, adaptability and sustainability, just to name a few, would become constants in the measuring of whenever we had freedom to make choices.

And so goes with the products as TEAM PERKA, that we offer, the teammates we attract, the service we aspire to give, the care with which we undertake life’s moments with.

So in this biased sense we feel the PERKA BUILDING’s ‘system’ – offers the highest value as an investment, the most strength for withstanding the elements, the best affordability over the long haul, the most flexibility to adapt to any building need now, as well as being easy and simple to deal with for any modifications, finishing, maintaining be it during the build process or even months, years or decades in the future. Those are the sort of things we hear that are important to builders and building owners alike.

Take the RIGID frame (plate beam) type of building design. It’s own name pretty much says that they are not going to be very “easy or flexible to deal with”. And boy oh boy has that been our experience.

Despite being totally committed and convicted about the many many great things in a hybrid building, we are not always able to convey the information, experiences and testimonials needed to help some folks fully understand. So we still have looked for the best, most affordable “rigid frame” type building sources so that we could still offer this alternative to clients who still want to deal with a company that has the integrity to stand behind their commitments and obligations.

In the couple dozen or so Rigid Frame buildings we supplied over the last few years we can say in total honesty that every one of them has offered up at least one challenge that either cost our client or ourselves MORE money than we originally counted on spending.

Whether it was not having a door positioned in the right place and then having to go through hoops and loops to resolve; or dealing with part after part that was NOT pre-assembled, NOT properly labelled, not fabbed accurately or just NOT there. The fact that we had these issues was not the worst of it — the worst part was what we needed to do to “fix or resolve”. It was not a matter of pulling out the saw to cut a few pieces and fasten them up with some wood grip fasteners. No. We had to first get clearance from engineering to make sure we were not altering the integrity of the building SYSTEM since the buildings TOTAL LOAD capacity is pretty much 100% dependent on EVERY part being the part it’s suppose to be and in the place it is suppose to be and installed the way it is suppose to be installed. ANY deviation of any of these can lead to reduced load capacity and potentially compromise the building’s ability to withstand snow, wind or seismic loads.

Are Rigid buildings strong? Sure they are — but only as strong as they are “built” to the exact specifications of the manufacturer. NO DEVIATIONS. No modifications. No after the fact changes. At least NOT without getting things cleared.

Are Rigid buildings flexible? Yes, but only to the extent you have torches and welders to modify AFTER you get approval and able to afford the typically HIGH COST of beefing up, from the extra labor and the need for more or newer (STEEL) parts to accommodate the change. Which typically can only be purchased from manufacturer. “No substitutes”!

Are Rigid frames EASY and SIMPLE? Only if you know EXACTLY what you want UP FRONT, and basically “never” want to change ANYTHING. If you don’t meet those two criteria… count on complexity, difficulties, delays and worst of all alot MORE MONEY. Not just a little. ALOT!

Are Rigid frames aesthetically pleasing? If you like the main option being JUST STEEL. Yes. Oh you can COVER these with decorative materials — but don’t think about “saving” the steel to put something else on to save money. It won’t happen. You will either have to leave the steel sheeting on, and PAY EXTRA to cover it – or pay alot more for special engineering and structural beef ups to be able to remove the sheeting to allow you to put something else more aesthetically appealing instead. Not exactly a “value added” option!

Are Rigid Frames less costly? Yes – again if you know EXACTLY what you want and DO NOT PLAN to change pretty much ANYTHING! (I guess that’s why they call them RIGID frames!!!). Otherwise — NO. Pure and simple they will cost MORE. And in some cases, as we experienced, ALOT more.

Do your homework. They can be the best solution – but you MUST know what you want and WHO you are getting it from. Otherwise — CAVEAT EMPTOR!!

Cheers.

Are you a client builder hero?

June 20, 2016 by Paul Gibson Posted in NewBlog Tagged building, building tips, contractor, Do it yourself, energy efficient, energy saving, envelope, hybrid, lumber, pole barn, post & beam, prefab, steel building, teammate. construction

What makes a client feel really good (stress free) about his building solution decision? Read More

More on Rigid Frame Designs – Caveat Emptor

June 24, 2014 by Paul Gibson Posted in NewBlog Tagged building, contractor, DIY, Do it yourself, flexible, honest, hybrid, mistakes, opportunity, post & beam, rigid, steel building, teammate. construction, truth

At the time of our last post – we were well in the process of handling issues that some of our Rigid Frame clients had to deal with — and we felt obligated to share it in the spirit of open, honest, transparency… and as you can see from that post: http://www.perkabuildings.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1173&action=edit, PATIENCE & TIME are invaluable resources you really need to harvest alot of to deal with those types of issues.

Well, since then, we’ve also come across another important lesson/experience, well worthy of mention here.

For those who have more experience with dealing with Rigid Frame packages – no doubt this is stuff you already are very much aware of and can probably prevent from happening with properly pricing it all in BEFORE a client makes his purchase … so he knows UP FRONT what all it’s going to cost him – RIGHT?

hmmm NOT so, in our experience as a Rigid Frame client. It seems suppliers/fabricators of Rigid Frame type designs – pretty much DO NOT want to say any more than they have to … after all – they just might NOT get the order!! YUP! Lesson #1 or #100 in buying a building… ASK QUESTIONS!

We just supplied a building to a client who felt the $2500 more to get a PERKA HYBRID BUILDING package was just too much “more” for his budget. With the Perka package – EVERYTHING was layed out … NO SURPRISES. It was all there – nothing MORE to add.

So he purchased a Rigid Frame Building – no more questions than needed and NO MORE INFORMATION than necessary provided by Rigid Frame Supplier. The building was to be a dirt floor – 3 sided Hay Storage Building. No big deal right? Buy the building – put it up. Go on down the road.

NOT SO FAST. Dirt Floor? No concrete floor mesh and rebar to tie everything together? Did you figure on adding buried, concrete encased tie rods from side to side of your building to make sure the frames don’t spread out? Yup, we know that is also required for certain size PERKA BUILDINGS… and we will tell you up front. No so much for the RIGID FRAME. That $2500 difference? YUP — it was exceeded in the labor and materials to add those cross ties! GO FIGURE! Had we only known UP FRONT!. Checkout knightfinance co for more details.

‘Buyer’s beware’… ASK QUESTIONS! #bestbuildings #strongbuildings

Cheers.

I couldn’t sleep this morning…

April 3, 2014 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog, NewBlog Tagged building, contractor, Do it yourself, easy, energy saving, flexible, hybrid, opportunity, Stong, teammate. construction, truth

Team Perka’s core values include ‘Service above Self”… That comes from being involved with Rotary International. We believe in giving value with high quality in our Perka Buildings to make them not only STRONG, but FLEXIBLE and Easy. We also strive to give added value through SERVICE to our clients and also to our neighbors, brothers and sisters all.

I could not sleep this morning…

I kept “dreaming” – and hearing a voice. It sounded so much like the voice of Larry Lunsford… but strangely it also sounded like what God’s voice might sound like. “WAKE UP!” He said… as I peered at the alarm clock to read 4:11 AM., and then thinking 411 – isn’t that the “old” number to call for information?.

“WAKE UP!” he said again –“Today is the day.”

For those of you who don’t know Larry Lunsford, he is the tireless Cheerleader for Rotary International’s efforts at providing SHOES FOR ORPHAN SOULS.

I had the GREAT privilege of meeting Larry at last year’s Rotary District 6040 Annual Conference in Kansas City. And when I say privilege… I really mean that. What a bright shining light of compassion, generosity, kindness, enthusiasm, service and especially LOVE he is! He radiated a Love for what he was doing, who he was being. And he equally radiated DOING and BEING what he loved! (A magical combination!!) And if that isn’t a “living example” of what our Way Shower taught, I don’t know what is. What an inspiration to me and to all those at his presentation, what a role model to emulate. I will always remember his energy, his spirit … and I am convinced it is what woke me up this morning.

So after a couple tosses and turns… I got up. I showered. I ate… all the while remembering his message, his TESTIMONY of unconditional love & compassion that he spoke of to our group that breezy cool day in November.

So I did as he did. This morning I left my home just past 6:00 am and drove to our local WalMart. It was cool, still dark and raining… but it all felt pleasant. It felt right.

I walked in and went straight to the shoe section. Like he instructed, I found the clearance rack. I looked for a shoe to fit a young boy and then one for a young girl. I thought about young children I know — some more fortunate than others – being Thankful. Then I thought of the experience he shared – of actually meeting young orphan boys and girls from a third world country he had personally visited. How that experience touched HIS SOUL. How the orphan souls we touch can also be PART of OUR OWN!! He was very emotional about it. The room ran out of tissue! He touched ALL OUR SOULS.

I picked out two pairs of shoes. I whispered a brief prayer of Thanks for all of my own Blessings. I thought of Erin Hook and the Pay it Forward movement her family gifted our community. I thought of Larry’s words of encouragement to each of us (a mini challenge of sorts) to DO THIS as well … reminding us that giving money is GREAT… but sometimes the HARDER part is the LOGISTICS of getting, collecting and bringing the shoes in. He suggested that if we could EACH pick up two pairs of shoes and inspire two others to do the same… — you got it — the math becomes exponential!!!

This all brings to mind the natural law of “What goes around comes around”… and also sparks the teaching of Jesus as shared by Luke 6:38 – “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

And in the “East” it is spoken of as the Laws of Karma…

We are not only doing this for orphan children. We don’t only do this for the orphan part of our own soul. We do this for what we sow… and what we will reap for our individual and collective futures. Something more to think about.

And as I personally get older, with my own children all grown up, fortunately blessed in their own ways… I can’t help but look to grow my own circle of those to GIVE to… with compassion, kindness, inspiration, love. From young orphans, to at risk students, to young men and women who may have made a mistake, paid for their trespasses and now just need a helping hand to bring them up to be respected purposeful citizens again, and to our elderly, often forgotten, who crave for companionship, for purpose, for love; we have all so many opportunities to shine our own light, to sow love.

Erin Hook’s Random Acts of Kindness is a great example of the GREAT THINGS WE ALL CAN DO.https://www.facebook.com/groups/1399854173618922/

May Rotary International’s program of Shoes for Orphan Souls be something you can expand YOUR circle of what “Goes around, Comes Around”! (For more information on that contact ANY Rotary Club, of which we have no less than three right here in Saint Joseph.)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/102532247484/

God Bless,

Your Brother,
Martial Thevenot

— with John Murawski and 6 others.

More time/money VALUE ADDED benefits with Perka Prefab Wood Steel Hybrid Buildings

February 14, 2014 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog, NewBlog Tagged building, Do it yourself, econo, energy efficient, energy saving, free, green, hybrid, opportunity, prefab, QUALITY, steel building, sustainable, teammate. construction, truth

It’s ALL inclusive!

If you are able to take a bit of time to learn ALL about Perka’s design ideology you would be very pleasantly surprised by the many benefits, advantages, positive features, money saving ideas, waste preventing forethought and just plain amazing simplicity of their steel frames. Add to that a genuine desire to serve selflessly, to assist generously and to share whatever wisdom, tips and experience the Mates at TEAM PERKA have, and you have a pretty low downside and HIGH UPSIDE product package!

To help you sift through some of that “time” – here is a list of just some of these big MONEY ($$$) affecting PLUSES!!

1. You don’t have to leave your vehicles, equipment, assets OUTSIDE in the weather! They will last longer, need less repair and will be worth more money if and when you decide to trade them in!!

2. You don’t have to work on or repair things out in the cold, wet or heat. You can have a nice comfortable dry place – which will save you time, money and trips to the doctor!!

3. You will use LESS concrete, and spend less money, in your foundation as compared to any ALL STEEL rigid frame option.

4. The building will be easier to assemble,without mis fits, do to it’s PRE-FIT process. That will save you time and money!

5. All Perka clips are pre-punched and pre-welded on the frame. That will save you time and money!

6. If you purchase a full kit package from Perka – you will get a takeoff that is conscious of waste and you will get all you need to build your building according to your approved drawings and nothing more. The building is priced accordingly so you will save money and not waste materials needlessly!

7. Perka Hybrid Buildings are designed with ease of assembly in mind. That will save you time and money!

8. Perka Hybrid Buildings are designed with ease of interior in mind. That will save you time, materials and money!

9. Perka Hybrid Buildings are designed with ease of insulation-ability in mind. That will save you time and money!

10. Perka Hybrid Buildings are designed with efficient use of the least amount of “energy” to heat or cool. That will save you money!

11. Perka Hybrid Buildings are designed with quality, durability and no compromise on design safety. The frames come with a 50 year warranty and over the long haul that will save you time and potentially alot of money!

12. Perka Hybrid Buildings are designed with quality, durability and no compromise on design safety and than can also save you on repairs from weather damage and possibly even on insurance premiums. That can save you time, money and aggravation!!

13. Perka Hybrid Building Frames are generally pre-engineered but never un-modifiable. Perka’s in house engineering, design and detail team can easily, quickly and inexpensively custom design ANY frame to meet YOUR exact needs. A custom building at pre-engineered price. That can save you time, money and future aggravations!!

14. Throughout the process from order taking, fulfillment, to production, packaging, shipping, construction and after sales service – TEAM PERKA aspires to always carry out the intention for an ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE AND FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE product. AND THAT WILL SAVE YOU MONEY!

Full circle closed loop thinking…

And these are just a few of many benefits… Search and browse our blog and sights for more — or just call us at 800-467-3752! WE LOVE TO HELP!

Cheers

PERKA’S HYBRID BUILDING DESIGN OFFERS VALUE BENEFITS AND REAL MONEY SAVINGS

February 9, 2014 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog, NewBlog Tagged building, contractor, DIY, Do it yourself, econo, energy efficient, energy saving, envelope, green, honest, hybrid, material, prefab, QUALITY, service, sustainable, truth, wood

With a Prefab Perka Wood Steel Hybrid Building you not only get VALUE by the many great benefits and very asset driven features — but you get ADDED VALUE by the many aspects that eliminates waste in terms of time, money, convenience, comforts and even in potential liabilities or loss.

As you can see from the up to 21 great reasons (benefits) why you should consider building with a Perka Hybrid designed building that you can find here: http://www.perkabuildings.com/why-a-prefab-perka-hybrid-wood-steel-building/, here: http://www.perkabuildings.com/7-more-great-reasons-to-help-you-build-strong/, and here: http://www.perkabuildings.com/how-about-another-7-good-reasons-to-build-a-perka/, Perka’s unique approach to buildings offers you a very viable alternative to conventional buildings.

That said it also offers you MANY great SAVINGS from money, to time to just plain STOPPING ‘waste’!

If you just take a few minutes and look around WHERE YOU ARE sitting or standing this very minute, I am sure you can instantly see or count a number of things just being “wasted”. Anything from unfinished spoiling food, to cleaning up after damage from a storm, to a leaky faucet, to an open or unsealed door or window — often valuable resources, hard to find time and hard earned money are just literally being, and usually most reluctantly, and certainly rarely un-wilfully wasted away.

The men and women at Perka would like to think that they do whatever they can to help with a consciousness about these things. A kind of “closed loop” thinking… After all, “waste” just so happens to be a fairly important “pet peeve” of the stewards leading the way at Perka.

So what does that mean to you?

From the production/service standpoint Team Perka takes pride in a consciousness that encourages a total minimization of “waste” – taking into account the whole “system or process” of that effort. For that our costs are controlled while being able to still “afford” high levels of conscientiousness for quality.

For example most of the paper used at Perka headquarters is reused or recycle. From using the back side of no longer “good” paper, to using shredded paper for packaging, to bringing paper to the recycling stations. We keep costs in check – we can keep our price to you in check… That said – it must still nonetheless be done with an awareness of the total resource cost (entire loop) of doing so. i.e. if used paper is damage, filled with staples or otherwise not good for immediate use – there is awareness of the cost to “make right” that paper for re-use. So sometimes it’s not “worth” re-using or recycling if it will cost more to achieve that objective. Do you get the idea?

Similarly with its Building designs, fabrication, delivery, field assembly to materials use – a similar mindset is constantly encouraged and striven for. Of course we don’t live in a perfect world and “perfection” of this ideal is probably not a reasonable expectation. But the idea that there is awareness for this goal is tantamount to achieving any goal to minimize waste, maximize resources and optimize product output, use and satisfaction.

Stay tuned for more Blog posts in the coming days that will sharing more benefits about Perka Building designs that are not only asset optimizing but also waste and liability minimizing.

One insulation application – three heat transfers addressed – YOU $AVE!

February 4, 2014 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog, NewBlog Tagged building, Do it yourself, econo, energy efficient, energy saving, hybrid, prefab, QUALITY, sustainable, system design, wood

We recently received a GREAT question that lead to a fairly well presented and quite concise reply.

So we thought it would be a good thing to share it as part of this blog effort aiming at EDUCATION as much as any form of product promotion!!

J.C. Asked this question on a FACEBOOK post of building project we were doing: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152168635999104.1073741866.254254764103&type=1&comment_id=32159373&offset=0&total_comments=4&notif_t=photo_album_comment

What’s the difference between the insulation you sell with your buildings vs a spray foam?

PERKA BUILDINGS REPLY:

“Great question J.C. Actually on this particular building, for budget reasons, the insulation supplied was a lower cost (and unfortunately also a lower performing) conventional FIBERGLASS batt insulation with vinyl backing. This insulation type has the traditional R-Values that most people are accustom to having. The unfortunate part about that is it pretty much ONLY addresses conduction heat loss/gains, with some resistance to convection, (re: from the overlap). So while it may meet “codes” for R-value — in the big scheme of things it generally under-performs compared to other types.

The other main insulation PERKA BUILDINGS offers is affectionately known as P2000 Insulation. It is comprised of an Expanded Poly Styrene core board, of varying thicknesses, with either both sides covered with MYLAR or one with Mylar and one with a strong white Vinyl Barrier.

What this does, in effect, is directly addresses all three forms of heat loss/gains. While it does not actually carry a significant R-value like fiberglass does – it still quite effectively “stops” conduction much like how a foam cup prevents our hand from being scolded with hot coffee in it. (And that is with only 1/8″ thick uncovered EPS – we typically use 5/8″ to an 1″ WITH COVERINGS!!).

Simple math!

Secondly to address Convection we TAPE ALL JOINTS with the same MYLAR type material and a strong DUCT TYPE TAPE on the white side. THAT pretty much will SEAL all the possible ‘cracks’ for any convection air flow.

Finally with a MYLAR (plastic) reflective material on at least ONE side – we also, very effectively, control heat loss/gains from RADIATION. i.e. in winter we KEEP any radiant type energy INSIDE the building and in summer prevent the HIGHLY penetrating SUN rays from virtually cooking everything inside!

So with our best offer, the P2000, you get a material that can address ALL THREE forms of heat transfer, and all with just ONE APPLICATION.

Note also that the EPS that is used in P2000, is a CLOSED cell type of foam – which has virtually an infinite shelf life from decomposition or drying.

Now, depending on the type of SPRAY FOAM you get – you will address at least two of the heat transfer types… (Note however some foams are not closed cell and can thus dry up and decompose over time.) A thick enough foam will give great R-value and being fully applied throughout all the nooks and crannies, will definitely prevent convection heat transfers. Unfortunately without a radiant barrier of some sort, be it MYLAR or aluminum… you will still experience radiant heat penetrations.

One last note on the difference between MYLAR and ALUMINUM radiant barriers. Both can more than adequately reflect the radiation from any heat source, the main difference is that aluminum is also a METAL and can add BACK some conduction properties. While MYLAR is more like a PLASTIC (and by the way is also the same material used by NASA for most space insulators)… it actually has shown experiential properties of DIFFUSING the radiant heat as much as reflecting it back OUT!

One added thought here: ADD to all these great benefits and features of a great insulation material like P2000 – a building that uses WOOD for the purlin/girt runs and you get an ADDED Thermo Break from wood being a HUGELY less (if significantly) at all conductor especially as compared to STEEL. So this will also great help with your overall building’s insulation-ability!

EASY TO APPLY!

Make sense? If you have ANY questions about any of this – feel free to call and speak to any TEAM PERKA Mate. It is worth understanding this as it can literally save you hundreds of dollars in not only your installation costs but your overall energy costs as well!

Stay comfortable friends!!

REAL COMFORTABLE!

STAYING ON THE EDGE – FUTURE BUILDINGS IN A FUTURE RESOURCE BASED ECONOMY?

January 31, 2014 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog, NewBlog Tagged building, contractor, Do it yourself, energy efficient, energy saving, green, honest, hybrid, prefab, QUALITY, service, sustainable, system design, truth

Venus Project

The Venus Project operates out of a 21.5-acre Research Center located in Venus, Florida.

Proponents of this project say that when one considers the enormity of the challenges facing society today, we can safely conclude that the time is overdue for us to reexamine our values and to reflect upon and evaluate some of the underlying issues and assumptions we have as a society. This self-analysis calls into question the very nature of what it means to be human, what it means to be a member of a “civilization,” and what choices we can make today to ensure a prosperous future for all the world’s people.

At present we are left with very few alternatives. The answers of yesterday are no longer relevant. Either we continue as we have been with our outmoded social customs and habits of thought, in which case our future will be threatened, or we can apply a more appropriate set of values that are relevant to an emergent society.

Experience tells us that human behavior can be modified, either toward constructive or destructive activity. This is what The Venus Project is all about – directing our technology and resources toward the positive, for the maximum benefit of people and planet and seeking out new ways of thinking and living that emphasize and celebrate the vast potential of the human spirit. We have the tools at hand to design – and build – a future that is worthy of the human potential. The Venus Project presents a bold, new direction for humanity that entails nothing less than the total redesign of our culture. What follows is not an attempt to predict what will be done – only what could be done. The responsibility for our future is in our hands, and depends on the decisions that we make today. The greatest resource that is available today is our own ingenuity.

While social reformers and think tanks formulate strategies that treat only superficial symptoms, without touching the basic social operation, The Venus Project approaches these problems somewhat differently. They feel we cannot eliminate these problems within the framework of the present political and monetary establishment. It would take too many years to accomplish any significant change. Most likely they would be watered down and thinned out to such an extent that the changes would be indistinguishable

The Venus Project advocates an alternative vision for a sustainable new world civilization unlike any social system that has gone before. Although this description is highly condensed, it is based upon years of study and experimental research by many, many people from many scientific disciplines.

The Venus Project proposes a fresh approach–one that is dedicated to human and environmental concerns. It is an attainable vision of a bright and better future, one that is appropriate to the times in which we live, and both practical and feasible for a positive future for all the world’s people.

The Venus Project calls for a straightforward approach to the redesign of a culture, in which the age-old inadequacies of war, poverty, hunger, debt, environmental degradation and unnecessary human suffering are viewed not only as avoidable, but totally unacceptable.

One of the basic premises of The Venus Project is that we work towards having all of the Earth’s resources as the common heritage of all the world’s people. Anything less will simply result in a continuation of the same catalog of problems inherent in the present system.

Throughout history, change has been slow. Successive groups of incompetent leaders have replaced those that preceded them, but the underlying social and economic problems remain because the basic value systems have gone unaltered. The problems we are faced with today cannot be solved politically or financially because they are highly technical in nature. There may not even be enough money available to pay for the required changes, but there are more than enough resources. This is why The Venus Project advocates the transition from a monetary-based society to the eventual realization of a resource-based global economy.

We realize to make the transition from our present culture, which is politically incompetent, scarcity-oriented and obsolete, to this new, more humane society will require a quantum leap in both thought and action.

Food for thought eh?

In the meantime Perka Buildings forges ahead with a simple ideal on sustainability. Build for the long haul preserves by not having to REDO things. Use WOOD where WOOD serves best. Use STEEL where STEEL is needed. The combination of these offers a more sustainable approach to resources by minimizing waste, optimize energy efficiency while being a reachable attainable goal — HERE and NOW!

For more info on this project visit: http://www.thevenusproject.com/.

For more info on PERKA BUILDINGS – visit www.perkabuildings.com/.

WE LOVE TO HELP!

Cheers

Growing trend to Hybrid Steel And Wood Homes

January 27, 2014 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog, NewBlog Tagged building, contractor, DIY, Do it yourself, energy efficient, envelope, hybrid, lumber, opportunity, pole barn, post & beam, prefab, steel building, system design, teammate. construction

Over the past several years we’ve been seeing trends towards building stronger homes.

As the building codes for commercial, industrial, institutional and even agriculture and residential structures have had to BEEF UP load tables due to increasing wind/snow limits (based on last 100 year patterns), more and more folks are looking to STEEL framing for their homes! And why not? If we’re going to beef up protection for our toys, hard assets and animals it makes sense to do so for our families and loved ones! YES?

Since making a home in ALL STEEL can have some of the “disadvantages” found in building with Steel frames & Steel Purlins/Girts (http://www.perkabuildings.com/builders-information/fire-performance-highlight/) & (http://www.perkabuildings.com/builders-information/all-steel-buildings-advantages-disadavantages/) more and more folks are looking to the BEST of both worlds — The PERKA PREFAB WOOD STEEL HYBRID BUILDING SYSTEM!!!

Not only do you get STRENGTH where STRENGTH is needed by using Structural Steel Main Frames for the super structure – you also get flexibility and warmth where you would need those best by using THERMO BREAKING wood purlins and girts. (Find many more great reasons here: http://www.perkabuildings.com/why-a-prefab-perka-hybrid-wood-steel-building/).

Many are concerned, however, if it will look and feel like a “steel shed”??? Our answer is an emphatic NO!

Besides saying that, you will also have ALL KINDS of flexibility in your construction by NOT having many of the limitations conventional wood / stick built homes have:

FOR EXAMPLE:

1. You WILL have easy OPEN clear span spaces to design rooms/walls how and where you want,

2. Hybrid shell design ALSO allows for EASY and EFFECTIVE insulation options for a consistently WARM or COOL, COZY and COMFORTABLE home.

3. This same hybrid shell and Perka’s UNIQUE stand alone Structural Steel frame design allows you to be able to finish your outside envelope wall(s) and roof with ANY FINISH! You do not have to use steel panels!!

These are just some of the advantages… (Visit links above for even MORE!)…

I know — words are words, and sometimes don’t carry much weight — so how about some pictures? … and you can thus SEE for yourself! RIGHT?

Have a look:

EASY OPEN ROOM CONCEPTS

Matching house and garage designs are a cinch.

Your imagination is the only real limit

Easily added porches and decks

By combining different frames and models you can achieve ANY layout or look!

I know this is a church – but it shows brick finish and architecture…

Multi frame layout

Creative back yards with deck overlook.

Nice brick front finish with patio entrance way.

Nice and cozy…

Easy to combine home and shop in a picturesque setting…

Nice and cozy on inside too!

Nice high ceilings for added open air comforts

How about waking up to this view???

Easy!

Makes for very nice settings…

Stucco finish is easy!

Windows of any shape… just pot them in.

Want a fancy porch?

Full bay windows too!

How about a grand entrance?

Need a hip roof!

Santa Fe Style.

Easy to finish

Make for easy breezeways.

Easy to decorate.

Nice ceiling beams

Home Shop Combo

Nice big clear span halls

Large family gatherings?

Lotsa space…

Interiors built just like any other…

Fancy stone front

Man cave anyone?

Nice all wood finish with custom door ways?

Spacious

Wet bar?

Even steel cladding can still look nice.

Need a fireplace? No problem!

Clean, practical lines.

Let your imagination FLY!!

Nice head room

Spacious Kitchen…

Pole Barn Comparison with Perka Hybrid Open Joist Building Models

January 22, 2014 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog, NewBlog Tagged building, contractor, Do it yourself, econo, energy efficient, envelope, garage, hybrid, lumber, pole barn, post & beam, prefab, shed, steel building, stick built, storage, system design, warehouse, wood shed

Look over these illustrations comparing a typical Perka Model 4000 Hybrid System Building Frame and a Pole Barn.

What do you see?

1. Do you notice a difference in head room? Is this important to you?

2. Do you notice how you can get a HIGHER – BIGGER door in a lower profile (eave height) building? Is this important to you?

3. Do you notice the extra space you might find in BETWEEN each frame or rafter? Could this be of importance to you?

What else do you see?

We invite your comments, suggestions, opinions which you can share by emailing to perka@teamperka.com.

Or feel free to call and discuss with any of our PERKA TEAM MATES at 800-467-3752.

WE LOVE TO HELP!

Cheers!

TEAM PERKA

Are you thinking of a farm Quonset Building or a Staightwall?

January 20, 2014 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog, NewBlog Tagged building, contractor, DIY, Do it yourself, econo, envelope, free, honest, hybrid, lumber, opportunity, pole barn, prefab, QUALITY, quonset, round top, steel building, teammate. construction, truth, wood

Good choices indeed.

In fact when we (Perka) started back in 1981, Quonset Buildings were REAL popular. They were cost effective shelter buildings, fairly easy for the do it yourselfer and readily available with dozens of manufacturers making them all over North America!

Fast forward 30+ years — and they are still relatively cost effective (though alot less so) and not much has really changed about them so they are still relatively easy to put up, if you like putting in thousands of bolts to put it all together!

Back then they were “sold” without much engineering calculations to support them. Today there is much more of that available – but of course it closed the gab in the cost range. If you are going to build something to CODE – it must be able to withstand the earth quake, wind and snow loads… So they had to beefed up in many cases to do that. Just like with Pole Buildings or Stick Built structures – if not built to code — SURE THEY WILL BE CHEAP! If they are — the price will go up – and sometimes quite significantly! So it’s always about EDUCATING yourself and KNOWING what it is you are really buying!

With alot less manufacturers – shipping costs can be a significant add on too. Something else to watch for.

Another thing to be careful about is – actual “size comparisons”!!! A 40 foot wide Quonset will not have the same VOLUME of space as a straight wall. And even between straight wall designed buildings some have BOTTOM CORDS with TRUSSING all above that and so you will get LESS HEAD ROOM! Get some sketches with dimensions if you can!

Below is an example comparing the Quonset sizes on a “40-19” model vs and 40-14 Perka Model 4000 Hybrid!

The moral of this story here is: — ASK QUESTIONS. Know what you are buying — hopefully BEFORE you do that!

The Common Law of business balance by Ruskin sums this up best:

“There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price alone are that person’s lawful prey. It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money — that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot — it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.”

The question is will you be able to afford actually paying for it LATER (usually more), if you don’t put some extra in NOW!

Make sense?

Here is that comparison!

COMPARE BEFORE YOU BUY!!

If you have ANY questions about ANYTHING regarding buildings — there are some pretty good chances TEAM PERKA can help! We have over a century of industry experience here and been actually putting building SOLUTIONS together for OVER 30 years!

Feel free to call 800-467-3752. WE LOVE TO HELP!

Wood vs Steel = No Brainer

January 17, 2014 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog Tagged building, contractor, Do it yourself, energy efficient, envelope, green, hybrid, lumber, material, pole barn, post & beam, prefab, steel building, system design, teammate. construction, wood

Someone once said that KNOWLEDGE is power…

The FACT is — it’s the USE of KNOWLEDGE that is POWER!

OK…. so without “thinking” which would you choose? —
regardless of purpose?

WOOD or STEEL?

There is much written about the benefits of wood AND steel.

The POWER is in KNOWING where and when to use EACH!

Someone also said — a PICTURE is worth 1000 words.
Well here are just two!

NOW. KNOWING THIS… what do you think?

NO BRAINER?

… YES – Perka – World Class Buildings served by World Class Teammates.

For a live discussion on this topic and MORE PICTURES visit: https://www.facebook.com/PERKABUILDINGS/posts/10152188528584882

How does Team Perka view quality?

January 15, 2014 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog Tagged building, Do it yourself, energy efficient, QUALITY, sustainable, system design, teammate. construction

Custom built Residence made with a Perka Hybrid (M4600) building! Getting Maximum Use Benefit here!!

Quality in a product or service is not in what a supplier puts INTO them, it is what a client GETS OUT OF THEM.

We believe clients should only pay for what is of use to them and gives them value in the big picture, at the completion of the project and over time. This is a fundamental understanding and intention of those who make up our family: “Team Perka”.

(Paraphrased from Peter F. Drucker quote)

How about another 7?? (Good reasons to build a Perka?)

January 13, 2014 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog Tagged building, contractor, dealer, DIY, Do it yourself, honest, hybrid, lumber, material, opportunity, prefab, steel building, system design, teammate. construction, truth, wood

Here are 7 more GREAT Reasons Why it would serve you well to put up a Perka Building System.

Continuuing from 2 previous post at: http://www.perkabuildings.com/7-more-great-reasons-to-help-you-build-strong/ AND – http://www.perkabuildings.com/why-a-prefab-perka-hybrid-wood-steel-building/…
15. 50 year factory warranty on Perka Frames – We put our money where our mouth is. Most other companies only offer one year. Or more with all kinds of conditions!! PERKA IS MADE TO LAST!

16. Because we typically use expandable ends, future additions or building expansions are made easily. All you have to do is take out the posts, girts and sheeting and add on another frame. If you are thinking of the FUTURE we can make that work easily for you!!

17. We’ve been awarded the Gold Key of Excellence 9 times and 6 years in a row. This is voted on by contractors and we receive it for our commitment to superior service and quality. WE BELIEVE IN DELIVERING ONLY THE BEST FOR OUR CLIENTS!

18. With Perka, while we do have a standard roof pitch for our prefab hybrid buildings — we can design the building with ANY pitch you want. No cookie cutter designs that will limit you. Always “MADE TO ORDER”!

19. We can even mix wood with steel to the point that you can have a wood frame with clear spans on one end and steel or steel expandable frames on the other end and for all clear spans we would use steel. TOTALLY FLEXIBLE AND INGENIOUS DESIGNS!

20. We have over 500 different frames with 5000 different configurations. There is no need to be “stuck” with a particular configuration… WHATEVER YOU NEED – WE GOT IT!

21. Since you are reading this – you are probably in the top 10% of the informed building consumer public. This means you are doing your homework and you deserve the absolute RIGHT BUILDING, FOR YOU, based on YOUR NEEDS. And THAT is what we do BEST as TEAM PERKA. We listen and we will deliver. Call us now – 800-467-3752. WE LOVE TO HELP!

7 More Great reasons to help you BUILD STRONG!

January 11, 2014 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog Tagged building, contractor, dealer, DIY, Do it yourself, envelope, hybrid, lumber, material, opportunity, prefab, service, shell, steel building, system design, teammate. construction, truth, wood

Here are 7 MORE GREAT Reasons Building with Perka can serve you BEST!

8. Because of the use of steel frames (trusses) for core super structure you can have wider spans and longer bay spacings than wood buildings. This makes for easier floor planning by being more flexible and practical!

9. Because steel frames have longer bays and wider spans, you can have fewer columns and this means less foundation “holes” than wood (pole) buildings. Plus having columns sitting on piers is always better than wood poles in the ground. In fact most poles actually do not meet codes. (See: http://www.perkabuildings.com/pole-barn-collapse-educate-yourself-before-you-buy-all-wood/). This makes your building more durable!

10. Perka offers TOTAL Design flexibility; you can get the EXACT building you want and need, not one that might work for you. We can design and build to the INCH… If you need anything more – ASK! (ie. Inside width and height can be made to the inch and the length is endless.) YOUR PLAN is what we derive the BEST SOLUTIONS FOR!!

11. Perka has IN HOUSE house design team – we have our own engineers, draftsman and detailers who check and recheck all our designs for OPTIMUM efficiency and accuracy. And we can tailor the building EXACTLY how you want it! YOU GET QUALITY FRAMES, MADE FOR YOU, THAT YOU KNOW WILL FIT TOGETHER!

12. You can get anchor bolt plans in less than 5 days, engineered data drawings in 7-10 days and the building can be delivered in as little as 3-6 weeks. If you have any special circumstance we will always do our best towork something out WITH you. You can count on FAST NEIGHBORLY SERVICE!

13. Perka’s unique steel frame STAND ALONE design permits for UNLIMITED exterior finish choices. By turning the wood purlins to a vertical position you can virtually add ANY finish you want. Just like a roof/wall in your house! You can have the nicest looking building in your area – with STEEL inside! Instead of looking like a “shed” it can look just like your house or existing business. EASY TO WORK WITH AND FINISH!

14. Perka has an easy to read and nicely detailed 32 page assembly guide made with the “Do-it-yourselfer” or carpenter builder in mind. PERKA BUILDINGS ARE REAL EASY TO PUT UP!

For more info and details on any of the above benefits and feature contact your PERKA TEAM MATE!

WHY A PREFAB PERKA HYBRID WOOD STEEL BUILDING?

January 10, 2014 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog Tagged building, contractor, dealer, Do it yourself, envelope, hybrid, lumber, material, opportunity, pole barn, post & beam, prefab, steel building, system design, teammate. construction, truth, wood

Here are 7 GREAT Reasons Why it would benefit you to purchase and build with a Perka PREFAB HYBRID WOOD STEEL BUILDING System. (Put simply — for more detailed info – call your Perka TEAM MATE or find out who from HQ at 800-467-3752).

1. Using wood for the purlins and girts is a GREAT ENERGY SAVER…. Wood is NOT a conductor of hot or cold and energy costs are rising through the roof! You Save MONEY!

2. Perka’s attachment clips are pre-welded on! NO assembly required by YOU or your contractor. You Save Time!

3. Wood girts allow for easier door and window installations. Hammer and nails are easier than a blowtorch or welder. You can install the openings whenever and wherever you want. You get convenience and save Time & Money!

4. Because Perka spaces their wood purlins and girts typically at 24” inch centers, the interior is already prepped to be finished. You don’t have to BUILD another building INSIDE your building to finish it! Easy to work with!

5. With all steel buildings using steel ZEE purlins, Tek screws and washers are used to attach metal and typically in 5 years or so the screws and washers leak. Wood will not leak because the wood will swell to seal the hole. Maintenance Free building!

6. It is easier finding carpenters to put up a wood/steel building. Steel erectors cost more, have less flexibility and are generally often less “creative”. Carpenters are often experienced tradesmen, with more options and usually with alot of creativity to make things work. This makes building alot asier and less costly!

7. In the event of wind up-lift, snow or ice loads or fire, unlike typical ALL STEEL OR ALL WOOD DESIGNS you’ll never lose a whole building. You may lose a bay but that’s it! If a fire breaks out in a all steel building, because the metal twists and bends, the steel purlins pull the other frames in collapsing the whole building. Perka Buildings have purlins and girts in wood – that burn up and allow the roof section to collapse but not the whole structure. Also unlike WOOD poles and trusses, Perka’s STEEL frames are designed to stand alone… AND in the case of that God Forbid Fire, this actually vents the heat and the Perka steel frame remains untouched. The frame survives, stands up and after the clean up, the building’s steel structure will be ready for new wood purlins and girts to be replaced and the new exterior to be put on. A safer better investment!

For more in depth info contact TEAM PERKA at 800-467-3752 or email to perka@teamperka.com.

Pole Barn collapse… Educate yourself before you buy all wood!

January 9, 2014 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog Tagged building, contractor, Do it yourself, hybrid, lumber, material, mistakes, pole barn, post & beam, prefab, steel building, system design, teammate. construction, wood

Pole barn collapse kills 5 cows and injures 2 more.

Check out this link on the International Building Code Website regarding post frame/stick built/post and beam construction:

http://www4.iccsafe.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=26;t=000885

It’s also reproduced below.

This is something you can share with friends, family, neighbors thinking of building with pole barns or post frame alternatives – we know these will be priced MUCH LOWER… as they should be… question is: “is it really worth the risk?”

Note there are post frame companies that do build to code… but there is NO WAY they can price it much less if at all than our PERKA BUILDING Model 4000 – let alone the ECONO MODEL!

Cheaper is seldom “BETTER”!

PASS IT ON — Knowledge is POWER!

I have a question for the code enforcement community as it pertains specifically to building code enforcement for post frame buildings. Why do you generally NOT require engineering design documents for post-frame buildings?

Post frame buildings are highly stressed, structurally indeterminate structures that most generally rely on wall sheathing (wood or metal sheathing) for stability. By my estimate there are a minimum of 10 connections and structural elements that require structural analysis to insure building code compliance. Checkout loanload for financial needs. A fairly comprehensive list for a simple building follows:

1. Main columns (posts) solid sawn or laminated
2. Post embedment (constrained and non-constrained)
3. Post footing thickness and diameter
4. Truss to post connection (uplift and down load)
5. Roof purlins
6. Wall girts
7. Wall sheathing
8. Roof sheathing
9. Gable wall posts
10. Lateral bracing for gable posts and trusses

The analysis of a post-frame building is more akin to aircraft analysis than stick-frame analysis. By the time a simple, box post-frame building is ready for review by the Building Department a design package should include about 23 pages of calculations and seven 8.5″ x 11″ (A size) drawings.

Since there is no prescriptive code for post-frame buildings (I would write one myself and FIRE all of these expensive engineers and designers if I could write one myself) and since the job of Building Officials and Plans Examiners is to insure building code compliance and, thereby, public health, safety and welfare, it seems reasonable to me that engineering documentation would generally be required for these structures. Not only is this not the case I find that a significant fraction of code enforcement officers and Building Departments are complicit in the circumvention of the building code.

There are several counties here in Oregon and Washington that actually hand out design documents whereby non-compliant, unsafe buildings are allowed to be permitted and constructed. I gathered up all of these documents that I could find and ran a structural analysis on them all. I found 400% overstresses in all cases. When I complained to the Engineers Board about this problem, they (the weenies) claimed to have no jurisdiction over the activities of Oregon Building Departments. I complained to the Building Codes Division of the State of Oregon. BCD claimed to not only not care about the situation they claimed that THEY had no jurisdiction over the local Building Departments. I might add that when I asked the President of the Engineers Board what he would do to me if I turned in such documents. He replied “Oh, we would revoke your license.” Indeed.

Non-engineered buildings fall down at an alarming rate. We had a little sprinkle of snow here in Oregon and Washington over Christmas of 2008. Afterward I took a tour of two Oregon counties with a contractor that I work with. He was licking his chops at all the building collapses. It looked like Godzilla had walked around in those counties. Buildings had gone down in less than half the local design snow load. And that was deemed to be an “Act of God”. It was no such thing. It was the act of a bunch of incompetent contractors and Building Departments that refused to do their job.

I spoke to a woman recently whose building had blown over in a little puff of breeze the day after the contractor left the building site. The woman owned two acres and a llama. The county Building Department had done her a favor and given her an Ag Permit. The Ag Permit saved her money and kept her from having to comply with the Building Code. It also kept her out of the clutches of the engineers. Some favor. She had absolutely no recourse. The disheartening thing is that collapse could have been prevented by the installation of a few pieces of pressure treated wood that the contractor left behind in the scrap pile.

Oregon and Washington are not the only states that don’t enforce the Building Code for post-frame buildings. I am licensed in 38 other states and ALL of them hand out Ag Permits like candy. “It’s just a pole building, who cares?” I care because when one of them falls over or blows down I have to help pay for it through my increased insurance premiums. We all do. Hell, I did an as-built analysis on an equipment storage building for a county road department that had been ag permitted. When the road maintenance supervisor found out about it HE required the analysis not the county Building Official.

I could go on. I won’t because I know I’m already boring everyone. But my question remains – Why don’t Building Departments enforce the building code? I’m sorry if I hurt any feelings out there but I personally believe that the building code is a good thing that insures the public health, safety and welfare. And I further believe that code enforcement officers and licensed design professionals should live up to the duties and obligations that have been entrusted to them by the citizenry. Thank you – Nicholas Jasper, PE

What is so different about Perka Buildings?

January 7, 2014 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog Tagged building, contractor, dealer, Do it yourself, hybrid, opportunity, prefab, steel building, teammate. construction

Perka Buildings manufactures their own proprietary stand alone sovereign steel frames that are specially designed for EZ install by unskilled labor as well as for Do-It-Yourselfers.

Furthermore, the Engineer’s design process puts the load on the Perka Frames without necessarily taking into account the extra re-inforcing that comes from ADDING the side wall wood girts and the roof wood purlins. On top of that there is also inherent “strength” in the total BUILDING SYSTEM that comes from adding the exterior envelope material – typically steel siding… This offers much stronger steel frames and adds to the security of the building’s safety.

Most other pre fab building manufacturers design their structures as a SYSTEM. These designs are very strict as wells as restrictive with regards to being able to make ANY changes after design. They are typically designed ONE way and must remain so. Also their built in SAFETY factor would be much narrower on a SYSTEM designed building over one like Perka’s as “stand alone” frames!

Perka is also very conscious of our product and overall business carbon footprint, and choose to incorporate features into our product process to save on materials, time and effort, not only for assembly, but for insulating, maintenance, future add ons and finish.

The Perka Frame is versatile and flexible enough to be able to accept virtually ANY earth friendly material for it’s envelope, thus not only facilitating the “organic home”, “ecobuilding” or ”Greening” ideals, but also provides a still very important concern for strength and integrity for structure and content safety, including a longer lifespan which is also consistent with a closed loop sustainable construct.

For more info about how Perka is always looking out for it’s clients of today as well as for the generations of the future contact any TEAM PERKA mate at 800-467-3752!

In it for the long haul!

Cheers,

Download Our Free Report!

December 5, 2013 by Paul Gibson Posted in Featured Tagged building, contractor, dealer, DIY, Do it yourself, free, hybrid, information, mistakes, prefab, report, steel building

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Prefab Steel Building Buyers Beware

June 26, 2011 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog Tagged building, contractor, dealer, DIY, Do it yourself, hybrid, opportunity, prefab, rigid, steel building, system design, teammate. construction

… Sometimes when you pay a little more – you get something MORE!

Sure, in SOME cases, the package of materials for a Perka Deluxe Hybrid (Wood/Steel) designed buildings may cost a few dollars more… but the PERKA FRAMES are engineered to stand up WITHOUT the rest of the materials! Much of these extra few up front dollars will be recouped in construction time, as well as USE savings. In fact some of the BIGGEST savings might be in the form of PEACE OF MIND when those BIG WINDS or POLAR VORTEX SNOW FALLS come a threatening…

See attached excerpts from an article that ran in KC Star a few years back after a tornadoe hit Joplin, MO

Read the comments below these excerpts – and PASS IT ON!!

Is it best to build in Steel or Wood? — How about BOTH!?

December 11, 2010 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog Tagged building, contractor, dealer, Do it yourself, envelope, hybrid, material, prefab, shell, steel building, teammate. construction

There are more and more folks thinking of building their own homes, shops, garages, etc., either as a do it yourselfer or as their own “General Contractor”… This is to not only for the freedom to be able to design it all exactly the way they would want, but to also substantially save on costs. This is always a good thing!
Once that is decided the next question that often comes up is: What materials is best to use for the superstructure?… Wood, Steel or otherwise?

We can share from many experiences being involved in the building industry for now well over 100 collective years… #1 is a steel framed building structure for your home, business or shop will give you many advantages! Here are just a few…

1. IT IS MORE DURABLE

A steel framed home, shop or shed or garage will be much more durable and sturdier from day one and, more importantly, for the long haul. As you might expect – STEEL is definitely a stronger material than wood! It will last longer and withstand much more in terms of wind, snow loads or even .
2. IT CAN OFFER LARGE CLEAR SPAN OPTIONS

With Steel frames, you will be able to create nice, clean, clear span, unobstructed rooms. Steel can span larger dimensions easier, while not requiring posts or beams to support the roof trusses. And some Perka Models will even be able to offer clear vaulted ceilings offering even more advantages with getting higher door openings, more open access and even space for mezzanine lofts, 2nd floor areas or even practical attic storage.
3. STEEL IS MADE MOSTLY FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS

Wood is a great organic material – but it is also being depleted faster than it’s being renewed! While a renewable resource – it does take time. Most steel these days comes from recycling old steel… from cars to old bridges and structural steel scrap. This is a good thing for the environment.
4. WOOD HAS IT’S ADVANTAGES TOO

Of course going with all steel does sound pretty “COLD”… As stated above, wood is a very organic material and does offer a certain “energy” to a living or working space. So using a HYBRID Wood and Steel system – will give you the best of both worlds. You will be able use steel where steel is needed in and for the superstructure – and then can frame all the rest – including any openings for windows, doors etc, with wood where it serves best! There are a few Hybrid Building Companies around like Perka Buildings. www.perkabuildings.com
5. AREN’T STEEL HOMES/BUILDINGS HARDER TO KEEP WARM IN WINTER AND COOL IN SUMMER?

Steel Frames are not necessarily harder to heat or cool if you create the right THERMAL BREAKS. By using a product like one with an expanded polystyrene (EPS) core (i.e. www.p2000insulation.com), you will be able to effectively and easily insulate the home against ALL THREE forms of heat transfers.

a) The EPS – especially on wood purlins and girts – will virtually stop conduction since it pretty much blocks the transfer of heat to the cold (like a coffee cup – but 5 or 8 times thicker?).
b) The coverings that are offered like reflective Mylar will handle the heat loss from radiation due it’s ability to reflect back most of the radiant heat.
c) And finally, by sealing all the board joints with their overlap, foam sealants and or tape systems, you will prevent any heat transference from convection (air flow)…

And that’s it – ONE application on a wood steel hybrid building and you have a virtually perfectly super-insulated system!!

6. QUICK, EASY AND LESS EXPENSIVE TO ERECT.

If you get the right steel building frame design system (i.e. with pre-welded and pre-punched clips, pre-fitted to assure accuracy, minimal connections for simplicity, and well thought out and designed to eliminate as much shimming, splicing and retrofitting) – it will actually be allot quicker to erect, finish and insulate your home or building – and this will save you allot of time, money and “headaches”!!

So, it’s always good to do your homework. Check out the various steel building frame and insulation options that are available. Know who you are buying from.

You can easily have a well built, well insulated building or home that will not only be very affordable, but be low maintenance, energy efficient, strong, secure, comfortable and last for generations.

Cheers!

TEAM PERKA.

Introducing a Perka ECONO model…

November 12, 2010 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog Tagged building, contractor, dealer, Do it yourself, econo, hybrid, material, opportunity, pole barn, prefab, steel building, system design, teammate. construction

More and more folks are finding themselves on tightened budgets these days. Concerns about economic slow downs, cut backs, and job insecurity has got people really counting their pennies and not spending them faster than they absolutely need to. And that is perfectly understandable!

Most people are also aware of the fact that you can only GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!!

PERKA’S HIGH STANDARD OF QUALITY

As many of you may already know PERKA is synonymous with quality, integrity, reliability, accuracy, service, dedication to client satisfaction and much more. These are inherent values you will ALWAYS get from PERKA products.

Now many people will say we are kind of like the “Cadillac” of the building world. We have many standard options that are ALREADY included. We hold to very high standards of design, workmanship, inspections and accountability from start to finish. Of course all these virtues do add more time and attention to the product process and thus give it even more value.

THE LAW OF BUSINESS BALANCE

According to John Ruskin the law of business balance simple states you just can not get something for nothing – so all of Perka’s value added elements end up built into the cost of producing the product and providing service.

In today’s world, more than ever, this is not always an easy aspect to accept! Many people hope they can get all this extra attention and commitment and essentially get it for the lowest price going out there! Believe me, we’ve tried to trim in various places to help bring the numbers down to help more folks get into a PERKA BUILDING. And let’s face it – most people love the “luxury car” feel and amenities – but can’t always justify or accept the extra initial cost on their budgets. (Even though in many cases there is a substantial saving on maintenance, depreciation and wear and tear items.)

Well all this to say PERKA is not about to compromise any of their value added elements. So there really is no room for cost cutting there. We have decided however, that we can modify a few things to make the Perka Econo Building more comparable to many lower priced alternatives and yet still offer all the major benefits of the PERKA STANDARD for quality and service.

7 FEATURES TO HELP SAVE ON YOUR BUILDING BUDGET

The new PERKA ECONO MODEL is a small variation of the present Model 4000 system. Same basic look, same quality in workmanship. But to help us be able to be more comparable to plate beam, “pole barn” or “post and beam” buildings which can be lower priced, we are now choosing to do a few things to close if not even eliminate the gap.

#1. Eave Height

The standard eave height on a Model 4000 is the dimension to the top of the truss’ steel. So by the time you add the purlin and sheeting – the actual height is 8″-10″ taller. So the Perka ECONO MODEL will now have a nominal eave height dimension that includes the purlin and sheeting. Just like most of the lower priced alternatives.

#2. Dead Load

Perka’s standard allowance for dead load has always been a minimum of 4 pounds. This allows for the weight of the purlins and the sheeting and as much as an extra 1.5# for more weight – be it insulation, more roof material or even small collateral load items. Now we will design in the same loading of 2.5 pounds found in most of these lower cost alternatives.

#3. Girt spacing

Another Perka Design Standard for their HYBRID wood/steel design buildings has been to always hold to a 24″ spacing on the purlins and girts. There is not much we can do about the roof since the 24″ spacing is minimum needed to meet snow loads. However, on the walls, a 48″ spacing (and even more in some cases) is more often used. And another thing that is found in many pole barn or post & beam buildings is the girt is often only a 2″ x 4″ and many times laying flat with it’s weaker axis taking the windload. Now we’re not prepared to go to the extent of using 2″ x 4″ for girts – but we can still meet minimum windload requirements and have our typical girts clips (still pre welded and pre punched) at 48″ centers and still receive 2″ x 6″. Another lower cost saving! Just like most of the lower priced alternatives.

#4. Frame Warranty

The standard warranty period offered by Perka on their frames is presently 50 years. Like any form of insurance – there is a certain small percentage of every “order” that must be allocated to the cost just in case. Since most of the lower priced building alternatives carry little or NO WARRANTY, and if they do, it is one offered from pretty much a BRAND NEW company or from the contractor themselves! (Remember: you get what you pay for!) Now we can’t erase our 30 year history of providing quality buildings but we can take away part of the allowance for the warranty to help with the cost. While you may not be getting an actual written warranty with this option – you are still getting the building frames from a 30 year old company who is high on integrity, honesty and good will.

#5. Sheeting warranty, trim package and fasteners.

If you are purchasing a building material package to include sheeting, trims and fasteners – Perka has always supplied the higher quality sheeting and trim alternatives. Always with the higher warranty. Like right now it’s at 40-45 years depending on the actually manufacturer we get supplied from. That being said – to compare with the lower priced alternatives, we can offer at a much reduced cost the typical 10 year warranty alternative. Furthermore – all Perka Material Packages have come with a deluxe trim packages which includes closure strips, eave trim, base trim and gable trim that is typically NOT included in lower priced packages. Also Perka generally only uses color matched #10 wood grip fasteners – these are screws. Of course supplying standard roof nails costs a bit less. So another place to lower the price!

#6. Fascia, gable and corner finishes

When you get a building material package furnished by Perka you will have wood material to support your mid bay girts on buildings with over 14′ bay spacings, and for the finishing of your fascias on the gable ends, as well as for your corners to make it easier to fasten your sheeting and trims. Whether you are a do it yourselfer or a seasoned contractor, this is just one of those “luxury” options that makes the builder’s life easier. Of course you will not necessarily get this with the lower priced option!

#7. OPTION 1 – NON EXPANDABLE WOOD END FRAMES

Typically when a material is offered we can give the client 3 basic options.

All steel frames for the mid 2 bay load bearing frames with wood construction non-expandable frames on both ends.
All steel frames for the mid 2 bay load bearing frames with wood construction non-expandable frames on one end.
All steel frames for ALL the frames in the building.

By choosing OPTION 1 – you see we can lower the cost a bit more to be even more comparable. This way you still have STEEL WHERE STEEL IS NEEDED AND WOOD WHERE WOOD CAN SERVE BEST!

In conclusion – by adding all these feature adjustments into the PERKA ECONO BUILDING, we can, in most cases, lower the cost enough to still be able to offer you the peace of mind of using PERKA quality and integrity but being able to pay a little less to get it while getting no less than what you would from the lower priced alternatives!

Check it out for yourself. Visit other sections on this website — www.perkabuildings.com for more info about standard designs… feel free to call direct at 800-467-3752.

Cheers

More of what others are saying about TEAM PERKA!!

July 25, 2009 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog Tagged building, contractor, dealer, DIY, Do it yourself, econo, energy efficient, energy saving, envelope, green, hybrid, lumber, material, opportunity, pole barn, post & beam, prefab, steel building, sustainable, system design, teammate. construction, truth, wood

Reply by RM on July 25, 2009 at 11:54pm

Team Perka as an organization/business has great customer service that gives the contractor instant credibility with his clients.

Team Perka’s willingness to embrace alternative building techniques greatly helps them become leaders in the growing green sustainable buildings industry. Keeping costs down in this building climate and showing them a home or building that saves money, and not just a little but allot is so needed, still quite rare but so WELCOMED from TEAM PERKA.

Perka’s Hybrid designs saves people money from the very start and this really needs to highlighted and appreciated. As a nation and industry that spends BILLIONS of dollars every year, we really need to wake up (educate) ourselves to SUSTAINABLE building concepts. Getting contractors to use designs like Perka’s prefab WOOD STEEL HYBRID buildings is very important… because they understand your stance on sustainability and green technologies.

In my opinion, the soul of a company is just as important as the quality of the product. Supporting companies that are going the extra mile to help save resources and promote a movement towards responsible and aware construction is more important then just looking at up front costs/price. A more long term look at costs (waste, Trusted Roofing, energy, maintenance, etc.) must be take.

With that said, the complete Perka designed Hybrid package becomes an affordable product… and one that is now being marketed by a company that has a solid and thoughtful green outlook.

I just wanted to offer my view point from the customer side. Team Perka’s staff is just great and I am inspired by the Team Leader’s enthusiasm for the next generation for our collective building industry. Having the wisdom to see whats around the corner is going to ensure a great position and standing of visionary leadership in the building industry. RM

For more info contact TEAM PERKA at 800-467-3752 or email to perka@teamperka.com or visit www.perkabuildings.com.

What some people are saying about Perka Buildings!!

March 2, 2009 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog Tagged building, contractor, dealer, DIY, Do it yourself, econo, envelope, hybrid, lumber, opportunity, prefab, steel building, system design, teammate. construction, truth

A few years back we asked contractor/builder folks what they thought about Perka Buildings. You don’t have to take our, albeit biased, opinion… here is just one reply we received…

Reply by K.M. on March 2, 2009 at 5:46pm

The benefits of using Perka frames in almost any building (commercial/residential) are endless. Here are just a few of them!

1. Perka Buildings vs other Metal Buildings.A. Being able to make changes on sight because of wood purlins and girts…
B. Ability to insulate and sheetrock for true inside finish.
C. Two story buildings. Perka can add multi-story floor joists in. For others, the cost is staggering for this. It’s more cost effective to build a building inside a building (which is not cost effective at all compared to the time, materials and financial savings with a Perka building).
D. Ability to design the building exactly the way you want. You can get a custom building that iss not at custom pricing. It’s not just cookie cutter buildings like others sell. If you want a custom metal building from others, either the cost is prohibitive or they flat out just can’t do it.
E. Ability to side the building with non-metal products.

F. Owner-Builder friendly. Enough said on this one.2. Perka Buildings compared to stick (wood) framing.

A. No perimeter or interior footings required. Savings on cement.
B. No load bearing walls. Savings.
C. No door headers. Savings.
D. Ability to put interior walls where ever you please.
E. Much less studs to drill for wiring and piping.
F. Model 4000 Frames can be purchased (in some areas like the east and west coasts) for the cost of wood trusses alone. WOW!!!
G. They are really low cost and super fast engineering.
H. Major labor savings on construction.

3. Perka vs residential stick building.

A. All of the above plus:
B. You can get no hassle open beam vaulted ceilings
C. Ability of frames to be built for sloping land. The cost savings here alone on cement footings can be staggering.
D. No hassle perimeter decking, second floor balconies, covered porches, etc,etc,etc.

Like I said the list above is just a few of the benefits.

On selling/promoting Perka Buildings:

I know this was not part of this discussion but I can’t stop when I’m on a roll!

The biggest thing for me is not to go head to head with other metal buildings. I don’t sell metal buildings if I can help it. They are a pain to put up. A pain to work with. You always need to consult engineering for any type of change. I’d prefer to sell Perka Metal Building frames. If someone just wants a non insulated, plain jane, metal building and they are just price shopping regardless of quality or benefits then that’s going to be a challenge. If they are wanting and understand value, benefits, long term investing, then they just opened the door for Perka Building. You may need to do a lot of prying (ask questions) about their project. I probably shouldn’t use the word prying but sometimes that’s what it is. For myself I’m always truly interested in the persons project, their preferences, their wants and desires. They can tell that when I talk to them. And I can do this with confidence knowing the Perka can back my ability to serve them. The first and foremost thing I truly do is rack my brain to find ways to save them money and be able to show them that on paper. For instance I can space the frames at 15′ and not need to have as many frames as stick buildings. Spacing the frames at 15′ also meant bigger floor joists and roof rafters. Since I’m such a good economist (cheap son of a gun), I decided to see how much it would be for an extra frame so I could use smaller lumber. To my surprise the total price with extra frame was the same as without. Since there was not as much load as the bigger spacing the metal required for the framing was less. Wow, see what I mean — the flexibility allows me to be able to try the different scenarios and come up with the BEST one. I am not locked into to just ONE way!!

Two stories. One of a sale and one of a non-sale.

Non-sale: A customer of mine from my other business was telling me that her and her husband were adding a garage (for storage) with living quarters above. I told her that I could save her a lot of money if she used Perka frames. Unfortunately she already had a contractor hired to build the stick framed building. He was behind by a couple of months and hadn’t started their building yet. She got a hold of the contractor and he said he would take a look at the Perka frames. BTW, this contractor had built several buildings for these people before. I designed some frames that gave her way more usable space plus added a huge second floor deck (his plans had no deck). All for more that $50,000 less than the contractor’s project finish price. I only lost that one because once the other contractor to a look at my plans and numbers, he saw that he would make a lot less money. Namely that $50,000. All of a sudden he was no longer busy and started to build their building while they were gone on vacation for four weeks! They did not have a contract with the builder but were friends so they just let it go…

Sale: This was actually to another contractor. He was building a residence plus hangers for private airports that has became quite popular around the country. This was actually a building he wanted for himself. He was going to stick build the two story residence with a workshop below part of it… but wanted metal frames for the hanger that was connected. I was actually bidding against other metal truss builders (Perka knock offs) for pricing . When I saw his plans I said “how about I price out the whole building for you with Perka multi design Frames. He said no because the building was already engineered and through planning, and he wanted to stick build because he was a contractor and he thought he could do it much cheaper. He said don’t bother you would be just wasting both of our time. I didn’t listen to him. I priced out the hanger frames but I also priced out the whole project with (custom) Perka Frame. He pretty much just had a un-attractive same height square box before. I designed him a beautiful split roof with high windows HOME. With the same footprint he gained 900 square feet in his second floor living quarters plus a added second floor observation deck to oversee the runway. He had clearer shop space below (less load bearing posts). I also showed him where and how he would save money and labor over his design. Once he saw my idea in a colored pencil drawing I made (just the shear better looks of my building design sold him on it I believe), he had to meet me in person to go over it. After we met and saw what I was saying was true, he scrapped his project. He tried to shop other building frame manufacturers to try to get a better price than mine. But nobody else he contacted would not even entertain putting a similar package together. He was sold! Sometimes it pays to show a person different ideas, even if at first they are set in their ways. He is extremely happy with his building now and told me it went together without a hitch!!

For more info – visit www.perkabuildings.com, email perka@teamperka.com or call 800-467-3752.

Welcome to our Blog… again.

August 8, 2008 by Paul Gibson Posted in Blog Tagged building, contractor, Do it yourself, gratitude, honest, hybrid, opportunity, prefab, steel building, teammate. construction, thanks, truth, welcome

It would be so easy to get really frustrated right about now…

Some of this really started about 7 years ago now. Our founder, long time leader and most friendly mentor to so many people, passed away suddenly, and very astonishingly, leaving a fairly HUGE void in many lives. I for one, his son, his business partner of 30 years, an avid student of his wisdoms, guidance and leadership and most importantly a LIFE LONG friend, was virtually devastated. I not only lost my “dad” who I treasured and loved, I lost three other important “personalities” as well!!!

If you’ve ever experienced a loss of a very close and dear loved one (similar to this), you no doubt know that one never really gets “over” it. Sure time heals some of the pain… it can, however, be a frequent struggle keeping the mind from falling into the pain traps… – but, what doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger, right? … and it is… still.

I, and we as a Team, did whatever we could, with whatever resources we could manage, to cope, adapt and persevere. The challenges since then have been quite heavy at times indeed, after all, we lost our “strongest” carrier. So we had to reach out, step up and dig deep! As a collective of family, friends, caring neighbors and even the occasional kind angelic stranger, we were better able to handle the loads and are still here today. Thriving. Again.

Much like our buildings, (which is as much a PHILOSOPHY as it is STRUCTURE) … we put into practice the virtues and positive product ideals of synergy, optimism, honesty, appreciation, faith, integrity, efficiency, accuracy, quality, durability and flexibility! And never will we compromise on these. While we may be able to give you all the various options in quality and price, to make a well informed choice – we will always first put forward our absolute best, and do so with all the conviction and faith that my dad had when he came up with it and all that his loyal team can put behind it!

Now, why am I saying we could really be feeling frustration right now? Well if you’ve been following our blog on our main website (http://perkabuildings.com/blog) over the past few years you will have noticed that about 6 month ago – it disappeared again — for a 2nd time!! While the first time was apparently we were “hacked”, compromising certain security levels and we had to “amputate” the blog to save the site! This time it was a site rebuild which somehow LOST the blogs…. again. With that – we lost some 50+ blog entries dealing with all kinds of “building”, motivational, anecdotal and even the odd socio-political issue.

So here we are now – having to start over and re-write many of these that were not saved, including our previous WELCOME memo! (I kidded often when I was younger, – learning various trades under my dad’s sometimes ”sink or swim” tutelage: “If we didn’t do it twice – we didn’t do it right – but by God – we ALWAYS did it right!!” – Thanks again Dad!)

So for now, as we begin the task of reposting the blogs, I just want to extend to you a warm welcome (or welcome BACK), and to also express our Team’s sincere and most humble APPRECIATION for your interest in not only our product and our company, which we truly believe will really SERVE you well, for a multitude of reasons, but also about being and doing the RIGHT thing… After all – that is the only rule any successful person, business or organization ever lives by…THE GOLDEN RULE!

Cheers,

Martial

By Olivia Truesdale (Martial Thevenot Editor)

By Olivia Truesdale (Martial Thevenot Editor)

By Olivia Trusdale

“Great Expectations:” What happens when they don’t get met?

Life Expectancies too short? Expect More with a Perka Hybrid Building!

Chasing Perfection, Catching Excellence

Top Priority

Farms, Food, and Finances

GIVE UP, GIVE IN OR GIVE MORE “Winners Never Quit”.

With 7 important and invaluable tips to stay ahead of the curve.

NOTHING IS PERMANENT.

What makes a client feel really good (stress free) about his building solution decision? Read More

“Great Expectations:”
What happens when they don’t get met?

Life Expectancies too short?
Expect More with a Perka Hybrid Building!

GIVE UP, GIVE IN OR GIVE MORE
“Winners Never Quit”.