After years of service with the U.S. Navy, then working in the automotive sales, Mark Dreyer tapped into his construction background and began to do home repair work. During that time, when Mark needed a shed for storage, he headed to a local construction supply store and that trip changed the course of his career.
“I looked at a shed kit that they had because I wanted something nice and quickly realized that the kit really wasn't anything that I would want in my yard,” said Mark. “So, I went inside to price out the materials to do it myself.”
Knowing other homeowners would appreciate a higher quality option than the kits he saw, Mark put out feelers and began building custom sheds. The first one, he admits, was a learning experience, but as the business grew, he implemented systems to make the process more efficient.
“We developed jigs, templates, and processes for things to go smoother,” he explained. “Like how we load our trailers, for example. We load the trailer so that it gets unloaded in the proper order so that guys aren’t having to move things out of the way to get to the materials they need. We also learned what materials to buy that we could use efficiently so we don't have a lot of waste.”
In 2010, Mark and his wife, Shauna, took the step to build sheds full-time and founded Monroe Shed Depot. The company offers custom-made sheds that range in dimension from eight to four hundred square feet. Although sheds are a great storage solution, many customers use the sheds for a variety of other purposes.
“One of my favorite parts is meeting customers and figuring out how to meet their needs and make their vision come to life,” Mark explained. “I built my mother-in-law a cute little pool shed to cover her pool equipment. For another customer, I built a small 2x4 shed that he stores things in and it’s right on his deck. Something we’ve also seen more since the pandemic is people using their sheds as extra office or living space.” Additional designs have included garden hutches and bar sheds, which are set up for outdoor entertaining.
When the business first started, Mark enjoyed building the sheds and being outdoors. Over the years, he has also enjoyed the opportunity to mentor and teach skills to those who have come to work with him.
“A high school kid was with me for five or six years. He couldn't even read a tape measure when I hired him, but we got that all figured out and Julio became an incredible builder,” said Mark. “I really like teaching other people how to do what I know how to do and developing processes in the shop so that we can hire somebody and, within a few days, have them building sheds the way that we want.”
The sheds, which are built using Western Red Cedar, are both sturdy and aesthetically pleasing. “We build sheds you don't have to hide in the backyard,” said Mark. “You can actually use it as the centerpiece. In fact, we have landscape architects that use our sheds as something that they incorporate into their designs.”
Explore the photo gallery of sheds designed by Monroe Shed Depot by visiting http://www.monroesheddepot.com/ or following the company on Facebook. For more information, use the website’s contact tab or call 425-210-9036.