Fair season is in full swing in Northern Indiana, and it’s also one of the most exciting times of the year for local business AJ Portable Buildings. The company proudly sells Yoder Portable Buildings, renowned for their quality, hand-crafted sheds, gazebos, and other small structures. Each year, AJ Portable Buildings travels the region, showcasing these products at fairs from Lake County to Saint Joseph County and beyond. Most recently, Owner Patrick “Pat” Dykes and his team have set up shop at the Porter County Fair, and are greatly excited for the week ahead as they get to further connect with the community around them while also giving a glimpse of what the AJ's experience is all about.
“We just started with the Porter County Fair for our first day and met a lot of people there. Today we start with the Tippecanoe County Fair, and tomorrow we start with the Jasper County Fair,” Dykes said. “We just finished the St. Joe Fair, and we did very well up there. We met a lot of people, friends, and people who were still building two before. We shook a lot of hands, handed out a lot of brochures, and got people to know our product.”
This year, Porter County can expect to see a marvelous line up at the fair. AJ's has a unique and fun display ready to go, and Dykes is excited to show it off to Porter County, all with a 25-year warranty, a deal hard to come by anywhere else.
“We have tons of different products this year,” Dykes said. “We just want to come and see what you got this year, a greenhouse or gazebo or pavilion. We have a little building – it looks like an old country western Sheriff's Office, or it could be a saloon or something like that - it’s pretty cool. Everybody likes to see how we do up our office - it has air and electricity, everything, which can be nice when the weather reaches 95 degrees outside.”
Attending fairs for business matters is a main focus for AJ's, of course, but where it really brings it all together is getting to further connect with the communities they serve. Dykes loves the Northern Indiana area and the people who make it complete, and in turn, wants to extend that gratitude their way as well.
“We really enjoy helping out 4-H first of all. We love helping out the kids and we know they put in a lot of hard work to make this all happen,” Dykes said. “We like to help out with the fairs as a whole as well - I enjoy meeting new people and introducing myself along the way,” Dykes said. “The staff out there at the fairgrounds are great. We sold them a building or two, and we loaned them buildings to use for whether they're selling their merchandise or stuff like that. Dave Bagnall, the chairman of the fair, also does a great job out there, and I really enjoy it. He does a very nice job with events like this.”
Be sure to tune into Indiana 105.5 during the fair’s run as well - Dykes can also be found on the airwaves talking all things AJ's, as well as chatting up some old friends for some friendly conversation for listeners to enjoy.
“We deal with the radio station a lot – they put a lot on there for us out there, and we loan them buildings, stuff like that. We really appreciate them taking the time for us,” Dykes said.
AJ Portable Buildings will also be at the Lake County Fair, continuing its travel around the Region to showcase their numerous products.
The Lake County Fair runs from August 2 to August 11, so make sure you stop on by and say hello to Pat and the AJ's team! For more information on AJ’s Portable Buildings, please visit ajportablebuildings.com.
