Guided by business smarts, a strong work ethic, and a deep commitment to faith and family, Troyer Post Buildings has experienced explosive growth over the past year. Based in Monterey, Tennessee, this family-run company provides materials and models for constructing pole barns, homes, and storage facilities. Supported by wooden poles, such structures offer an affordable alternative to traditional buildings based on concrete foundations.
Since being profiled in Construction in Focus in February 2025, Troyer Post Buildings has expanded its workforce and opened a new branch in Greeneville, Tennessee.
“We’ve got about half-a-dozen offices or so for people to come in and meet with salesmen and design their dream building,” explains Owner and CEO, Tim Troyer. “The Greeneville branch is a local presence in the community there,” and is already meeting with success, seeing 650 quotes and $4 million in sales already.
As shared in our previous profile, post frame buildings have a unique heritage. The concept originated during the Great Depression in the 1930s, when impoverished farmers sought out new materials for building barns. To save money, farmers began to embed decommissioned telephone poles in the ground and place a roof on top. By using telephone poles as support columns, farmers could avoid the expense of digging foundations and then pouring concrete. Pole barns could either be open-air or enclosed (walls can be added once the structure is up and then insulated if desired). They proved to be as sturdy as conventional barns and became widely popular.
What began as a cost-saving measure soon caught on, and the pole barn concept was expanded to include warehouses, sheds, and private residences. Bigger post frame structures still lacked foundations for the most part, but frequently featured concrete slab floors to enhance interior comfort. Steel trusses were also incorporated into larger structures to augment stability.
At present, the agricultural sector brings in the most business for Troyer Post Buildings. Within this sector, the company offers hay pole barns (roof-only structures with metal gables and steel trusses); pole equipment sheds (three sided-buildings featuring single-sloped roofs); and pole barn lean-to sheds (made from wood rafters or steel, these sheds are usually attached to a building and are used to protect equipment from inclement weather). For the commercial market, Troyer sells pole barn riding arenas (spaces for training horses); storage units (ideal for boats or recreational vehicles); and warehouses.
The residential market, which largely consists of barndominiums or “barndos,” is currently experiencing the strongest growth at the firm. Over the past year, the company has helped build roughly 40 barndos, which feature roomy interiors and a rural vibe. Commenting on their appeal, Troyer says, “I think most people are trying to find affordable housing. At the end of the day, they’re trying to find a large living area with a lot of square footage for a reasonable price.”
The barndo segment might become Troyer Post Building’s leading market “in the next year or two,” he adds.
The company’s barndo models range from the simple and compact (the Birmingham Barndominium, for example, measures 1,200 square feet based on a four-inch monolithic concrete slab) to the grand (the partial double-story Lexington Barndominium measures 3,032 square feet based on a four-inch monolithic concrete slab). The company also sells enclosed pole barn garages and an enclosed pole barn workshop (a space for doing hobbies or crafts) within the residential segment.
With strong ties to its communities, Troyer Post Buildings primarily works in Tennessee and Kentucky, although the team has also served clients in Georgia, Virginia, and the Carolinas. The company maintains a lumberyard at its main location, stocked primarily with wooden poles made from Southern Yellow Pine, “a local lumber that’s strong,” explains Troyer.
And while Troyer has a wide selection of existing building models that customers can choose from, clients can also create their own design. The company offers a software program called 3D Designer which allows customers to select the color, length, height, roof type, roof pitch, interiors, windows, doors, and building frame of their proposed property. The program analyzes the customer’s input and then comes up with a design.
Once the customer settles on a design, the company offers advice about feasibility and cost. If all goes to plan, Troyer Post Buildings can put together a package of materials that consists of wooden poles and other structural elements. These material packages are then delivered to the customer who can either erect the building themselves or hire a contractor recommended by Troyer. The same delivery and construction process occurs when clients chose a building from an existing model.
Given that its business is centered on lumber and construction material, Troyer Post Buildings adheres closely to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) protocols. “We do pretty intensive safety training… and we follow safety guidelines,” says Troyer. “The biggest thing is not trying to rush people and to let them do their job—quality work at a steady pace. I think that’s the key for safety: focusing on quality and taking your time to do it right.”
This has been a priority from the start. The company was founded in 2014 by Tim Troyer and his brothers, who learned about construction firsthand from their father. The young firm primarily focused on pole barns for farmers but soon grew to encompass multiple sectors.
One thing that hasn’t changed since the early days of the company is the importance of faith. The Troyers are devout Mennonites, a Christian denomination that emphasizes hard work, family values, and simple living. Philanthropy is one way the family puts its beliefs into practice; when we spoke, Tim Troyer had just returned from a trip to Africa. His African mission was undertaken alongside Feeding the Orphans, a non-profit group from Knoxville, Tennessee that provides care, support, and religious uplift for the needy. Troyer Post Buildings also works with local food banks, adoption centers, and other charitable endeavors.
The family also expresses its faith through honesty and fair dealing, business practices that lead to win-win results. “We built a name in the industry for being trustworthy. We do what we say we’re going to do. At the end of the day, if we say we’re going to be there, we’ll be there. When you build with us, there are no hidden surprises. You get what you signed up for,” says Troyer.
The element of trust applies to the company’s supply chain as well, and Troyer Post Buildings prefers to work with a selection of known vendors rather than constantly switching suppliers based solely on price. “We consider our suppliers our partners. We try to create long-term relationships with our suppliers and treat them like part of the company. We try to create a win-win situation for both of us,” explains Troyer.
Promotion is handled in a low-key and decidedly unflashy fashion. While the company uses social media, online marketing, and banners to promote itself, it also sets up booths at country and local fairs to spread the word.
Clearly, it’s a winning strategy, as the firm’s workload has increased so much it’s expanded from 40 employees at the time of our previous profile to 60 today.
“When you do good work, you always get more work. All of our departments have grown,” says Troyer.
To be sure, he is proud of the company’s ability to create good, new jobs within local communities. When it comes to new hires, the company likes “humble and hungry people,” he says. This fits with the company’s culture, which is centered on such values as trust, innovation, consistency, and being helpful.
Thankfulness is another core value: “We’re very blessed by God, so we’re thankful for that. We’re trying to make our decisions based on what would please God and to follow the principles that’s he’s laid out,” explains Troyer.
The company aims to remain debt-free when possible and to constantly add value in everything it does—and this later trait applies to employees and clients alike. “We’re focused on adding value to each other as a team. We’re focused on adding value to our customers,” says Troyer.
Its success has not gone unnoticed, and the company has been earning industry kudos as of late. In April 2025, Troyer Post Buildings was ranked #224 on the Financial Times’ list of America’s Fastest Growing Companies. The list ranks the 300 companies in the U.S. with the largest revenue growth between 2020 and 2023. The firm was also named the ‘Best Post Frame Builder’ in Greene County, and has ‘Recommended Builder’ status from MLS Listings. Tim Troyer is reluctant to take credit for these achievements, stating he’s “blessed to have a good team to work with,” and that earning such honors wouldn’t be possible with their efforts.
Of course, Troyer Post Buildings faces its share of challenges and difficulties. The company is dealing with the impact of “a lackadaisical economy… people are struggling, and don’t have extra money. We’re trying to show our customers… that what we bring to the table is worth what they’re paying for,” says Troyer.
Still, things look good for the company, which plans to build on its existing competencies instead of adding new services per se. “We’re just trying to do what we do and do it well,” says Tim Troyer. “I just hope that we can serve more customers in the future and continue to build an even bigger and better team.”
