When we asked Connie, a Morton Buildings owner from the small Michigan farm town of Croswell, why she wanted to build with Morton, her response was quick and to the point.
“My husband’s always said Morton’s the best. We have a lot of farmers around here – they’ve always said, (if) you want a good building, (build) a Morton building.”
That recommendation was enough for the family to construct a state-of-the-art Morton Buildings equestrian facility.
The family’s final choice is a 60'W x 14'H x 96'L Morton that features a 3,600-square-foot riding arena. The adjacent barn is approximately 2,300 square feet with six stalls, four of which that have a run-out area.
A Morton sales consultant guided Connie and the family throughout the various stages of developing the building, delivering the facility they had always envisioned.
“Morton was helpful,” Connie said of the design process. “We kind of knew what we wanted and they just made it really easy. We didn’t really change anything -- really, it’s true. We kind of knew what we wanted and that’s it.”
The building exterior features Morton's Hi-Rib steel, cupolas, wainscot and windows with shutters. The facility also showcases a variety of premium doors found on many Morton buildings, including diamond 'M' sliding doors, Alumasteel sliding doors and double Dutch doors.
Inevitably, wear and tear from Mother Nature will present challenges over time for even the strongest facilities. The family’s hometown is approximately a dozen miles from the Michigan shore of Lake Huron and the average January low temperature in nearby Lexington is a measly 15 degrees. But Morton’s clear-span, timber-frame construction design allows the structure to be used in a variety of elements.
“(Winters) can be brutal. This building is so locked tight … my daughter rides in the arena with 40 mile-per-hour winds outside. It’s quiet, it’s safe for her (and) the horses don’t get afraid of the wind because it’s just such a solid building.”
“We had a bad storm roll through here a few months back – 70 mile-per-hour winds,” she continued. “We were inside the building when it happened. Not even a rattle came out of the building. It is sound, it’s safe for the animals. We’re really thrilled.”
As horse owners, the family is very aware of Morton’s reputation within the equine industry. Throughout that community, there is a popular consensus on the functionality of a Morton horse barn.
“Everybody has the same thing to say. I’ve never heard anybody say anything negative. I’ve never heard anything bad, ever. And we have a lot of people that have built Morton buildings, a lot of friends in the horse community. It’s just a sturdy, nice, safe environment, and it’s a beautiful building on top of it.”
In the end, Connie and her family had no complaints or regrets on the construction of their Morton building, but just one thing they would do differently when they build with Morton again.
“We didn’t make it big enough,” she said with a smile. “We just talked to our sales (consultant) at Morton yesterday and we’re going to (build) an addition … hopefully soon.”
“I would recommend them … I wouldn’t even consider anybody else.”
Lindsey's Equestrian Facility from Morton Buildings, Inc. on Vimeo.
