ALAN CUTLER is shown here with a Old Hickory Shed that was just delivered to the Clark County Fairgrounds. The shed was paid for with a contribution by 3 Kings Environmental, of Battle Ground, to the Friends of the Clark County Fair specifically for the purchase of the building to be used for the youth auction program. Photo courtesy of Alan Cutler
ALL OF THE SHEDS and buildings offered through Old Hickory Sheds are built in factories across the country. They use the same traditional construction techniques and philosophies handed down from generation to generation among the many Amish and Mennonite communities.
When Alan Cutler was first introduced to Old Hickory Sheds by his oldest son Nick, who currently drives and delivers for Old Hickory Sheds in the Southwest Washington area, he said he saw an opportunity in the Vancouver area and jumped on board.
“I looked at the product and talked to many already customers and they were happy with the product and service that Old Hickory provided,” Cutler said. “The quality of their sheds is one of the main reasons I started my dealership. I can go home at night knowing that I did some good each day and delivered a quality product for a good price.”
Cutler is the owner of Pacific Northwest Sheds & Buildings, an independent authorized dealer for Old Hickory Sheds. Old Hickory Buildings & Sheds has been in business since 1997 and creates storage buildings for customers throughout the country using the old-fashioned country tradition of barn building. Their factories use the same traditional construction techniques and philosophies handed down from generation to generation among the many Amish and Mennonite communities.
Currently, Cutler said there are two plants that build the sheds for Pacific Northwest Sheds & Buildings – one in Millersburg, OR, and one in Puyallup. Old Hickory Sheds currently has 360 dealers across the country. Pacific Northwest Sheds & Buildings has been open for almost three months and shares a building with Haven Pool & Spa, located at 2009 NE 117th St., Suite 105B, Vancouver. Cutler said he currently has more than 26 sheds in inventory for people to inspect.
“Business has been really good,” Cutler said. “I’m doing now what I expected to do six months from now. We have a quality product with great pricing.”
Cutler describes the Old Hickory Sheds as “attractive with the natural wood appearance and low maintenance shed.” He said the market is wide open for the shed business, as he has customers use the sheds for just about everything anyone can think of.
“From moving their items from a rented storage unit to their own property in a shed they can call their own, to one customer who uses it for her dog grooming business,” he said. “Also, many are using them for hunting cabins and places to get away for the weekend.”
Another aspect about Old Hickory Sheds that Cutler said he likes is the free delivery with each shed within 30 miles of the closest dealer. They have a specialized trailer that each driver uses to bring out and deliver a completely built shed. When delivered, each shed is set and leveled to whatever the customer has for their final site. Cutler said the trailer is a full tilt and extra wheels between the outside wheels going the opposite direction. This enables the driver to back up and then raise the trailer to shift it right or left to start the shed to come off the trailer.
“Many hydraulic motors working to make sure the shed is placed exactly where the customer needs it,” Cutler said.
There is also a build onsite program for sites that a trailer is unable to get to. Cutler said Old Hickory also has a rent-to-own program that makes it easy to get into a shed. There is no credit check and all that is needed is a low deposit with the first month’s rent. Cutler said if a customer purchases an existing shed from their lot it can usually be delivered within five to seven days. If a shed is custom built, he said it takes about three to five weeks to have it built and delivered, depending on the time of year.
Cutler, 57, has a background in construction and worked as a general contractor for more than 14 years doing remodeling and building pole buildings in Southwest Washington. He lives in Kelso in the same house he and his wife purchased 18 years ago. After his wife passed away in April, Cutler said he concentrates on his three children now.
His oldest son drives and delivers sheds for Old Hickory and his youngest son was working in the Tri-Cities area with Old Hickory Sheds, but will soon be moving to the Southwest Washington area to work with his dad, as they are looking to open another store in the Portland area.
Cutler also has a daughter between his two sons in age who works as a shift manager at an upscale restaurant in the Seattle area.
To contact Cutler at Pacific Northwest Sheds & Buildings, call (360) 270-3708 or visit his website at www.pacificnwsheds.com.
