Hunting for homes
Joe Charmello doesn’t think of his business as “just sheds,” as he walks through a maze of gazebos, garages and screened-in cabanas. “We’re more of an ‘everything to make life sweeter in the backyard’ kind of business.”
Charmello bought Brad’s Barns three years ago, deciding not to change a thing, not even the name. “Brad Shafer ran a very successful business here for 20 years. There was no rhyme or reason to change the name. He built up a great reputation and people from all over who travel here to ski or to enjoy the summer know this place. Seventeen thousand cars a day pass us on Route 28, and Brad’s Barns is a landmark.”
Charmello wasn’t always in the building supply business. “I sold cars and did financing for many years,” he said. “But I always loved working with wood, and after I had my own home built by Zellner Construction, I asked the owner if he’d take me on as an employee. I worked for Zellner for three years; I was looking around for a business similar to Brad’s Barns when I called Shafer to ask if he was interested in selling. Not only was Brad thinking of retiring, he had just come from talking to a Realtor about listing his business. Talk about a fortuitous call. Well, he didn’t have to list it, because he’d found his buyer. I knew his track record and that the business was a success.” Charmello bought Brad’s Barns and Shafer stayed on for three years working side by side with its new owner.
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