Homesteader's.

• Position: Building supplies company - Company Profile

Well-known for its unique personal service to both homeowners and builders, Homesteader's has been providing quality building supplies and meeting the needs of the Mat-Su residential market for 17 continuous years.

This family-owned business is located in both Wasilla and Big Lake. A lumberyard, hardware store and truss plant combine to offer all the basics at a reasonable price. The operation has grown over the years in scope, size and location. With the added Truss Plant in 1986, Homesteader's now provides both the homeowner and general contractor with the efficiency of "one-stop shopping."

Customer Service and Quality

Homesteader's main emphasis and concern is customer service. Shane Bignell, one of the owners, demands quality and a high service standard. "We offer the necessary personal service to make a job work."

These are not empty words. The records reveal a large loyal and constant client base. Shane explains, "We have what customers need ... good service and a competitive price ... and we get them what they really want. First we take the time to sit down and talk. We show them the options and explain the costs. And we offer information about various benefits. Then we let them make an intelligent decision. This way the solution is what is right for them." Customers with small projects or contractors of large projects are all treated fairly by Homesteader's.

Shane remembers times when the customer would walk in with a packaged house plan from a magazine. "We explain the necessary plan modifications for workability. We educate them to snow and wind loads and we help them determine the most efficient design for a custom home that would work in this location."

Shane's key to success is customer satisfaction. "I want every job to be done right - and I stand behind my work. If a mistake happens, it is fixed immediately." Shane says, "Everyone makes mistakes, because we're all human. I judge the caliber of a person by the way mistakes are solved."

Unique Service

A single, clear-span, 70-foot, wooden truss is a work of art - a functional, woodcrafted web. But this structural support is as unique in design as it is difficult to build and deliver.

Homesteader's Truss Plant is in business to offer this product to Alaskans with a cross-sectional layout and 3-D designs for customer's approval. A one-piece, clear-span truss has the advantage of using less lumber and less labor, and is thereby less...