Our story
About Us
Countryside Barns is a family owned and operated business that serves the Midwest region from our headquarters in Illinois. Since 2009, we’ve been cementing our reputation as the regional leader when it comes to portable and customizable shed design. Our family of shed builders is committed to delivering the best service and best products to our customers. By consistently being “as good as our word,” we have been able to maintain the trust of our customers while expanding our business to include more products and an ever-widening service area.
A family-owned business
Phil and Rebecca Braker along with their eight children are the owners of Countryside Barns. Family is very important to them and all employees are made to feel like part of the family with gestures like celebrating each one’s birthday with a dessert of their choice. You will always find at least a couple of their children on the premises working in some way. By purchasing from Countryside Barns, you are supporting this local, family owned business – not just a big corporation.
Our pledge to you
We endeavor to always be kind and fair and to treat every customer with integrity.
Our goal: A better customer experience
At Countryside Barns, we remain refreshingly old-fashioned when it comes to our values: honesty, integrity, and trust. Whether you live down the road from us or across the state, we will provide you with a superior level of customer care and treat you just as we would hope to be treated. Our receptionists, customer service, sales, designers, shed builders, and delivery personnel bring experience to every interaction. More than that, our business is one big family of caring, hardworking professionals who enjoy great satisfaction in surpassing our customers’ expectations.
Why we are different
When you choose Countryside Barns for your custom portable shed, you can count on us to oversee the entire process, which includes design, delivery, manufacturing, and installation. We are devoted to providing quality checks every step of the way. Our level of outstanding craftsmanship is unsurpassed because we build every shed just as we would build it for ourselves. We wouldn’t dream of cutting corners. We wouldn’t know how to leave our customers with an inferior product.
Our Team
Phil Braker
Phil was born and raised in southwestern Missouri on his family’s farm and helping in his dad’s construction business. After relocating to Illinois, Phil worked many years managing the operations and maintenance departments for a large trucking company. He built his first portable building in 1998 and continues to enjoy the challenge by striving to manufacture the highest quality portable buildings on the market.
Lyndon Christner
Lyndon joined Countryside Barns shortly after its inception. He works in the shop framing buildings and also helps with roofing and painting. Lyndon, a lifelong Illinois resident, has spent his career doing what he loves – working with wood. When he’s not working, Lyndon enjoys songwriting, flying model airplanes, and stargazing. His favorite Countryside Barns product is the Lean-to Side Porch Cabin.
Daniel Braker
Daniel spends a majority of his time in the office making sure we are fully stocked with all the necessary materials to build each individual shed. He has also been able to spend time delivering buildings locally which helps out tremendously! He still oversees the rental equipment division of Countryside Barns. His favorite building from Countryside Barns is hands down the Lofted Side Porch Cabin.
Wayne Getz
We stay well stocked with quality trusses and doors that Wayne spends his time building. He is a hands-on worker – preferring practical work over office settings. When he isn’t building trusses or roofs, you can likely find him installing the flooring in the fully finished cabins. Eureka, IL, has always been home to Wayne and he has a work background in flooring installation, construction, and concrete. His favorite Countryside Barns products are rafters and 3′ doors.
Ernie Christner
Ernie, our skilled head delivery professional, brings a wealth of experience in delivering thousands of portable sheds and cabins. His expertise extends to mechanics and customizing our equipment, making him an invaluable asset to the team. Ernie is grateful for the incredible people he works with at Countryside Barns, who make each day enjoyable.
Levon Hostetler
Info coming soon…
Marc Helmuth
Info coming soon…
Jacob Braker
Jacob was born in Peoria and has had one employer thus far: Countryside Barns. He loves working here because he works with family and a “great team of co-workers.” His favorite project has been working on a custom finished-out falcon shed. Among the exceptional products at Countryside Barns, Jacob’s top picks are the Lofted Side Porch Cabin and Alpine Pavilion.
Eugene Krizan
Born in Detroit, Eugene spent the majority of his childhood in Canada. Before coming to Countryside Barns, Eugene proved himself to be a master of many trades, including building forklifts, operating a press at a stamping plant, mixing chemicals, working as a plastic welder, and rebuilding wrecked semis. In 1988, Eugene loves the work environment at Countryside Barns and the lack of stress or tension. He enjoys the fact that he gets to do a variety of jobs and there’s not a single project that he hasn’t enjoyed working on.
Jesse Krizan
Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Jesse has lived in the Midwest for most of his life. He enjoys the variety of seasons and the friendliness of Midwest residents. Before joining Countryside Barns, Jesse worked in hog farming, automobile bodywork, and was employed by a large modular home builder for several years. Jesse loves working at Countryside Barns and is a valued member of the team.
Reuben Carr
Although born in California, Reuben has spent most of his life in Illinois. Prior to joining Countryside Barns, he worked at Rick Wiegand’s hog farm. Among the many projects he has worked on, Brian Oestrich’s cabin stands out in his mind. His favorite product at Countryside Barns is the finished cabins.
Amy Kupferschmid
Having worked at Vermeer Midwest for 30 years, Amy has a strong background in accounting. Outside of work, Amy enjoys traveling and shopping as her hobbies. At Countryside Barns, Amy particularly loves the atmosphere and her coworkers. While she doesn’t have a specific favorite project, she enjoys organizing the books. Her favorite Countryside Barns product is the Poly Furniture.
Countryside Barns will deliver personalized service and high-quality workmanship to every job. We invite you to get to know our team of experienced designers and builders. We look forward to helping you design your portable shed, cabin, garage, chicken coop, or other portable structure. Contact us to get started.