Tuff Shed
Encyclopedia
Tuff Shed Incorporated is the largest manufacturer and installer of storage buildings and garages in the United States. The company currently operates 45 factories servicing customers in 34 states, and has 1,000 employees. Tuff Shed is well known for its TV advertising campaign which began in 1985, and has included stunts performed by motorcycles, helicopters, and ATVs.
. The company was formed with a single pickup truck
, and a small amount of lumber. Tom's brother in law, left the welding shop he was working for to assume the role of VP that he still holds today. Craig Scott, Tom's long time friend was working on the family cow farm when he decided to help Tom build his sheds. With the company celebrating its 30th year in business in 2011, these three individuals are still central figures in the organization's management team. By 1987 the company headquarters had relocated to Denver, Colorado and five satellite factories were operational in California
, Arizona
, and Nevada
. The company grew in reputation, number of locations and revenue in the 1990s and early 2000s throughout the Western U.S. In 2000, Tuff Shed reached the $50 million mark in annual revenue generated by 18 factory locations. A partnership with Home Depot
was secured in 2002 in which Tuff Shed would produce an exclusive storage building line, known as the Sundance Series. This partnership proved to be very lucrative, creating an opportunity for rapid expansion, substantial increase in revenues and nationwide exposure. In 2003, Tuff Shed had opened its first factories east of the Mississippi River
and was officially recognized as the largest (in sales) storage building provider in the United States. Currently, Tuff Shed has 45 factories, which service customers of its network of factory-direct sales locations, dealers and more than 1,200 Home Depot locations across 34 states.
Factory-direct locations carry a "good, better, best" selection of sheds, including Garden Series(TM), Premier Series(TM), and Premier PRO Series(TM) buildings. Construction features such as wall framing, roofing, eave type, and building heights, vary by series and model. All series are available in a variety of sizes and styles (i.e. barn, ranch or lean-to), can be accessorized with standard upgrades (i.e. paint, shelving, windows, etc), and can be built to custom specifications upon request. Popular standard sizes for storage buildings range from the small 4 foot Garden Hutch to the large 16 foot Premier PRO Tall Barn.
Also available at factory-direct locations are recreational buildings and garages.
In 1999, the reality television
show Real TV
featured a segment which showed several structural failures to Non Tuff Sheds that occurred when filming these commercials. A motorcycle stunt rider was injured when the roof of a competitor's metal shed collapsed as he was driving across it. The metal roof was meant to collapse to show how much better Tuff Sheds are than the competitor's, but the rider was not meant to be injured.
The roof that collapsed was that of a competitor's small metal shed, and not a Tuff Shed.
History
The history of Tuff Shed can be traced back to 1981, when it was founded by the then 21 year old Tom Saurey in Rexburg, IdahoRexburg, Idaho
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 17,257 people, 4,274 households, and 2,393 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,534.4 people per square mile . There were 4,533 housing units at an average density of 928.4 per square mile...
. The company was formed with a single pickup truck
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
, and a small amount of lumber. Tom's brother in law, left the welding shop he was working for to assume the role of VP that he still holds today. Craig Scott, Tom's long time friend was working on the family cow farm when he decided to help Tom build his sheds. With the company celebrating its 30th year in business in 2011, these three individuals are still central figures in the organization's management team. By 1987 the company headquarters had relocated to Denver, Colorado and five satellite factories were operational in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. The company grew in reputation, number of locations and revenue in the 1990s and early 2000s throughout the Western U.S. In 2000, Tuff Shed reached the $50 million mark in annual revenue generated by 18 factory locations. A partnership with Home Depot
The Home Depot
The Home Depot is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services.The Home Depot operates 2,248 big-box format stores across the United States , Canada , Mexico and China, with a 12-store chain...
was secured in 2002 in which Tuff Shed would produce an exclusive storage building line, known as the Sundance Series. This partnership proved to be very lucrative, creating an opportunity for rapid expansion, substantial increase in revenues and nationwide exposure. In 2003, Tuff Shed had opened its first factories east of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
and was officially recognized as the largest (in sales) storage building provider in the United States. Currently, Tuff Shed has 45 factories, which service customers of its network of factory-direct sales locations, dealers and more than 1,200 Home Depot locations across 34 states.
Products
Tuff Shed carries a variety of products, ranging from small storage sheds to garages to large custom buildings. Their products are distributed through two sales channels, which include factory-direct locations (company-owned sales facilities plus authorized dealers) and more than 1,200 Home Depot stores in the United States.Factory-direct locations carry a "good, better, best" selection of sheds, including Garden Series(TM), Premier Series(TM), and Premier PRO Series(TM) buildings. Construction features such as wall framing, roofing, eave type, and building heights, vary by series and model. All series are available in a variety of sizes and styles (i.e. barn, ranch or lean-to), can be accessorized with standard upgrades (i.e. paint, shelving, windows, etc), and can be built to custom specifications upon request. Popular standard sizes for storage buildings range from the small 4 foot Garden Hutch to the large 16 foot Premier PRO Tall Barn.
Also available at factory-direct locations are recreational buildings and garages.
Advertising campaigns
Tuff Shed is perhaps best known for its unique, and sometimes humorous, television advertisements. The advertisements typically contain some type of vehicle performing a seemingly dangerous stunt on the building, but causing no damage to the building itself. The purpose obviously being to demonstrate the durability of the building.In 1999, the reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
show Real TV
Real TV
Real TV is a reality television program that ran in syndication from September 9, 1996 to September 7, 2001. It aired footage of extraordinary events that were not usually covered in mainstream news. It was often played on Spike TV and the Fox Reality Channel.-The Idea:Real TV usually showed home...
featured a segment which showed several structural failures to Non Tuff Sheds that occurred when filming these commercials. A motorcycle stunt rider was injured when the roof of a competitor's metal shed collapsed as he was driving across it. The metal roof was meant to collapse to show how much better Tuff Sheds are than the competitor's, but the rider was not meant to be injured.
The roof that collapsed was that of a competitor's small metal shed, and not a Tuff Shed.
Sources and references
- 1. http://www.tuffshed.com/company_timeline.cfm
- 2. http://www.oracle.com/customers/snapshots/tuff-shed-jde-snapshot.pdf
- 3. http://www.retailnet.com/story.cfm?ID=18195
- 4. http://www.nothingtoxic.com/media/1157368792/Company_Attempts_and_Fails_to_Prove_its_Sheds_are_Indestructible
- 5. http://www.byteandswitch.com/document.asp?doc_id=86738&WT.svl=news1_1
- 6. http://www.888tuffshed.com