If you’ve stopped by AJ Portable Buildings’ (which is now selling Yoder buildings) La Porte location on State Road 2 recently, chances are you’ve had a friendly conversation with Sales Associate Gayle Russell, an amiable face at the location eager to assist the local community in finding the amount of storage that’s just the right fit.
With its custom-made, quality-crafted Yoder buildings and steel structures and carports, the possibilities are endless when it comes to what customers can find at AJ's. Russell is there to help narrow it down for each customer who visits and guide them on what option would work best for them depending on how they plan to use their additional space.
“The work varies from day to day, but I enjoy the days when we have good foot traffic. Those are the days when we have lots of people out looking and trying to decide what they want. I try to help them out by asking them what they plan to use the shed for or what they’ll be keeping in it to give them an idea of what they may want,” Russell said.
Russell joined the AJ's team in 2018 when she found herself in search of a new position at the time. It was then when she met AJ's Owner Pat Dykes, who welcomed her into the company with open arms. While a salesperson now, Russell’s start at AJ's looked a bit different, as her earlier years were spent pitching a hand around the office. It wasn’t long, though, before she discovered sales was the route for her.
“I started out working with Pat just helping out, planning out buildings, and creating the brochures,” Russell said. “Then, they worked me into learning how to do sales, and probably within a year and a half to two years in, I was finally on my own doing sales. I would go to two different locations that we had, and then I became permanently out here in La Porte – I've been out here for five years now.”
Russell loves that her work has brought her to La Porte. She adores the mix of the city and countryside, as well as the fact that her office is right in the center of all the action.
“We’re in such a good area,” Russell said. “There's lots of traffic out here because we're right on the main highway, and it's very comfortable. We’re in a nice, big area that’s hard to miss.”
A salesperson at heart, Russell likes getting to know the people who make up the community she serves. Like each of AJ's buildings, every customer comes with their own story unique to them, and Russell greatly enjoys learning those stories and building those connections with the people behind the product. She looks back fondly on her first ever sale – one of her favorite memories from her time at AJ's.
“My favorite part is working with people – getting to interact with customers, getting to learn their likes. It's a big company to work for. We have great repeat customers,” Russell said. “I’ll always remember my first sale on my own with no help – that was so exciting for me.”
One of her favorite ways to meet these customers – while also saying hello to previous ones – is helping out at some of the local county fairs. Fair season is an exciting time at AJ's; the company makes an appearance at many of the fairs across Northern Indiana. Russell absolutely loves jumping in to help and is proud to hold down AJ's fort during the season at the La Porte and Porter County fairs.
“I like that we do the fairs because we get to interact with a lot of people,” Russell said.
With its lifetime warranties accompanied with quality craftsmanship, Russell notes that a building from AJ's is like no other. She’s looking forward to further getting to know the La Porte community so she can show them what the AJ's experience is all about.
“You may find sheds that look like ours, but you're not going to get the same quality, especially with all the warranties that we have,” Russell said. “You can't beat it anywhere else.”
When not at work, Russell greatly enjoys spending time with family, and can typically be found creating quality memories with her children and grandchildren.For more information on AJ Portable Buildings, please visit ajportablebuildings.com.
