La Pine business builds a legacy

Published 12:26 pm Friday, November 15, 2013

Central Oregon has changed in more than a few ways over the last 50 years.

But Brad Foote and his custom building company, Metal Clad Buildings of Oregon, has been a constant presence.

The lifelong Central Oregon resident has built more than 3,000 barns, homes and commercial offices across the region. Next year, his La Pine business will turn 50 years old.

His notable work includes building Gordy’s Truck Stop and the Corner Store in La Pine, working with a team of subcontractors.

But much of his work comes from constructing “pole buildings,” small- to medium-sized barn structures secured to the ground by steel, which serves as both the foundation and siding.Foote said he builds between 60 to 80 pole barns each year.

Metal Clad Buildings is a true family business, started by a lucky turn of fate.

In 1964, Foote and his father, Loren, were building a barn on their Tumalo ranch, when a neighbor noticed their work and asked them to build one on his property. The pair’s success got them thinking: Perhaps building, rather than ranching, would be a trade for them to invest their time in.

Loren Foote got Metal Clad Buildings off the ground while Brad joined the U.S. Marines in 1965. He served three tours of duty in Vietnam before returning to Central Oregon and getting his contractor’s license in 1969. He’s run the business on his own since the mid-1970s.

At various times since then, Foote’s son, Tyler, and his brother, La Pine builder Doran Foote, have worked with Brad.

Brad Foote said he relied on word of mouth to build up a customer base as Metal Clad Buildings weathered the economic downturn of the early 1980s. Doing free repairs on projects he built — sometimes decades earlier — has kept his customers loyal.

“People in just about every area of the state know my work,” Foote said.

Outside of Central Oregon, he’s built dairy facilities in Tillamook, an area west of Portland, and barns throughout Klamath and Lake counties.

Metal Clad Buildings of Oregon

What it does: Constructs pole buildings, barns and other buildings for Central Oregon customers.

Pictured: Brad Foote, owner

Where: La Pine

Employees: One

Phone: 541-433-2310

Q: How has Metal Clad Buildings changed over the years?

A: In the last 20 years, I’ve gotten into some more commercial projects. And in the last five years, I’ve started doing more barn-style houses. … I’ve kind of spread out and taken on a wider variety of work.

Q: Where do you see the business going from here?

A: I’m still going strong. I didn’t slow down during the recession because, typically, people wanting me to do a building for them have the money rather than borrowing it. So things have been going really well. I don’t plan on stopping any time soon.