Nicole Schwab spends most of her time in the Barndo Company office in the Dumont Building in Ottawa. Schwab works in her office Tuesday in Ottawa.
Cade Higgins | The Lima News
OTTAWA — Schwab Builders is an example of a family-owned business being passed on from one generation to the next.
Forty years ago, Nicole Schwab’s uncle started Schwab Builders, Ltd. in Napoleon.
In 2022, Nicole and her fiance, Ross Beckman, purchased the business and renamed it Schwab Builders, LLC, as a gesture to her uncle’s business, which keeps the Schawb Builders, Ltd. name.
The company recently celebrated a new beginning in the historic Dumont Building, 202 W. Main St, in downtown Ottawa. Also known as The Barndo Company, which is a tradename for Schwab Builders LLC, things are beginning to settle in the new location on the second floor.
According to Schwab, the increased demand for “barndominium” led to a need for the space.
“I needed the space to meet with customers several times throughout the process,” she said.
Although the couple was looking to relocate to Putnam County, the Dumont Building wasn’t something they knew about. It wasn’t until she heard about the Ottawa Brewing Company’s tasting event at Pike Run golf course in March.
When Schwab found out that the brewing company was going to the Dumont building, she looked into it and eventually inquired about the space she needed.
“I messaged Gillian Stechschulte (co-owner of the Dumont Building), and she told me they had one space left. We went and toured it, and now here we are,” she said.
The team’s work this year included various repair jobs since August and significant current projects like a horse barn in Troy, alongside their participation in the Farm Science Review campus in London, following the February tornadoes.
Their diverse projects span agricultural, equestrian, commercial and residential projects, with residential work making up the bulk of their customer leads. Beckman splits his work between being in the office and being on various job sites.
“It just depends on what’s going on and where we need to send our people,” she said.
Schwab thrives on building relationships, particularly with barndominium clients, relishing the opportunity to watch their visions come to life. The business recently joined the Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce and she is actively involved in the Go Ottawa design committee, contributing to improving the area.
“Being a part of them revitalizing the area is fun,” she said.
Nicole commended the Putnam County Community Improvement Corp. and its director, Amy Sealts, noting her commitment to supporting businesses of all sizes in Putnam County.
“It almost brings me to tears. She has just been unbelievable,” Schwab said about Sealts.
Looking ahead, Schwab Builders has set both short-term and long-term goals. In the long run, the company hopes to embark on projects that address housing needs in Putnam County, with aspirations to send its crew on missions to assist in building low-income housing and disaster relief efforts a few times a year.
In the short term, it aim for an economic boost that allows it to sustain operations in Putnam County and expand its commercial project portfolio.
Reach Cade Higgins at 567-242-0351
