More Than Just Horse Barns ~ Horizon Structures Offers Homesteading and Holidays at Home.
By Nikk Alvin-Smith

Horizon Structures L.L.C., Atglen, PA, are renowned for their Amish crafted modular horse barns. A huge variety of different designs and unique offerings, such as the heralded recent addition to their line up of a timber frame horse barn, keep Horizon Structures in the forefront of the construction industry in the horse world. Their current facility is set on 50 acres+, and boasts a 65,000 sq. ft. building employing 15-20 Amish carpenters among their 70+ employees.

Visionary founder and owner, Dave Zook, has developed the business with a keen eye to the diverse needs of equestrians for their horse housing needs, both in budget and styles. Tradition is embraced in the timber frame barns with the most complex form of joinery in carpentry, the mortise and tenon construction, while a simple shedrow barn answers the budget needs of the more cost conscious individual and beautiful high profile center aisle barns bring the American barnstyle front and center.

Zook’s team, that includes his brothers Mark, Peter, and Jonathan, as well as the recent addition of his son Justin, constantly work on drafting low maintenance, user friendly, aesthetically appealing, safe and secure environments for horses of all breeds, and deliver them efficiently nationwide.

But Horizon Structures is about more than just horse barns. The location of the company’s production in heart of Amish country in Lancaster, PA, has a rich history in agricultural lifestyle. A tapestry of fields and farms, the area encompasses many types of homesteading.

Horizon Structures produce a myriad of products that complement their horse barn business. Chicken coops, kennels (a leading producer of both commercial and residential types), outdoor living structures such as pergolas, pavilions, gazebos, garages, and a new edition, greenhouses.

Horizon Structures continues it successful evolution with Zook’s leadership skills and we asked what he felt the key to that success has been since he began the horse barn business in the late 1990’s:

“I believe that to be successful in any venture you need to surround yourself with a great team. Everyone brings their own skill set to the table and are a valuable ingredient when it comes to developing a solid company that clients can trust to give them good advice and share their knowledge to help produce the best ultimate result for them. Good customer service doesn’t just happen, it takes work and a great attitude. The product you produce has to mirror that quality of care and attention, and as a company you have to stand squarely behind the work you do and your products,” states Zook.

A standout in the world of modular and prefabricated construction, with written warranties and a reputation for a pleasurable buying experience, Horizon Structures keeps things as simple and transparent as possible. Their barnfinder page invites prospective customers to contact past customers directly, so they can ask lots of questions and visit on site if they want to ‘kick the tires.’ Additionally the Atglen facility offers an “in stock lot”, where structures can be purchased for immediate delivery. Very useful, if an urgent need arises for animal housing due to hurricane or fire damage.

Zook is also a big believer in giving back to the equestrian and animal husbandry community. A look at their Facebook, and Instagram pages yields opportunities for auction bids, cash giveaways, and Sweepstakes competitions. Keep an eye on those media pages this Fall 2020, as Horizon Structures expects to be offering a contest for 501(c)(3) rescues, sanctuaries and animal care operations an opportunity to win a center stall, low profile horse barn.

The current Covid-19 pandemic has created an appetite for bringing horses home from livery barns, growing fruits and vegetables in the backyard to ensure a supply of fresh and healthy food for the family, and chicken and goat keeping for provision of eggs and milk.

Helping people develop the lifestyle they want, whether it is holidays at home with pool cabanas and shady pavilions, horses in the back paddock with a run-in shed for shelter or building an Olympic equestrian’s dream farm, Horizon Structures is not shy to bring their building expertise to market.

“My father Gideon Zook began our family legacy in the construction industry with a shed and storage manufacturing business in 1975. I worked there for many years and when I saw an interest in horse barns I took it on. A business needs to constantly evolve and be flexible to meet the needs of the market. An idea is just that, executing that idea to make it a success is something else. I’ve found that whatever you do, if you do it with integrity and with the right people on your team, great results can be achieved,” said Zook.

Horizon Structures is aptly named, as clearly owner Dave Zook, always has his eyes checking the horizon for new ideas and ways to make things better and is a successful serial entrepreneur.

“When you start out a project, especially one you don’t know much about, always seek advice from those more knowledgeable than you that have been successful,” Zook advises.

Good advice! Is a Horizon Structures building on your horizon? Give them a look – their website offers a wealth of advice and valuable content to inspire and give you guidance.