SHIPSHEWANA —
“We just love our all-season room,” said Shirley Schrock. She shaded her eyes as she squinted into the morning sun. She and her daughter had driven over from Goshen to watch the demonstration patio enclosure being built by Dean Raber and his team at Raber Patio Enclosures & Furniture LLC. in Shipshewana Aug. 3.
Ervin Raber has been building patio enclosures for 25 years. His son Dean works alongside, mostly in the building and assembly part of the family’s business. Raber’s point of pride is the quality of his structures and the fact they are manufactured in America.
“We custom build our enclosures to the individual’s specifications,” Raber said. “Every unit is a different price depending on the buyer’s needs and choices in building materials. Some people like glass windows and many like the vinyl. ”As he was speaking he pulled one of the vinyl window panel out and leaned it against his thigh.
As he spoke, Raber made a fist and slammed it down hard into the window, making a loud smack. The impact left an inch-deep indentation outlining his knuckles. “There, you see? Look how strong this vinyl is. Now watch as it returns back to its normal shape. Smooth as glass. This stuff is tough and strong.”
Shirley Schrock said her family uses their three-season room all year. “We get lots of compliments on the room. In the summer you can raise all the window panels and get the cross breezes. I also had a ceiling fan installed. We use it all winter and heat it with a small space heater. It is so well insulated you don’t have to worry about the weather,” Schrock said.
To welcome visitors to his 25th-anniversary event, Raber served coffee, juice and doughnuts all morning then heated up the grill and started flipping burgers for the customers. The curious stopped in to watch the demonstration unit going up on the east side of Van Buren Street. They weren’t disappointed — the unit was finished before sundown.
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Dean Raber, left, Dave Fry, on ladder, and Wilbur Miller spent a day demonstrating how quickly they can assemble the patio enclosures sold at Raber Patio Enclosures & Furniture LLC. in Shipshewana. DL Perrin
Raber Patio Enclosures celebrates 25th year in business
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