IF YOU ask Norman Eicher what makes his family-owned company different, he’ll tell you it’s simple: Mountain View is driven by its people and values. According to their shared purpose statement, the company strives to create a workplace that achieves more meaning and success through teamwork and relationships, underpinned by five core values: communication, integrity, excellence, people, and confidence.
Opened in the fall of 2009, Mountain View specializes in manufacturing portable buildings, including sheds and other structures. They have expanded their offerings to include wood roof and floor trusses, roofing, siding, metal profiles, and even post-frame buildings or pole barns, including barndominiums.
But what sets Mountain View apart from others is more than just its comprehensive list of products and services. This family-owned company has built an inclusive culture that values its more than 40 employees in Franklin County, ranging from skilled laborers, mechanics, truss and building designers to construction workers and a constantly growing sales team.
With a focus on seeking out the best employees, Mountain View provides training for various skills, experiences, and work opportunities and actively promotes from within. This emphasis on internal growth, responsibility, and recognition creates a familial atmosphere that fosters loyalty, pride, and dedication.
The company recently hired an employee at the front desk, creating a pathway to other areas within the company. They hired another employee as a truck driver, but he was given the opportunity to be trained to become a truss designer.
Eicher said, “We had been looking for someone to fill a design position, and he took some interest in it. And through some training, he’s done a phenomenal job.”
The family dynamic runs deep in Mountain View’s employees, which they recently exemplified by hiring a female truss designer whose father and grandfather work for the company.

When the family established Mountain View, there wasn’t a local company specializing in post-frame buildings, which led the company to identify this niche early on. Eicher explained that the company developed the rest of Mountain View’s offerings based on the community’s needs.
“We want the community to know we take pride in the products we manufacture and sell and strive to uphold our vision,” he said.
That vision includes the company’s commitment to providing full healthcare benefits to its employees. This change has been overwhelmingly positive and has improved the employees’ quality of life both in and out of work.
Mountain View continues to show its commitment to its employees’ growth and development by hiring a business coach, Colby B. Jubenville, Ph.D., who offers valuable insights, challenges, and ideas for enhancing productivity and efficiency.
Additionally, the company has constructed a new lumber shed this year, expanding its service offerings to customers with the inclusion of engineered wood.
When asked about the change, Eicher stated, “Healthcare is vitally important to the well-being of our employees. It was something they asked for and was a priority for us. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and we look forward to continuing to improve their quality of life both in and out of work.”
Eicher, who was born and raised in a rural area in Ontario, Canada, brings a strong work ethic and community-minded values to his company. He met and married his wife, Emily, when he moved to Illinois in 2003. They now reside in Belvidere with their three children, family dog, Clyde, and a love for cooking and the outdoors. GN