County Line
Challenge – Protection from the elements
Solutions – Custom ClearView Panels 10′ wide x 10′ long WeatherShield™ Canopies 22′ wide x 50′ long Storage Master Building with custom printed cover
Application – Covered walkway, shelter for picnic tables and driving range
Blaine and Jennifer Larson wanted to bring their retired dairy farm back to life. With dreams of creating a recreational destination, they started by converting the old chicken coop into the County Line Restaurant. When the heavy snow and winds of the South Dakota winter came around, snowdrifts made the walk on the 140 ft. long walkway from the parking lot to the entrance of the building difficult for guests. One day, after a night of severe winds, the drifts were so high that Blaine couldn’t find the door to the building. At the suggestion of Blaine’s father, they realized that they needed to enclose the walkway to the restaurant.
After explaining the situation to a National Account Manager, custom ClearView Panels became the solution to their winter-weather woes. “It was incredible,” says Blaine. Not only did it keep the snow out, but it also kept a lot of heat from escaping the restaurant. It even stays warm enough that people sit on benches in the enclosed walkway when it’s -10° out and look at the horses and Christmas decorations. He adds, “we couldn’t live without our ClearView Panel enclosed walkway. It saves us money on our heating bill, leaves us with no more snow to shovel and it’s attractive and pretty durable.” The next project the Larsons added to their recreational destination was a campground across the street from their restaurant. Through the use of WeatherShield Canopies, they devised a way to protect their beautiful spruce picnic tables from the sun and rain. “People love sitting under them,” according to Blaine. “They still feel the air and have nice visibility.”
Wanting to further expand their business, the Larsons decided to add a driving range to their stretch of land parallel to Interstate 29. Without a nearby exit off of the interstate, Blaine and Jennifer had been wondering how to best advertise their location to cars passing by. When they saw the ClearSpan Storage Master Building with custom cover options, they realized that they could “kill two birds with one stone”—provide shelter from weather conditions for people hitting golf balls and also let motorists know that they had to get off at the next exit.
