Offering turnkey services and rapid results, The Barndo Co. skyrockets to success
Over the last three years The Barndo Co. has gone from initial concept to statewide success. Founded in 2021, the company has taken South Carolina by storm with its second-to-none service and innovative architectural offering. Company Founder and Managing Partner, TJ Norris, explains how it all began: “The company was first established by myself and my partner Ross Ledford. I had experience running a real estate company and he’d worked in the construction industry for a long time. I would often show him properties, and we’d discuss the kind of work we could do on them. One day, he told me he was building a barndominium. I was fascinated by the concept. The site for his original project was just down the road. He’d built it for his in-laws, and so we were allowed to go in and have a look around.
“I was so impressed. The space felt completely different to anything else on the market. I told him: ‘Man, we could sell a million of these.’ And that’s what we decided to do. We shook hands, said we’d both go in 50/50 on the project, and that’s when The Barndo Co. was born.
“I took on a lot of the preparation work. In October of 2021, the company was officially formed, and we spent the rest of the year just building out our system. We thought about our value proposition, and from there began to source financing. A lot of lenders were unsure about the barndominium concept, as new as it was, so we developed a system that would help us get the money but also meet lending and insurance requirements. In January 2022, we secured the money we needed to get up and running.
“From there, we ramped up sales and production, and the company started to grow really rapidly. In 2022, we started building as The Barndo Co., and by the end of the year we’d completed 12 homes. It was an amazing first year that set us up for even more expansion. In 2023, we opened a second office down in Summerville, SC, and began working in Duncan, SC, also.
Exponential growth
“On August 24th we had a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of our fourth office in Knoxville, TN. The additional location gives us the extra reach we need to cover all of Eastern Tennessee and North Carolina. Going beyond the State of South Carolina has been a really significant step for us, we’re on track to build 130 homes this year alone. Projections for the coming year show a considerable bump in revenue, and we’ve even started planning and selling for 2026.
“To keep up with this exponential growth, we’ve had to expand our team and scale up operations considerably. We’re currently looking into two additional locations that will serve as design centers for our creative teams. We’ve also gone on to appoint a full-time chief operating officer, who will help guide the company through this period of accelerated growth. Together we manage a team of 41 full-time employees, and around 400 subcontractors.
“All of this goes to show how important it is to believe in your ideas. We pioneered our way through several initial challenges because we saw the value of barndominiums as an innovative new housing concept. Our unique expertise and portfolio, combined with high-level turnkey services, have formed the foundations of an incredibly successful venture over the last three years, and I can’t wait to see where it takes us next.”
Refined process 
Bringing something new to the table has secured The Barndo Co.’s position as one of South Carolina’s fastest growing home builders. As TJ asserts: “A lot of barndominiums come as modular, standardized kits that are sold by one group, and then erected by another. Either the homeowner or contractor will buy the building kit, and that’s the extent of their partnership with the designers. We take a different approach.
“Our work is strictly in residential construction; we don’t cater to the industrial sector or the agricultural sector. That means we’re highly specialized experts in what we do. Building from the ground up allows us to create spaces that are intentional homes, with all the architectural delights of a barn conversion, but with the materials and foundations necessary for it to be a functional and welcoming home. Everything is built with the residents in mind, meaning our homes are cohesive, fluid, and entirely unique.
“As barndominium specialists, we have a refined process that underlies all of our projects. Because we have so much experience with these specific types of build, we don’t waste time or money repeating steps. That means we can provide more efficient delivery for customers, as well as a greater return on their investment. The end product is more comfortable than any other barn conversion because it was designed as a home to begin with, and because we’re a turnkey contractor, it’s a really stress-free building experience. We’ll come in, build it from the ground up, and hand you the keys at the end.”
Showing no signs of slowing down, The Barndo Co. is on track to almost double in size over the next 12 months. Ruminating on what’s next for the business, TJ concludes: “We’ve been on an incredible journey. We went from operating at just shy of $5 million in revenue in 2022, to $18 million by the end of 2023. We’ve worked hard to scale up operations over the last nine months, and our revenue for 2024 will continue along this trajectory of growth.
“It’s exciting to think what the future might hold. More and more, people are being drawn to the South — the weather’s good, homes are more affordable, and there’s work available. Everything’s happening here. The company is currently on track for 100 percent growth by the end of 2025, which proves there is strong demand in the Southern housing market for something different. In the coming years, we’ll continue working hard to deliver high quality construction services across South Carolina, and beyond.”