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WRITTEN BY | CHRISTINA KOCH


scaping and building decks—a business. They bought 10 acres of farmland outside of Frankfort, Ill., which is 36 miles south of Chicago, and erected an 8,000-square- foot metal building in which to store their landscaping equipment and house their carpentry shop where they would create custom gazebos and pergolas as JaBaay’s Outdoor Creations. Vaundry and JaBaay knew they’d have


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to live in the building for a period of time, so they made it comfortable enough for them. “We designed the building knowing we’d have to live there, so we included an upstairs loft with a pool table. We have a nice sound system because Chuck and I re- ally like music.” In addition, the pair added unique


characteristics to the building’s exterior to showcase some of the design features they could create with their business. Vaundry explains: “We put a pergola right on the building, and we put pavers on the concrete apron to dress it up. It became a display. Our landscape customers would come here so we could show them waterfalls and built-in fireplaces, and, of course, everything was landscaped very nicely.” After forming JaBaay’s Outdoor Cre-


ations, the partners began sponsoring an annual fundraiser for a Down Syndrome organization. The event was held inside the metal building. “When we had an event we would move all the vehicles out and pressure wash inside,” Vaundry remembers. “Pretty soon we were getting 1,000 people out here for the event and as people started seeing the building and how unique it was, they started asking if they could have their kids’ birthday parties and other events here.” Before they knew it, Vaundry and JaBaay


were hosting enough events that the county required them to file for a permit. Vaundry decided to also seek a liquor license, which is highly unusual for a landscaping business. Thanks to support from the community,


PHOTOS: CD & ME September October 2012 // RETROFIT 49


ean Vaundry and Chuck JaBaay believe in taking chances. In 1992, the pair left successful careers to make their hobby—land-


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