Western Timber Frame

Hyrum Thompson, a cabinet maker, and his son Brad, started what would become Western Timber Frame in their driveway in 2008. Western Timber Frame has gone from a driveway build to a nationwide business.

Nicole Anderson

December 15, 2020

Hyrum Thompson, founder of Western Timber Frame, in his workshop. Photo by Mike Jones.

The family gathers at the table, resting in the shade of their new pergola. The sunset and the evening lights illuminate the pathway to this new gathering place. The ceiling fan suspended from the wood rafter pushes the hot summer air away, as laughter and good food brings the family together, forging lasting memories.

Hyrum Thompson, a cabinet maker, and his son Brad, started what would become Western Timber Frame in their driveway in 2008. Hyrum had been a cabinet builder his entire life, but thought it might be fun to build a pergola with Brad’s help. Brad worked as the sales lead. He’d go out, make a sale, come home and help his dad build the pergola in their driveway. Once complete, they’d disassemble it, load it in the truck, deliver it to the customer’s house, and reassemble it.

Eventually, through word of mouth and impeccable craftsmanship, Western Timber Frame became big enough that they moved their side gig to a new building, and Hyrum eventually stopped building cabinets.

Pergola built for the train station at Evermore Park in Pleasant Grove. Photo courtesy of Western Timber Frame.

When asked what makes them so special, receptionist Eva Jessop, responded, “We can custom design what the customer wants based on their budget and the space available.”

James Adair, the manager at Western Timber Frame, explained that, “We always strive to have the best possible customer service. We understand that the product is expensive, and we want our customers to know we truly care about them and their situation.”

Another example of their meticulous and beautiful work. Photo courtesy Western Timber Frame.

Western Timber Frame has gone from a driveway build to a nationwide business. “We ship all over the country,” said Adair. “Right now, I am shipping pergolas to New Mexico and New York, and one to New Jersey.”

He laughed as he explained that these pergolas give the guys an excuse to BBQ after they put one together. This multi-functional pergola is built with a dovetail on each piece so building it is as simple — although much heavier — as the Lincoln Logs you played with as a kid. The company also has a special patented Timberbolt design to help hold those huge 6X6 timbers in place.

As the company grew, the projects and the custom builds got bigger and more complex. In 2019, they completed 280 projects, and so far in 2020, they have completed 320 projects with two months remaining. It seems that Covid-19 has contributed to business growth as families everywhere are building memories together.

Thompson with a finished product in his showroom. Photo by Mike Jones.

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Nicole Anderson

Nicole Anderson is a communication professional and freelance writer. She holds a master’s degree in Strategic Communications from Westminster College and a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Utah. She is a certified Utah Master Naturalist in Wetlands, and has spent many years researching the Great Salt Lake. Anderson co-founded the blog, Summer of Salt, where she spent three summers exploring the shorelines of Great Salt Lake. In 2010, Anderson was commissioned to write, “Patterns of Change” which documented bird and human usage in Bear River Bay, and she later had a role in the 2012 documentary, “Evaporating Shorelines.” Anderson teaches intercultural and interpersonal communication at Salt Lake Community College. She has written as a freelance author for ten plus years. Her stories and articles have appeared in Airboating Magazine, Gateway Magazine, Utah Stories, and Utah Life Magazine, among several other print and online publications. Anderson has a passion to protect landscapes and places that cannot speak for themselves.