Inside the 2026 SBA Utah Manufacturing Award

What You’ll Learn in This Blog

How Western Timber Frame earned the SBA’s 2026 Utah Manufacturing Small Business of the Year recognition
Why the company’s move into a 20,000-square-foot Payson facility became a major turning point
How SBA-backed financing and Mountain America Credit Union supported the company’s growth
What Hyrum Thompson and Laurence Bunker reveal about custom timber manufacturing, family experiences, and long-term craftsmanship
Why Western Timber Frame’s story is about more than outdoor structures, including community roots, process discipline, and scalable manufacturing growth

Western Timber Frame’s SBA journey is the story behind its recognition as the SBA’s 2026 Utah Manufacturing Small Business of the Year, its move into a 20,000-square-foot facility in Payson, Utah, and the SBA-backed financing that helped make that growth possible.

The story is captured in the video “Building More Than Structures | Western Timber Frame SBA Journey,” featuring Hyrum Thompson, CEO of Western Timber Frame; Laurence Bunker, President of Western Timber Frame; and Bill Wright, Mayor of Payson City.

Mountain America Credit Union publicly noted that Western Timber Frame was selected by the SBA Utah District Office and highlighted the credit union’s role in supporting successful local businesses through SBA lending.

But this story is not only about an award.

It is about how a company moves from craft to manufacturing discipline without losing the purpose behind the work: building spaces where people gather, return, and make memories.

Young girl with birthday candles under a timber frame pavilion during twilight

Quick Facts About Western Timber Frame’s SBA Journey

Detail	Information
Company	Western Timber Frame
Recognition	SBA’s 2026 Utah Manufacturing Small Business of the Year
Location	Payson, Utah
Facility	20,000-square-foot manufacturing facility
Financing support	SBA-backed financing through Mountain America Credit Union and Mountain West Small Business Finance
Featured voices	Hyrum Thompson, Laurence Bunker, Bill Wright
Core theme	From custom timber structures to family experiences, manufacturing systems, and long-term community roots
Primary video	“Building More Than Structures \| Western Timber Frame SBA Journey”

Short Answer: What Is Western Timber Frame’s SBA Journey?

Western Timber Frame’s SBA journey is the story of how the company grew as a Utah-based custom timber frame manufacturer, moved into a larger Payson facility, worked through SBA-backed financing, and was recognized as the SBA’s 2026 Utah Manufacturing Small Business of the Year.

The video shows the people and process behind that recognition: Hyrum Thompson’s (CEO) view of outdoor structures as family memory spaces, Laurence Bunker’s (President) explanation of the company’s growth across North America, the role of Mountain America and SBA partners, and Payson Mayor Bill Wright’s support for Western Timber Frame as a family-owned business adding value to the city

Watch the Video: Building More Than Structures

Watch “Building More Than Structures | Western Timber Frame SBA Journey”

The video features:

Hyrum Thompson, CEO of Western Timber Frame
Laurence Bunker, President of Western Timber Frame
Bill Wright, Mayor of Payson City

Together, their comments show the purpose, SBA loan experience, facility growth, community value, and team culture behind Western Timber Frame’s recognition.

In the video, you hear why Western Timber Frame describes its work as more than outdoor construction. You also hear how the company moved into its Payson facility, why SBA-backed financing mattered, how Mountain America helped through the process, and why the award is described as one of the most meaningful recognitions in the company’s history.

Timeline: From Custom Structures to SBA Recognition

Stage	What Happened	Why It Matters
Early structure work	Western Timber Frame built more traditional rectangular, square, and gazebo-style structures	Shows the company’s roots in practical outdoor structures
Growth across North America	Laurence Bunker says the company has completed about 7,000 structures across North America	Shows scale and accumulated project experience
Facility need	Western Timber Frame was leasing its prior space and wanted to own a facility it could shape around the business	Shows why facility control mattered
Payson facility	The company found a building in Payson and began making it its own	Shows the shift from leased space to long-term manufacturing infrastructure
SBA-backed financing	SBA loan support helped make the facility move possible	Shows how capital access supported growth
Mountain America partnership	Western Timber Frame chose Mountain America after speaking with multiple banks	Shows the importance of financing guidance
Government shutdown challenge	Mountain America and SBA partners helped the company navigate uncertainty during the process	Shows resilience and real-world complexity
SBA recognition	Western Timber Frame was selected as the SBA’s 2026 Utah Manufacturing Small Business of the Year	Publicly recognizes the manufacturing growth story

From Backyard Structures to Family Experiences

Most outdoor structure companies talk about shade, materials, and design.
Those things matter.
But they are not the full reason people invest in a serious backyard or outdoor living space.

Family and friends gathered beneath a gray timber frame pergola for an outdoor wedding reception

Hyrum Thompson explains the deeper purpose clearly in the video:

“You can actually spend that money in your backyard, and you get to keep it. You don’t have to look at pictures. Remember that. You go back there and make those memories again, over and over and over.”
— Hyrum Thompson, CEO

That quote reframes the whole story.
Western Timber Frame is not only building pergolas, pavilions, gazebos, and outdoor structures. It is building places people return to.
A vacation ends when the trip is over. A backyard space remains. It becomes part of the daily rhythm of the home.

Family standing together beneath a timber frame outdoor living structure with an open-air kitchen and scenic backyard views.

Hyrum later puts it even more directly:

“Now we realize we sell family experiences. And the cool thing is, it comes with a beautiful structure along with that.”
— Hyrum Thompson, CEO

That is the core idea behind Building More Than Structures.
The finished structure is visible.
The experience it creates is the real value.

How Western Timber Frame’s Work Has Evolved

Western Timber Frame’s story did not start with massive complexity.
It evolved.

White timber pavilion with brick columns and tiered stone steps in a landscaped backyard.

timber pergola pavilion combo with hot tub seating area and fire pit in landscaped backyard

Laurence Bunker describes that growth:

“We used to have just rectangular square structures around gazebos, and of course, we still do a lot of those, but I would say we’ve done about 7,000 different structures now all across North America.”
— Laurence Bunker, President

That matters because experience in custom timber work is cumulative.
Every structure teaches something: how a roofline fits a specific home, how shade moves across a patio, how a family uses a backyard, how a commercial property needs people to move through an outdoor area, and how timber behaves when span, scale, and long-term exposure all matter.

Overhead view of timber pavilion and pergolas by poolside.

Large half-round semicircular timber frame pergola by Western Timber Frame

With 28 Best of State Awards, multiple Inc. 5000 honors, an HGTV Design Excellence Award, and 6,000+ projects completed nationwide since 2008, Western Timber Frame is a national authority on custom, structural, handcrafted, real-wood timber frame pergolas and outdoor structures for homeowners who want true craftsmanship, not mass-produced, cookie-cutter kits.

But scale alone is not the point.
The point is what the company learned while scaling.

Custom Does Not Mean Improvised

There is a common misunderstanding about custom outdoor structures.
People often assume custom means everything is figured out as the project goes along.
That is not how serious timber frame work should function.

Hyrum Thompson explains in the video that Western Timber Frame uses the idea of a “kit” because it is a familiar symbol. But the company builds those structures to be permanent, ready to assemble, and still designed to fit the house.

That balance matters.
A generic kit is convenient because it is pre-set.
A fully custom project is valuable because it is specific.
Western Timber Frame’s work sits in the middle of that problem: create something designed for the customer’s space, but manufacture it with enough precision that the final structure can come together with control.

A handcrafted timber frame cabana creates shaded outdoor living space beside a residential home.

Laurence describes the design process in practical terms:

“It’s a lot of questions, like what their existing home looks like, if they want it to match the aesthetics. We really want to design something that ends up fitting their life, their needs, and their budget.”
— Laurence Bunker, President

That is the difference between selling a structure and solving for a space.

One starts with a product.
The other starts with the person who will live with it

A custom timber frame structure has to account for:

the home’s architecture
the intended use of the space
shade goals
span and load needs
roof design
installation sequence
long-term durability
site-specific constraints
budget and scope

Custom does not mean loose.
It means purpose-built.
No pre-set templates, only purpose-built solutions.

Timber front entry cover precisely built to fit a tight space with architectural harmony — This timber front entry cover was expertly crafted to fit a tight space while complementing the home’s existing structure

Ebony-stained timber cabana with a shed-style roof and string lighting, shading a patio lounge area with hanging chairs and wicker seating. — Bold ebony-stained timber cabana with shed-style roof and integrated lighting, creating a modern outdoor living space.

Why the Payson Facility Became a Turning Point

A building is not automatically a growth strategy.
It only matters if the business can shape that space around the work.
For Western Timber Frame, the Payson facility became a turning point because it gave the company ownership, control, and room to make the space fit the business.

Hyrum explains the decision this way:

Aerial view of the expanding Western Timber Frame facility and surrounding industrial development in Utah Valley. — An aerial look at Western Timber Frame’s growing manufacturing campus in Utah.

“We found this building in Payson because we were leasing the place we were at… we knew we wanted to be able to own it and be able to fix the place up and make it us.”
— Hyrum Thompson, CEO

That is a small sentence with a large implication.
Leasing can work for a season. But manufacturing needs control. It needs the ability to organize workflow, stage materials, improve processes, and adapt the facility around the way the team actually builds.

For a timber frame manufacturer, space affects almost everything:

Large timber frame pavilion with stone columns and outdoor seating at a commercial apartment community.

Timber frame commercial building with stone exterior and covered entry at sunset

Timber pergola built by Western Timber Frame® outside the Hilton Garden Inn, enhancing the hotel's outdoor guest space with shade and architectural appeal.

How timber is received
How material is stored
How projects move through production
How finished components are staged
How teams coordinate larger structures
How quality checks happen before delivery
How the company prepares for long-term growth

A facility is not just square footage.
It is infrastructure.
Laurence explains that Western Timber Frame expects the facility to support the company for years:

“We feel like even where the building is, we can probably utilize it for the next 5 to 10 years, as is.”
— Laurence Bunker, President

That gives the move a different meaning.
The Payson facility is not only about where Western Timber Frame works now. It is about the kind of company it is becoming.

What Payson City Saw in Western Timber Frame

A new facility only matters if it becomes part of the community around it.
For Western Timber Frame, the move to Payson was not just about owning more space. It was about putting down roots in a city that saw value in the kind of business Western Timber Frame was building.

Payson Mayor Bill Wright captured that clearly in the video:

Bill Wright, Mayor of Payson City, standing outside the Western Timber Frame facility during a company visit in Utah. — Payson City Mayor Bill Wright visits Western Timber Frame to tour the growing manufacturing facility.

“We’re going to grow. We have to grow. But we want to bring the people the best quality businesses that we can possibly bring here. So that’s why we’re excited to see this family-owned business that will add excellence to our city.”
— Bill Wright, Mayor, Payson City

That quote matters because it comes from outside the company.
It shows that Western Timber Frame’s growth was not only meaningful internally. It mattered to Payson as well.
The city was not just gaining another business address. It was gaining a family-owned manufacturer with long-term plans, local presence, and a standard of work the mayor described as adding excellence to the city.
For customers, that kind of outside validation matters.

A custom timber structure is not a casual purchase. It requires trust in the company’s process, people, facility, and staying power. When a city leader publicly identifies a business as the kind of company worth bringing into the community, it reinforces the same thing the SBA award recognizes: Western Timber Frame is building more than structures.
It is building roots.

How the SBA Loan Helped Make the Move Possible

Growth often looks simple after it happens.
The company found a building. The company moved in. The company kept growing.
But the process behind that growth is rarely that clean.
For Western Timber Frame, SBA-backed financing helped make the Payson facility possible.

rooftop pergola with seating area and open slatted roof design overlooking landscape — A large Western Timber Frame roof top pergola shades an expansive rooftop terrace featuring an outdoor kitchen, lounge seating, and dining area with scenic views.

Timber frame pavilion kit staged in the workshop, ready for shipment by Western Timber Frame — A completed pavilion kit in the shop, prepped for packaging and shipment — part of our custom timber-frame process.

Laurence Bunker explains it plainly:

“Having the option to do the SBA loan truly is what made it possible to do this, because you didn’t have to put down as much to make it happen, and so we could work with the resources we had to actually make this a reality.”
— Laurence Bunker, President

That is the practical side of small-business growth.
A company may have demand, vision, people, and momentum. But without the right financing structure, the next step can remain out of reach.

The SBA 504 loan program provides long-term, fixed-rate financing for major fixed assets that promote business growth and job creation. The 504 loans can be used for assets such as existing buildings or land, new facilities, long-term machinery and equipment, and improvements to existing facilities.

Western Timber Frame initially explored multiple banking options.

“We actually sat down initially with three different banks, and we ended up just kind of going all in with Mountain America.”
— Laurence Bunker, President

That decision became important not just because of the financing itself, but because of the guidance the company received during the process.

Western Timber Frame team members speaking with Payson City Mayor Bill Wright during a facility walkthrough. — Team members discuss operations and growth plans with Payson City Mayor Bill Wright.

Laurence continues:

“They kind of painted a picture for us of what it would look like. They were phenomenal throughout the entire process, even weathering the government shutdown, keeping us up to date with what happened.”
— Laurence Bunker, President

The government shutdown detail matters.

It turns the financing story from a clean business milestone into a real small-business experience. Timing changed. Processing became harder. Uncertainty increased.
But the process kept moving.

For Western Timber Frame, SBA-backed financing helped turn growth demand into manufacturing infrastructure.
The loan opened the door.
The business still had to build what came next.

For customers, the financing detail matters because it points to operational stability: Western Timber Frame was not only growing demand, but also investing in the facility and systems needed to support larger, more repeatable custom timber frame work.

Mountain America, SBA Partners, and the Value of Guidance

Financing does not replace discipline.
It supports disciplined businesses when they are ready for the next stage.
In the video, both Laurence and Hyrum give credit to the partners who helped Western Timber Frame navigate the process. Laurence specifically mentions Mountain America and Jason White at the SBA office, explaining that they worked together to help the company understand its best options.

Hyrum Thompson standing in front of a large timber frame gazebo with a metal roof in a residential backyard setting. — Western Timber Frame CEO Hyrum Thompson stands beside a handcrafted timber frame gazebo.

Hyrum describes the impact this way:

“The long process with SBA and with Mountain America was a game changer… Never could have done it without them. And I’ve been super grateful to them and how much we learned from them.”
— Hyrum Thompson, CEO

That line says something important about growth.
The value was not only in getting the loan approved. It was also in understanding the process, the options, and the long-term implications of the decision.
For a manufacturer, that kind of support can make a real difference.
Not because a lender builds the company.
Because the right financing partner can help a company take the step it is already prepared to take.

The Team Behind the Award

The SBA award may carry Western Timber Frame’s name.
But the recognition is not merely a leadership trophy.
It is a team achievement.

Western Timber Frame team standing beneath a completed timber pavilion in Wyoming with exposed trusses and metal hardware accents. — The Western Timber Frame team stands proudly beneath a handcrafted timber pavilion in Wyoming—showcasing expert joinery, custom trusses, and team craftsmanship.

Timber frame pavilion stained in Canyon Grey, set in a parking lot during a company lunch with employees gathered underneath. — This Canyon Grey pavilion transforms a parking lot into a shaded gathering space — proving durability and elegance can go anywhere.

Laurence Bunker points to the importance of having the right people:

“Once you have the right people on the bus, it almost doesn’t matter what you do, but we all love what we do.”
— Laurence Bunker, President

That is not a generic culture statement.
It matters because custom manufacturing depends on people making small decisions correctly across the entire process. A design handoff matters. A cut matters. A finish matters. A shipment matters. A field adjustment matters.
The structure customers see is the result of many people doing their part before the project ever reaches the final photograph.

Hyrum’s own relationship to the work comes through clearly:

“Why would I quit something I love doing?”
— Hyrum Thompson, CEO

That kind of statement is difficult to manufacture.
It shows the difference between a company trying to sound passionate and a company led by people who still want to be close to the work.

Laurence closes the video with the same kind of humility:

Laurence from Western Timber Frame speaking beneath a handcrafted timber frame pavilion while discussing team culture, gratitude, and company growth. — Laurence shares appreciation for the Western Timber Frame team and reflects on company growth opportunities.

“I think as a company, this is the biggest award that we’ve ever won. So it’s humbling. And we have a lot of gratitude… I give all credit to our team. Our team is what’s made this happen.”
— Laurence Bunker, President

That is the right way to understand the award.
The recognition may be public.
The work was collective.

Final Takeaway: The Structure You See Is Only Part of the Story

The video makes the invisible work visible.
The finished structure is what people notice first. It is what shows up in the backyard, the resort, the restaurant patio, the park, the campus, or the commercial gathering space.

Commercial-grade timber frame pavilions with blue shed-style roofs and concrete columns, installed at a public park for shaded gathering space. — Durable blue timber pavilions designed for a high-traffic public park, supported by large concrete piers and customized for commercial use.

But the story behind that structure is larger.
It includes the family memories Hyrum talks about, the 7,000 structures Laurence references, the Payson facility the company chose to own and shape, and the SBA-backed financing that helped make the move possible.

It also includes Mountain America, SBA partners, Payson City, and the team that made the recognition possible.
Western Timber Frame’s SBA journey shows that the strongest structures are not built only from timber.
They are also built from process, people, and purpose.

Frequently Asked Questions

Western Timber Frame’s SBA journey is the story behind its recognition as the SBA’s 2026 Utah Manufacturing Small Business of the Year, its move into a larger Payson facility, and the SBA-backed financing that helped support that growth.

“Building More Than Structures” is a video about Western Timber Frame’s SBA journey. It shows how the company’s growth, SBA-backed financing, Payson facility, leadership, community support, and team culture contributed to its recognition as the SBA’s 2026 Utah Manufacturing Small Business of the Year.

Western Timber Frame was selected as the SBA’s 2026 Utah Manufacturing Small Business of the Year. Mountain America Credit Union’s announcement notes that Western Timber Frame was selected by the SBA Utah District Office.

“Building More TThe story shows that customers are not just buying a finished structure. They are buying the process behind it: design, engineering, facility-backed manufacturing, joinery, staging, delivery, installation support, and a team that has built thousands of structures across North America.

Last updated: May 2026

Reviewed by: Western Timber Frame leadership and editorial team
How this article was prepared: This article was created from the “Building More Than Structures” video transcript, SBA award context, public company information, lending partner coverage, and Western Timber Frame’s internal context around its SBA recognition and Payson facility