What TBS does

TBS Companies is a 100% employee-owned parent holding company, headquartered in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, that unifies four specialized building and construction brands — Trachte, Trac-Rite, MakoRabco, and Fire Facilities — under a single platform launched in March 2026. The group's roots trace to 1899, when the Trachte brothers founded a sheet-metal business in Madison, Wisconsin; over 125 years later the enterprise operates a vertically integrated manufacturing footprint anchored by a 116,000+ sq. ft. main plant in Sun Prairie, a Vernon, Alabama facility (acquired in 2020 via Roof Mart, Made Right, and Metal Land), a 2023 Sun Prairie distribution center, and California/Florida design-build offices added through the 2025 MakoRabco acquisition. The company's core products are pre-engineered and customized steel self-storage building systems (Trachte), steel roll-up doors and hallway systems for self-storage and light commercial use (Trac-Rite, in operation since 1981), steel fire training towers for fire professionals (Fire Facilities), and full-service design-build contracting for self-storage construction (MakoRabco); manufacturing technology includes proprietary roll-forming processes (a 1912 original patent), in-house engineering, the ADT robotic manufacturing cell for roll-up doors deployed in 2017, and a CSA-A660 Canadian code-certified quality program. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time sale of custom-engineered building systems and hardware, complemented by professional design-build services; pricing is project-specific and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market blends direct enterprise field sales, a national dealer distribution alliance with VP Buildings providing access to over 1,000 resellers, direct-to-customer engagement via website and contact channels, and free educational seminars on self-storage development as a long-running lead-generation tool. Customer segments are primarily self-storage developers and investors, with secondary exposure to fire departments/public safety and commercial/industrial end markets across the United States and Canada.

Name

TBS

Legal name

Trachte Building Systems, Inc.

Website

https://tbscompanies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Short description

TBS Companies is a 100% employee-owned parent platform unifying Trachte, Trac-Rite, MakoRabco, and Fire Facilities. It manufactures pre-engineered steel self-storage buildings, roll-up doors, and fire training towers, and provides self-storage design-build services across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sun Prairie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Pre-engineered steel building systems: Design, manufacture, and erection of custom-engineered metal buildings including self-storage systems. Products include complete building packages with steel structures, roofing, and components.
2. Roll-up door manufacturing and sales: Trac-Rite manufactures and sells steel roll-up doors for self-storage and light commercial applications, including the Guardian I and II locks and SpaceGuard latch and cylinder lock accessories.
3. Design-build construction services: MakoRabco provides full-service design-build contracting for self-storage construction and structural engineering.
4. Fire training tower systems: Fire Facilities manufactures and sells steel fire training towers to the fire industry, with Trachte manufacturing these products under agreement since 1991.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TBS Companies, through its operating brands Trachte, Trac-Rite, Fire Facilities, and MakoRabco, designs, manufactures, and erects custom-engineered pre-engineered steel self-storage buildings, produces steel roll-up doors and hallway systems, fabricates steel fire training towers for the fire service, and delivers full-service design-build contracting and structural engineering for self-storage construction. Products are sold as complete building packages with coordinated components delivered across North America.

Product overview

TBS Companies is a parent holding company that operates as a platform uniting four specialized building and construction brands: Trachte (custom-engineered steel self-storage buildings), Trac-Rite (roll-up doors and hallway systems), Fire Facilities (steel fire training towers), and MakoRabco (self-storage design-build and construction services). The portfolio provides vertically integrated solutions where Trachte's building systems typically incorporate Trac-Rite doors, enabling coordinated building systems from design through erection. The companies serve self-storage, public safety, commercial, and specialty markets across North America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Trachte: Designs, manufactures, and erects a full line of durable, pre-engineered and customized steel self-storage systems.
• Trac-Rite
• Fire Facilities
• MakoRabco

Products and services

• Trachte Self-Storage Building Systems Custom-engineered, pre-engineered, and customized steel self-storage building systems designed, manufactured, and erected by Trachte for self-storage developers and contractors. Delivered as complete vertical solutions combining in-house engineering, manufacturing, and professional erection services.
• Trac-Rite Steel Roll-Up Doors Attractive, durable, low-maintenance steel roll-up doors and hallway systems manufactured by Trac-Rite for self-storage facilities and light commercial applications. Available with Guardian I and Guardian II locks and SpaceGuard latch and cylinder lock accessories.
• Fire Facilities Steel Fire Training Towers Steel fire training towers manufactured by Fire Facilities for fire departments and public safety organizations, designed to deliver realistic training experiences and withstand repeated use by first responders.
• MakoRabco Self-Storage Design-Build Services Full-service design-build contracting and structural engineering for self-storage construction, providing comprehensive services from site layout and design through professional erection across California and Florida.
• Micro Storage Unit Portable storage unit introduced by Trachte to serve portable storage needs of self-storage owners and renters.
• Boat/RV Building Specialized metal building designed by Trachte for boat and recreational vehicle storage applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• First all-steel mini-warehouse in the country (1974)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• VP BuildingscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1999Alliance between Trachte and VP Buildings announced in 1999 to provide VP Building's distribution network of over 1,000 dealers access to quality self-storage buildings from Trachte. This partnership expanded market reach through established dealer distribution channels.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Janus International Group: Public-market leader in self-storage roll-up doors, hallway systems, and building components — directly comparable to Trac-Rite's product portfolio and overlaps with Trachte's building systems in serving self-storage developers and operators across North America.
• VP Buildings: Manufacturer of pre-engineered steel buildings with a 1,000+ dealer distribution network; TBS's long-standing channel partner and the closest direct peer in pre-engineered steel buildings serving the same dealer and self-storage ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Mako Steel: Specialty pre-engineered steel building supplier focused on commercial, industrial, and self-storage applications — directly comparable in customer base and product mix, though smaller scale than TBS's Trachte brand.
• Apex Steel Structures: Direct-to-consumer pre-engineered metal building supplier competing with Trachte in self-storage, garage, and commercial building categories with comparable custom-engineered delivery model.
• Olympia Steel Buildings: Specialty pre-engineered steel building supplier competing directly with Trachte in self-storage, commercial, and industrial building applications, with comparable project-based custom engineering.
• RHINO Steel Buildings: Pre-engineered steel building manufacturer competing in the same self-storage and commercial metal building categories as Trachte, with a smaller dealer footprint and direct-to-consumer sales model.

Broad incumbents

• American Buildings Company: Nucor-owned manufacturer of custom-engineered metal building systems serving commercial, industrial, and institutional markets; directly comparable product offering to Trachte's pre-engineered steel self-storage and commercial buildings.
• Butler Manufacturing: Established incumbent in pre-engineered metal building systems with a national dealer network; directly competes with Trachte in commercial and self-storage steel construction, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• Nucor Building Systems: Division of Nucor Corporation producing pre-engineered metal buildings for commercial, industrial, and self-storage applications; comparable vertically-integrated steel building manufacturer with larger scale and similar customer base.
• Cornerstone Building Brands: Large publicly-traded incumbent in metal building systems, coatings, and components serving commercial, residential, and agricultural construction — broader portfolio but directly competes with Trachte in pre-engineered steel building categories.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TBS