Morton Buildings, a national leader in farm building design and construction, featured its new 3D Studio at the 2025 National Farm Machinery Show held Feb. 12-15 in Louisville, Ky. The free online tool enables farmers and growing equipment dealers to design their own Morton building.
“With the 3D Studio, farmers can visualize their Morton post-frame building with modern layouts, dimensions and colors that fit their style and needs,” said Dennis Lee, farm product line manager for Morton Buildings. “It’s intuitive and easy to use.”
When working in the 3D Studio, farmers of all sizes and equipment dealers needing new buildings, machine storage, or insulated workshops can zoom in and move around the building to fully engage in the design. They can save their building color choices and finished product with the “save” button, share with others and print the selections.
Lee said one unique feature of the 3D Studio allows farmers to determine the ideal dimensions for their buildings based on the specific size of the machinery, vehicles and equipment they plan to store.
“The finished design can then be sent to the farmer’s Morton team for a sales consultation to help ensure the building design meets their vision, needs and budget, and that it’s designed and engineered to the proper specifications,” he said.
Farm building trends
In identifying two primary farm-building trends, Morton representatives at the event focused on high-tech, high-end farm buildings and farm building repairs.
High-tech, high-end farm buildings: “As farm equipment has become more high-tech, farmers want a modern shop with high-end components to support the storage and maintenance of that equipment to protect their investment,” Lee said. This includes features such as LED lighting, epoxy flooring, high-volume fans and air hose systems. Many farmers are also incorporating more tech and business support components into their farms, such as larger, more sophisticated conference rooms for meetings, laptop stations and even dedicated space for computer equipment.
Addressing farm building repairs, Jeremiah Fairbanks, Morton general manager of repairs and renovations, said that as farmers consider their infrastructure needs for 2025, a new building is sometimes the best option. “But many times, repairs or renovation projects can be an affordable alternative solution to provide improved functionality, durability and aesthetic appeal,” said Fairbanks. He noted that repair work and renovations are often the most cost-effective ways to meet building needs now until a farmer is ready to build new.
Based in Morton, Ill., Morton operates over 100 employee-owned construction centers that serve as logistical and local hubs for construction services and subcontract networks. The company also operates seven manufacturing facilities where many of its building components are produced. Morton’s vertical integration allows the company to control quality, timelines, and reduce shipping costs.
