“I grew up in Clovis, and my dad was a foreman of a roofing company. I spent my vacations and weekends working for that company. I was on the payroll when I was thirteen.” says Barrera. “I came to Las Cruces to attend New Mexico State, and noticed everyone here had their own business. After talking with my dad we decided to start one; he left his job and I returned to Clovis the next summer and we began Marin Roofing. During the college semester I would return on weekends and school breaks.” Then, working out of the back of his Grand Am, Barrera started picking up jobs in Las Cruces. “Before I knew it, I had to hire employees just to keep up.” The increase in work volume, both in Clovis and Cruces, helped form two separate companies and Barrera began Western Roofing and Construction in 1997.
About six years ago, Western Roofing had the opportunity to build its first house. “It was my brother’s house in Tierra Verde. I didn’t know anything about the (Las Cruces) Home Builders Association or what the Showcase of Homes was, but as it turns out I finished the house just in time for the Showcase that year.” Barrera opened the house to the curious dreamers that the Showcase of Homes attracts, and in just a weekend he generated enough interest from prospective buyers that he found himself square in the middle of the custom home business.
“A lot of people would see our name and think we were just a roofing company,” says Barrera. “We changed our name to Western Enterprises, Inc., to encompass all that we do as a company now. To meet the expectations that we can deliver a home on time and with attention to detail that I demand, we have added an in-house framing division, an electrical division, a finish carpentry division, and a landscape division. The company’s success also relies on key personnel. Each division is run separately and the persons we have running them are responsible for their profitability. They can grow the division as much as they feel comfortable. I benefit because their priorities are my projects.”
This year, Western Enterprises, Inc. featured another custom creation in the 2005 Fall Parade of Homes. “This one was fun. We went out on a limb, but we got to do what we wanted. I worked exclusively with Gino Tellez of Xtreme Design, who also designed the first house we ever built.” Barrera explains that Tellez can take credit for those signature rooflines of a Western Enterprises, Inc. home. “Gino and I have also taken trips together, looking for new designs and features for our houses.” A product of one of these trips is the Canterra stone that’s used on the back porch and the columns. “I think we did a little bit more in the Parade Home than what people are used to seeing, but I think they’ll like it,” Barrera says of the stone. The Mexican influence can be found on the crown moulding used on the interior and exterior of the home. “Our roof tiles were imported from Mexico. I don’t think there’s another house in Las Cruces that uses this specific tile.”
Other custom features in Barrera’s Showcase house are the fifteen-foot rainfall fountain and the large, custom kitchen. “We try to create a huge living area that includes the kitchen, maybe a nook, and a great room. It’s one massive space wherever you are you’re included in whatever is going on in the room.” Barrera credits Stephanie and David at Kitchen Kraft in Las Cruces, who helped with the design of the kitchen. “That was pretty much Stephanie’s vision. In fact, there are so many people behind the scenes that help our home look their best. I work with the best subs and the best suppliers out there, and my employees are the best out there - down to the guy who sweeps the floor at the end of the day. That’s why our houses look as good as they do and are built as well as they are, because nothing is overlooked.” Certainly not overlooked is the other half of Western Enterprises, Inc., Frank’s wife, Melissa Barrera. “It’s not just me doing all of this work. Melissa takes care of our three kids and keeps the office going so I can put in the hours it takes to get things done.”
With all the success Frank Barrera and his team have experienced, it should come as no surprise that success means expansion. By the end of the year, Western Enterprises, Inc., will break ground on their new office and shop location, near the intersection of Valley and Amador. The move is another testament to the growing trend of great custom home building available in Las Cruces and the surrounding areas. “We have some great custom home builders here in Las Cruces,” says Barrera. “I also think we have a lot of great, friendly competition going on which benefits the buyer. We enjoy being associated with the Las Cruces Home Builders Association and its members, who are the best in the business. They set a standard before I was even here, and that helps my company strive to be the best.”
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