Backyard Retreat
A beautiful day in northern Indiana has a way of drawing people outside. Morning coffee seems to taste a little better on the deck, dinner can feel more relaxed when it lingers into the evening air, and even a quiet moment in a favorite chair can feel like something special as the light shifts across the yard.
These are the moments homeowners hold onto, and for many, they are exactly what make a house feel like home.
Raber Patio Enclosures & Furniture has built its business around helping people experience more of those moments, creating spaces that offer both comfort and protection while still allowing homeowners to feel connected to the outdoors.
Located in Shipshewana, Raber Patio Enclosures & Furniture is known for sunrooms, patio enclosures, pergolas, pavilions, decks and outdoor furniture. The products are impressive, but what leaves a lasting impression is something less tangible: the way customers feel throughout the process, a focus rooted in family, faith and genuine care that has shaped the company from the very beginning.
Chris Schlabach, CEO and co-owner, came into the business through family. His wife, Delores, is the daughter of founder Ervin Raber, and Schlabach had already taken on significant leadership responsibilities long before the transition officially took place.
When he and Ervin’s son, Dean Raber, stepped into ownership on Jan. 1, 2018, “not a lot changed, really, as far as the operation of it,” Schlabach says, and by then, he had already been guiding the business for years.
That kind of continuity speaks to the foundation Ervin Raber established when he started the company in 1987 and to the commitment of those who have carried it forward.
Ervin Raber was a mason by trade and an entrepreneur by nature. While in Florida in the 1980s, he noticed EZE-Breeze windows and wanted them for a screen room back home in Indiana. When he called to find out where he could purchase them, he discovered there was no dealer in the area, so he asked if he could become one.
He could.
A sample kit arrived, and he placed an order for his porch. Before the shipment even came in, he had already begun sharing the idea with neighbors and lining up additional projects, and what started as one improvement quickly grew into something much larger.
Schlabach says Ervin’s approach was always centered on people.
“He would always teach us that it doesn’t matter what a warranty says,” Schlabach says. “You take care of the customer, because they’re going to refer the next person to you if they have a good experience.”
That mindset continues to guide the company today.
Raber Patio’s mission is “to provide the most upstanding service experience with exceptional backyard comfort,” and Schlabach explains that the word experience is intentional because it goes beyond customer service and reflects an awareness of how people feel from the first conversation to the final details of a project.
Over time, that approach has built strong relationships with thousands of customers.
Today, the company completes roughly 550 jobs each year and has served around 8,000 customers, and with more than 30 employees, three installation crews and three service technicians, the business has grown steadily while maintaining its personal touch.
Growth came with thoughtful planning, particularly as patio enclosures and sunrooms were once highly seasonal.
Schlabach saw the need to create more consistent, year-round work, so he brought in replacement windows for homes, allowing the company to stay busy through the winter months. Today, one crew focuses on sunrooms, another on decks and pavilions, and another on house windows.
That expansion naturally leads to repeat business. A homeowner who first calls for a sunroom may return years later for windows or another outdoor structure, and the trust established from the very beginning often carries forward, opening the door to future projects.
A warehouse expansion in 2021 marked another important step, improving efficiency by giving crews a central location for materials while separating warehouse operations from the retail showroom, which makes a noticeable difference for a company with multiple crews heading out each day.
Raber Patio remains especially well known for its sunrooms, with one standout product being the EZE-Breeze vertical track system, which uses vinyl panels that slide within tracks and collapse together, allowing up to 75% airflow and giving homeowners the option of an open, breezy feel or the shelter of a three-season space depending on the day.
For all-season rooms, the company offers a vinyl-clad system designed to reduce condensation, an important consideration during northern Indiana winters.
When families think about holiday gatherings, they are usually imagining warmth, comfort and time together — not moisture on the walls, something Raber Patio works to prevent by creating spaces that feel inviting year-round.
Those conversations begin early, with one of the first questions posed to the customer being how the space will actually be used. A three-season room may be ideal for a lake home or for those who travel during the winter months, while others prefer an all-season room that functions more like a full extension of the home.
The company also helps guide homeowners through the planning process.
Permits, approvals and variances can feel overwhelming, particularly near lakes or within homeowners associations, and while construction may require only a few days, the planning and approval phase often requires much more time and patience.
By handling much of that work, Raber Patio can help simplify and often expedite a process that might otherwise take a homeowner far longer to manage alone.
Customization plays a key role as well.
Some homeowners envision accent walls, fireplaces or spaces designed around a specific view, while others are planning a larger outdoor setting that includes a pergola, pavilion, deck, furniture, a covered grilling area or even a full outdoor kitchen, which Schlabach often refers to as part of being “the backyard improvement company,” a phrase that reflects the wide range of features they offer.
New offerings continue to broaden that appeal. Motorized pergolas with adjustable louvers allow homeowners to control sunlight and shade throughout the day, and outdoor kitchens are becoming increasingly popular, giving families more ways to gather and spend time outside.
Schlabach says outdoor cooking is one of the biggest trends the company sees, and structures such as pavilions or pergolas can provide welcome cover over those spaces while still allowing for proper ventilation.
Even with a wide range of products, follow-through remains essential, and Raber Patio places a strong emphasis on taking care of customers even after the project is complete.
Rather than relying on manufacturers to eventually address issues, the company has its own service technicians ready to respond, and in many cases, help is scheduled within days. Even when a repair cannot be completed immediately, customers know the issue is being addressed.
That commitment shows up in customer feedback.
Ed Swieter shared, “We think the builders at Raber Patio are top-notch and very good at what they do. We are enjoying the finished product. We would not hesitate to have them do more for us (if the need arises).”
Bonnie Ikamas wrote, “They resolved the issue extremely quickly. They just replaced it, and the crew was efficient and courteous.”
Yvonne Constant described her experience with a lake-facing three-season room as “on time, efficient, and very comfortable to work with,” adding that she would gladly hire the company again.
Schlabach believes those responses come back to something simple.
“I think it’s just how we make them feel,” he says.
That focus extends within the company as well.
Raber Patio invests in employee development through Dale Carnegie training and DISC personality instruction, helping team members better understand communication and relationships, and many employees stay for years, with some reaching 17 years or more.
Family values remain at the center.
Schlabach sums it up this way: “Our motto is God first, family second,” and he also points to the guiding principle found in scripture to love the Lord your God and to love your neighbor as yourself, a perspective that seems to shape not only how the company operates, but how it connects with both customers and employees.
Raber Patio is also active in the Shipshewana community, supporting local causes, sponsoring a dugout at the youth center, participating in parades and working alongside other businesses through the retail merchants association.
There is a shared sense of cooperation in the area, with businesses often helping visitors find what they need, even if it means sending them elsewhere.
One project that continues to stand out to Schlabach involved the Make-A-Wish Foundation, when Raber Patio helped create a sunroom for a Fort Wayne family whose child loved being outside but needed protection from the sun and insects.
Vendors contributed materials, and the cost to the family was greatly reduced.
Schlabach describes it simply as “a pretty cool experience,” and it is easy to see why that project has stayed with him.
For homeowners in the Lakes West region, that may be what resonates most.
Raber Patio Enclosures & Furniture builds sunrooms, pergolas, pavilions and outdoor living spaces, but the result is often something more personal — a place to gather, to relax and to enjoy everyday moments a little longer.
Raber Patio Enclosures & Furniture is located at 655 S. Van Buren St. in Shipshewana. For more information, give them a call at 260-768-7100 or visit them online at raberpatios.com.
