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By Cynthia Logan
For the Bing family, it’s “go big or go home.” Founders of Blue Ribbon Builders, they helped put the “big” in Big Sky. Fifty years ago, Doug and JoDean Bing established the construction company with the goal of helping people achieve their dream lifestyle. The couple had moved to Montana in 1973, when Doug was sent by his Minnesota-based company to work as a framer when resort construction began in the mountainous area of Gallatin Canyon. Chet Huntley had arrived, and the stage was set for what would become a world-class ski resort.
Building With Big Sky
While Blue Ribbon Builders was initially known for building traditional rustic log homes, they have always been industry innovators and today remain in the vanguard as sons Peter and Luke Bing, along with a third partner, Brandon Weir, take the helm. WHJ joined them in their Big Sky Meadow Village office to reminisce and trace the generational leadership transition. “Doug and JoDean are still on the Board and come into the office from time to time to shake things up,” says Peter with a wink.
“There was a washboard dirt road all the way to the ski area the first few years,” remembers JoDean. “While Gallatin Canyon was a well-known, popular dude ranch destination, no one knew where Big Sky, Montana, was. People would come up and find out how little development was here.” Avid skiers themselves, Doug and JoDean set about forging the new frontier of the Big Sky building community, creating infrastructure for the small enclave.
“We were the first to have a fax machine. We thought we were so special. We didn’t have a hardware store; we had to drive 50 miles to get a box of screws.”
–JoDean Bing, Founder, Blue Ribbon Builders
Blue Ribbon Builders has been bringing mountain lifestyle dreams to life through wood, stone, glass, and earth since the very first gondola carried folks up the mountain. “We built the original firehouse, the first two banks, and the Mountain Village Medical Center, which was slopeside,” says Doug. “At the time, the only services were down in Meadow Village.” They also built the first post office, originally located within the Country Market.
Starting off with two partners, Doug carefully fostered the development of Blue Ribbon Builders, which offered full custom work done by skilled craftsmen. Most employees lived in the small, one-room log cabins lining Gallatin Canyon. “People would hitchhike up the gravel road to go to work,” recalls JoDean. “Hitchhiking was the public transportation, and the community was so small and tight-knit that you were always picked up by a friendly face. Now, we have community buses and a shuttle system for those who can’t take a helicopter here.” Living and working in such a dynamic, high-altitude environment has always been a challenge; employees hung on for the skiing.
For the Bing family, it’s “go big or go home.” Founders of Blue Ribbon Builders, they helped put the “big” in Big Sky.
In such an environment, communication is crucial. “I truly believe the recipe for our success was that we integrated tightly with our owners—we like to say that we build physical foundations as strong as our relationships,” says Doug. “Being so remote, we needed to communicate closely and frequently; it’s the key to alleviating concerns.”
“We were the first to have a fax machine,” comments JoDean. “We thought we were so special. We didn’t have a hardware store; we had to drive 50 miles to get a box of screws.” Indeed, the distance from Bozeman created a very strong need for detailed logistics.
“We built the original firehouse, the first two banks, and the Mountain Village Medical Center, which was slopeside. At the time, the only services were down
in Meadow Village.”–Doug Bing, Founder, Blue Ribbon Builders
“You couldn’t get a nail, board, a piece of paper, first aid—everything came from Bozeman,” adds Doug. “We would fax in our materials list, quotes, and bids. You couldn’t mail anything because it went through Butte.” The stakes have risen but the location is still just as far away, making connectivity all the more important. Today, company operations include satellite internet, and cloud-based connectivity to their construction management platform for staff, whether they are in a job trailer, the office, or out on the slopes.
“In the early days, we focused on the details of log and timber construction,” says Doug. A dealer for Rustic Log Homes of Montana, Blue Ribbon Builders worked with several such companies, developing slip joints to handle shrinkage of green logs as they dry, mitigating compression settling, and maintaining high-quality integration with finishes.
Through the years, Blue Ribbon Builders expanded to focus on crafting luxury homes—legacy properties set into the natural landscape. “As it’s evolved, we’ve continued with that approach, building legacy projects for specific lifestyles,” says Peter. Some are customized for fly fishing, some as personal ranches, some for ski-in/ski-out accessibility; still others are even more specific. One of Doug’s favorite custom projects is ‘the Hobbit wine cellar,’ built into a hillside for a wine collector.
Today, Blue Ribbon Builders’ projects involve a more complex orchestration of integrating steel, wood, stone, and glass into architectural masterpieces. “Overall, we see a lot of steel in construction because people want much more glass,” says partner Brandon Weir. “They want to see the mountains, the resort, the Big Sky area. We must use building science, understand the best glass and assemblies, and install steel using proper thermal protection from the elements. Big Sky is not a place where buildings are happy. It’s cold, and there are big fluctuations in temperature; many of our clients are from warmer, humid areas. We want to make their dreams come true and ensure their houses will perform and keep them comfortable.”
“There was a washboard dirt road all the way to the ski area the first few years. While Gallatin Canyon was a well-known, popular dude ranch destination, no one knew where Big Sky, Montana, was.”
–JoDean Bing, Founder, Blue Ribbon Builders
Dealing with weather and terrain is an ever-present challenge in Big Sky. “We’ve built on maybe one flat site in our entire history,” says Luke Bing. “It’s not a matter of steep; it’s how steep? We deal with site logistics, then add in 300-400 inches of snow each year. Houses themselves have lots of complexities; clients ask for things that aren’t off the shelf. A big one is integrating temperature, sound, video screens, appliances, and shades with a complex control system into a simple user interface.”
Luke worked as a carpenter for Blue Ribbon Builders each year from the age of 12, attended college out of state, earned an engineering degree, and then realized that Montana was where he wanted to live. Building was his passion and where he could put his engineering degree to the best use. He returned home, taking on his current role as Vice President of Operations in 2020, and recently oversaw the building of a new post office.
“Overall, we see a lot of steel in construction because people want much more glass. They want to see the mountains, the resort, the Big Sky area. We must use building science, understand the best glass and assemblies, and install steel using proper thermal protection from the elements. Big Sky is not a place where buildings are happy. It’s cold, and there are big fluctuations in temperature; many of our clients are from warmer, humid areas.”
–Brandon Weir, Partner, Blue Ribbon Builders
As construction has become more complex, the education and training requirements have increased. While Luke has an engineering degree, Peter, who is the Vice President of Sales and Administration, has a Business Management degree from Boston College and Master’s in Accounting from Montana State. Additionally, he is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. Brandon, who functions as Blue Ribbon’s Vice President of Project Management, holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering Technology from MSU as well as many specialty certifications. Over the past few years, members of the current management team have stepped up to incorporate technology and new construction methods such as cross-laminated timbers, prefabricated panelized wall components, leading-edge management software, and building information modeling (BIM).
“We’ve built on maybe one flat site in our entire history. It’s not a matter of steep; it’s how steep? We deal with site logistics, then add in 300-400 inches of snow each year.”
–Luke Bing, Vice President, Blue Ribbon Builders
This innovative spirit is what it means to live in Big Sky. “While more training, technology, and education is required to build these more complex and technical structures, our roots remain part of our DNA. We’re one of the few general contractors that still self-performs carpentry from start to finish,” Luke says. “Our crews frame, trim, and hang the doors, so every step gets higher attention to detail, and thus a higher level of quality. We’re builders, not just contractors.”
“Our roots remain part of our DNA. We’re one of the few general contractors that still self-performs carpentry from start to finish.”
–Luke Bing, Vice President, Blue Ribbon Builders
While a new tram now brings skiers to the summit of Lone Peak, and the next generation has taken over, Blue Ribbon Builders maintains the same “go big or go home” mentality that Doug and JoDean founded over 50 years ago.
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