Lakota women-owned business builds a new vision for their area

Two sisters are making a difference in their community, brick by brick as one of the few – if not the only – Lakota women-owned building and equipment rental centers in the country. Serena and Ellen Harmon’s Rosebud Building Products and Equipment Rental provides essential building materials and equipment rental services for their community and beyond.   

“Our objective is to improve the infrastructure of our area through supplying quality building materials at an affordable price for our community,” says Serena. “Our business is for the betterment of our employees and community because we think holistically, rather than just about ourselves.”  

Serena, Ellen, and their team provide invaluable resources to the people of Mission and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and continually giving back.  

“Connection is important. It’s not just about selling products,” says Serena. “It’s about involvement in the community, supporting local initiatives, and helping develop projects in the community. We believe in that and make it part of our vision as business owners.” 

Working with a community

Serena says Rosebud Building Products is an exciting place to work, where every customer is greeted by a friendly face, ready to diligently assist potential home improvement projects. She says everyone is ready to have fun by having a laugh, encouraging camaraderie between everyone. 

Whenever needed, the staff at Rosebud Building Products and Rosebud Rental are ready to talk through project steps with customers. Serena says she learns alongside them by being able to walk through their project goals, which allows everyone to connect with each other. 

Sisters and responsibility

Serena works tirelessly, managing retail operations, product and fleet management, sales and marketing, and customer and vendor relationships. Ellen jokes that she sometimes has to force her sister to take her lunch break.  

“It’s funny because Serena will say she’s taking her lunch break, but five minutes later we hear her voice on the till asking customers how she can help them — she is that dedicated!” Ellen says.  

Ellen works behind the scenes to ensure business continues to run smoothly. She handles financial management and human resources, coordinates advertising and marketing, and guides information technology. 

While they each have their own areas of expertise, the sisters work together to oversee daily operations and share key decision-making duties. 

A history of being helpful

Serena and Ellen got their start in business when they founded Rosebud Log Homes (RLH, Inc.) along with their four brothers in 2005. The siblings realized the need for housing in their community. The family added two additional enterprises to accommodate for growing needs: RBP Supply and Rosebud Rental.    

RBP Supply provides a wide range of products and services to federal agencies with a focus on supporting Native American communities. As an equipment rental center, Rosebud Rental offers everything needed to complete a project. 

In 2012, the family stopped building homes and began focusing on their new enterprises. Since then, their business has evolved to serve their community’s needs. Serena and Ellen purchased the other owners’ business shares to become sole owners in 2021 with the help of a lender who believed in their vision.

Teaming with the cooperative

Although the sisters must keep careful track of all their duties, they entrust Golden West to keep them on top of it all with internet and phone service. Occasionally, Golden West team members will even stop by to purchase power tools and other items from Rosebud Building Products. 

“All of our ordering happens via the internet, so our business wouldn’t be able to function without Golden West,” says Ellen. “They’re really fun to work with and the team is great.”  

The Rosebud Building Products team of hard-working employees created a support system for the sisters. Even when days get hectic, they are all around to encourage each other. 

“We also have amazing staff members who have been with us for years,” says Ellen. “We have great employees who have visions that are aligned with ours and are great people. We’ve been very fortunate in a lot of ways.”  

In the community they worked so hard to assist, the Harmon sisters and their team work year-round to provide all the necessary tools, equipment, materials, and more for their community.

Watch the YouTube video on Rosebud Building Products here.