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20 • NOVEMBER 2012 • WORLD FENCE NEWS FENCER'S MEMORIAM: IN REMEMBRANCE A Special Memoriam Will Be Presented In The January 2013 Edition Of World Fence News In Honor Of Those Members Of The Fencing Community Who Passed Away During 2012. If You Lost A Member of Your Family Or Business During 2012 Who Was Involved In The Fence Industry, We Invite You To Submit Their Name In Order That They May Be Included In The Special Memoriam. Please Provide Their Name, Company, City And State, Title, And Dates Of Birth and Death. Also Include A Phone Number So That We May Contact You If Necessary. E-mail To World Fence News Managing Editor Rick Henderson At editor@worldfencenews.com. The Special Memoriam Is Presented Each Year, And Is Provided By Caring Members Of The Fence Industry Who Wish To Pay Special Tribute To Those Friends And Peers Who Are No Longer With Us. FENCER'S FIELD REPORT A monthly column of industry bits & pieces Compiled by contributing editor Jim Lucci and the staff of World Fence News We recently spoke with Brad Ep- stein of The Global Fence and Gate Co. located in Dallas, Texas. Brad, who has been in the fence and gate business for over 15 years, at the time we spoke, told us that he was very busy. The company business mix is 50% commercial and 50% residential. Brad told us that, on the residential side, the company generally serves customers within a 50 mile radius. On the com- mercial side, the area of service could be larger as determined by necessity. Further, he reported that home World Fence News has a Facebook page! Enter or click on the link below: http://www.facebook.com/pages/World-Fence-News/121158604594820 Then click on "Like" to receive updates! Any questions, contact Rick Henderson at World Fence News 800-231-0275 or editor@worldfencenews.com View our web page at www.worldfencenews.com building has been up in the last 12 to 18 months, adding that people are not as concerned about whether a "pink slip" is waiting for them the next day as perhaps they were two to four years ago. They are starting to spend more freely as things pick up and show signs of getting better. The company is still operating "lean and mean" and is very much guided by the philosophy of controlled growth. Residentially, wood is the big seller; within the wood product, 80% of sales is in cedar with a good portion of that being board on board, and they do a large amount in wrought iron slide gates as well. The company also does automated security, wood privacy fence, stone, stucco and brick walls, custom de- signed wrought iron fences, wrought iron balconies and gates as well as perimeter security fences. On the commercial side, in addi- tion to major airport work, city trails and shopping centers, they also are heavily involved with the various types of fencing at the Circuit Of The Amer- icas multi-purpose facility in Austin, Tex. that will host the most prestigious racing events in the world, including the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix. It is the first purpose-built Grand Prix facility in the U.S. We then asked Brad what he thought the outlook for the residential market going forward for the next 6 months to a year might be. optimistic." He told us that he is "cautiously There are multiple homes on the docket for the next six months and homes that will need fences in the next 12 to 18 months. Further, Brad told us that there are several apartment complexes that will produce work. We then asked him if the company had instituted any cost savings meas- ures during these difficult times, and he responded that he was doing as much as he can by himself, thus sav- ing on manpower when possible. For instance, if gate operators needed service or maintenance, he would show up on a Saturday or Sun- day to do the work; in short, doing whatever it took. Further, the com- pany found an inexpensive storage area for materials. In addition, the company is buying smarter and more selectively, and carrying lower inven- tories; all of which helps them to run leaner and meaner. We asked Brad if the company tries to sell additional items along with their fence jobs, and we were told that they don't push extras. He tells the people to keep the extra money in their pocket. However, when it comes to wrought iron fences, he does push powder coating instead of painting. Brad also pointed out that he is not going for the masses, so they don't do advertising in magazines and the like. We then asked Brad about the economy in the area, and he told us that it was good and that residential and commercial work were picking up. He remains cautiously optimistic, and is taking it "one day at a time." We asked what kind of strategy was implemented in 2012 and he an- swered that they continued to operate as efficiently as possible, and build personal relationships and capitalize on groundwork that has been laid. This all culminates with the employees re- lating well with their clients. We also had the opportunity to speak with Lori Terramagra of Se- curity Fence Co. of Spring Valley, California. Lori told us that this year has gone very well. When asked to what she attributed that, she told us "lots of referrals and repeat business." The company does 100% commercial work and has been serving San Diego County since 1974, and has been in- stalling fences for over 35 years. We were told that the company does a lot of diversified work, such as fairgrounds, Olympic facilities, gov- ernment jobs, etc. Almost all of their work is prevailing wage under the Davis-Bacon Act. The company installs and repairs chain link, both standard and mini- mesh, including galvanized and color coated. They also install a lot of privacy slats. Security Fence offers ornamen- tal metal fences, as well as wood, continued on page 22