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62 • FEBRUARY 2014 • WORLD FENCE NEWS Investor and entrepreneur purchases controlling stake in SONCO Worldwide THE SKY'S THE LIMIT ECGO-G Cell Phone Entry System FEATURES: New Model • Fits standard gooseneck stands • Larger enclosure • Same great programming • High-gain cell integrated antenna • No cell contract needed • Weatherproof stainless steel • Rings up to 3 administrators in sequence • Program up to 100 users to access the gate • Works with mobile and land lines • Answer visitors call no matter where you are • Gate is able to be latched/unlatched via cell phone • For use with all gate automation systems OUR VISIT EBSITE W NEW om • No trenching for phone lines O.c yECG m Get This and Many Other Innovative Products from East Coast Gate Operators, Inc. • 12/24 Volts AC/DC - 1.5 amp power supply • Easy remote programming via cell phone or computer 704.768.2230 BLADENSBURG, Md. — Fence manufacturer SONCO Worldwide has announced that investor and entrepreneur Stephen H. Greer has purchased a controlling stake in the company and has been named chairman and chief executive officer. Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed. SONCO Fence was founded in 1976, in Bladensburg, Md. (just outside of Washington, D.C.) by Sonny Long. The company began as a distribution firm supplying fence contractors in the metropolitan area. It quickly captured a large market share and began to expand, opening branches in Philadelphia, Penn., Millville, N.J., and Indianapolis, Ind. In the early 1980s SONCO expanded its production capabilities and started weaving its own chain link. Then, in 1994, the name was changed to SONCO Worldwide. Bobby Long, president of SONCO and son of company founder Sonny Long, said the Bladensburgbased company accepted Greer's undisclosed offer because "it stood out from hundreds of similar ones it had Interested in becoming an ECGO distributor... Please call us! ISC West 2014 approaching ATLAS WHOLESALE FENCE SUPPLY Barbwire Class 3 Razor Barrier Wire Manufactured in USA ISC West, the largest physical security show in North America, is scheduled for April 1-4, 2014. The education portion will be held April 1-3, while the trade exhibits will be open April 2-4. The location will be the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas. For further information on ISC West, visit www.iscwest.com. For information on exhibiting, contact Steve LaRoche at 203-840-5343 or e-mail slaroche@reedexpo.com. Las Vegas to host IDAExpo in 2014 Universal Cantilever Rollers Round and Square Rollers t 3" - 3 1/2" - 4" - 4 Call or Email today for pricing and orders 713/772/5591 sales@atlasfenceco.com IDAExpo™, the premier educational venue for those who derive their living from the door and access systems industry, is slated for April 23-26, 2014 at the Paris & Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas. Door companies come from as far away as the Russian Federation and Australia to attend this event. The 2013 IDAExpo drew individuals from the United States, England, Germany, Canada, Mexico, and China who took advantage of the program offerings. For more information, call 800-355-4432, e-mail info@longmgt.com or visit www.idaexpo.org. received in the past." Greer said he "thought he could grow the business through acquisition and long-term growth, and that's exactly what we've always wanted," Long said. Members of the Long family remain major shareholders at SONCO and will continue to be involved with the business. Sonny Long, who had been the firm's chairman, will stay on as a board member and chairman emeritus. His son, Bobby Long, will continue as president, and a second son, Tim Long, will continue to serve in a senior role. SONCO Worldwide is a supplier to retail fence contractors along the mid-Atlantic states and beyond. Under Greer's leadership, SONCO hopes to expand across many of its business lines. In addition to manufacturing fencing, the company sells mechanical tubing and maintains a rental fence-and-barricade business. "I think the biggest thing for me coming as an industry outsider is to be a sponge, to fully understand the business," Greer stated in a Washington Post interview. Greer, 45, arrives in the Washington area after spending nearly 20 years working in Hong Kong. He founded his first company there, a scrap-metaltrading firm called Hartwell Pacific, when he was 23. Within 12 years, the firm was recording about $250 million in sales. It was later bought by an Australian mining and steelmaking firm. Greer has also worked at privateequity firm Oaktree Capital Management, serving as a senior adviser based in Hong Kong. Greer told the Post he first met the Long family at a Redskins–Steelers game last year. He had been actively looking for a company to buy, considering firms in Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston. But he soon decided SONCO was the best fit. When he met the Longs, "there was sort of almost an immediate feeling of trust," Greer stated. Bobby Long said that despite a fast and strong personal connection, he was not instantly sold on Greer's pitch. But after a number of meetings, Greer was able to convince the Longs that he would be more than just an investor. "When he said he was going to work every day, it changed my mind completely," Bobby Long said, adding that within about four months, the parties had reached a deal.