Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/37044
16 • AUGUST 2011 • WORLD FENCE NEWS We recently spoke with Terry Younger of Taylor Fence in Col- orado Springs, Colorado, who told us that things were going very well and said that the company business mix is 75% commercial and 25% res- idential. They also have a retail and a wholesale materials business. The company does a lot of work for the military, i.e. Fort Collins; this POST DRIVERS Starting at $6955.00 FENCER’S FIELD REPORT A monthly column of industry bits & pieces Compiled by contributing editor Jim Lucci and the staff of World Fence News is a growing expansion, since Fort Collins is the relocation center for troops coming back to the U.S. from overseas. Taylor Fence also is engaged in other projects involved with pro- tecting and securing airports, work fa- cilities, manufacturing plants, military installations, schools, etc. Terry told us that Taylor Fence is a full-service company that was estab- lished in 1942, and that it is the oldest continuously operated company offer- ing a complete line of fence, custom gates, gate operators, and access con- trols in Colorado Springs. He said that the company provides construction of wood, chain link, vinyl chain link, ornamental iron, PVC and temporary construction fences; in ad- Starting at $3995.00 Sharelox As low as $1695.00 Optional Rock Spike and Auger Systems available Excavator • Skid Steer • Tractor • Truck Mounting options include: See them in action - Call for FREE DVD! Kencove Farm Fence Supplies www.postdriver.com email: sales@sharelox.com www.sharelox.com phone (970) 586-9477 Pre-Formed Faux Rock Pillars “If you can’t tell the difference, what difference does it make!”™ River Rock Pillar TM dition, the company provides many fencing accessories such as privacy slats, windscreen, masonry columns, gate operators and access controls. The categories of work that the multiple padlock access solutions company operates in are crime pre- vention, welding, fence and gates, business alarm systems, video surveil- lance, security guard and patrols, ar- mored car services, home security burglar alarms, security gates, iron fences and electric gate operators. We asked Terry about whether ris- ing material costs have affected the way they bid, and he responded that it affected it only slightly because they had bought enough inventory to put them in decent shape and they have ex- cellent storage facilities and will pay for additional storage if need be. We spoke to Terry about whether or not there were any significant changes in the fence market and he told us that the residential market has come back a little. Terry thought that it was up between 15 and 20% from last year because of an influx of local military personnel. He also told us that apartment va- cancies are down to single digits. We further asked about the overall outlook for the area’s fence market for 2011, and Terry said that he expects an increase of 5% this year. As for popu- larity of any particular type of fencing increasing or decreasing, we were told that it is substantially unchanged. When we asked about the status of the labor market and the availability of workers, Terry told us that, in his area, they are finding it difficult to find qual- ity workers, and qualified people, and that further, the potential candidates for employment must also get a secu- rity clearance because of the type of government work that the company does. We were also told that the clima- tology is such that the company is able to work year-round. We asked about the economy in the area and Terry told us that, over the past two to three years, the area has been slightly stagnant. However, he said that at this time it appears to be moving up slightly. Foreclosures seem to have leveled off significantly, whether it is com- mercial or residential; on the commer- cial side, he says, money is still tight, there is not much expansion, but some renovation. The core businesses, he says, are strong and stable. Finally, we asked Terry about the company strategy for 2011 and he in- dicated that the company was increas- ing their presence in the residential market and access control market. They are looking to increase client contact. They are working with people at Fort Collins and are looking to do work with other military installations. We spoke with Joe Sallemi of A.A.A., Inc. / Anzalone Fence Co. in S. Hackensack, New Jersey. He told us that this season was “chugging along” but very spotty. Some days are very good, some days, not so active. He is finding that people are being very careful about spending money. The company business mix is cur- rently at 60% residential and 40% commercial. He said that they are cur- rently bidding more commercial work. Joe pointed out that there is little Stackable Ledgestone Pillar county work being awarded. Joe also pointed out that, on “prevailing wage” jobs, a lot less work is getting done when agencies such as the board of ed- ucation and metropolitan agency has to pay 35% more for labor, and so the work is getting cut. He told us that on the residential New Flat Cap with Chiseled Edges side, they carry a full product line, but they are doing a lot less chain link and ornamental metal, which used to be huge, and now is less because there are fewer pools going in. On the commercial side, it is pick- Starting at $94.50 call for details arting at $94 50 Tri Custom Manufacturing www.tricm.com Phone 435-563-0261 Toll Free 1-866-833-9589 No mason required Same day installation Impact resistant / durable No sub-contractors UV fade resistant One person installation Can be shipped by UPS! ing up; vinyl fence is a big mover. Wood sales, he said, are down to al- most nothing. We then asked if rising material costs affected the way they bid, and the answer was “absolutely.” Joe commented that there was only so much that can be absorbed, but additional must be passed along. The continued on page 32 Increase Pro ts! Fraction of the Cost of Stone!