Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/434930
WORLD FENCE NEWS • JANUARY 2015 • 31 even or making a pittance of a profit at the end of the year. These dedicated professionals need to make a substan- tial profit and be able to look forward to a very comfortable retirement at a reasonably early age. That's what it's all about. That being said, what do we do about the state of the industry? Can we do anything? I think so, but it will not happen overnight. Pride in ourselves and our indus- try, education from within and for the general public as to the level of skill and professionalism involved in the fencing trade, value selling our goods and services profitability, and raising the bar, if you will, improving the standards of the industry to that level of professionalism that demands the phrase tradesman and not just laborer or installer of fences. We all have heard the phrase mas- ter plumber or master electrician; why not master fencer? I think that the CFP (Certified Fence Professional) program of the AFA is an excellent program, and let's get more behind this notion. Let's ed- ucate the general public to insist on having a CFP install or supervise the installation of their fence. In this regard, the California branch of the AFA, in my humble opinion, is in many ways leading the way. Congratulations to Santo Perni- cano and other active members of that chapter who have made such strides in the past and who are trying hard to educate their fellow fencers as well as the general public as to the value of a well built and installed fence. California is among the strictest states in the nation in adopting and enforcing licensing of fencing con- tractors and they are working towards, as we all should be, trying to get the state and federal governments to rec- ognize fencing as a legitimate trade so that trade schools can be set up around the country to train young students in fencing as they do electricians and plumbers. Education is another critical in- gredient in the success equation. Is the general public truly aware of what a quality fencing product and top notch professional installation can do for them and their property? As an indus- try we need to first recognize and then better adapt to the needs of the indus- try and the public. A few years back I took a survey of industry professionals and asked opinions from a few top fencers, and what they had to say back then rings as true today as it did back then. Here is what some of my industry sources had to say: Price always seems to be the prob- lem in this industry. Everyone pur- sues the lowest priced fence product. Whether it's vinyl, chain link or any- thing else, people are always looking for a cheaper source. As if the focus on the cheapest supply source is that critical to someone's business success. Quite the contrary… Business success in this industry is tied to running the fence business much like other home improvement sectors. Door and window dealers, win- dow treatment specialists, carpet deal- ers, cabinet builders and others do not focus on the lowest costs to make a buck. They align themselves with key suppliers and make sure they provide their customers the best selection and service through a concert of market- ing, sales and installation. This is how to make money, servicing the home- owner. Unfortunately, in the fence in- dustry, all contractors think about is 'what is my cost.' Wrong… it's more like what is your range of products, your quality standards, your service standards, your branding power, your business support tools… Fence con- tractors could be making a lot of mon- ey for their time; many other similar industries do. Consumers have the money and they spend it when there is a proper packaging of the solution they are looking for. And it is not all price. Yet another industry leader, a ven- dor, had this to say: One of the areas we are working with contractors on is specification selling to architects and asset own- ers and how it all fits into the sup- ply chain. While many contractors do a great job at helping customers select the best products, others sell the cheapest solution possible at the cheapest price. This gives the industry a black eye when, after a short peri- od of time, the fence is already falling apart. I witnessed this on a golf course I play at. Within two weeks of the in- stallation of a color chain link fence, the paint was already peeling from the framework. No doubt it was cheap to put up, but the asset owner is unlikely to put up any more chain link because of it. We need to have contractors continued on next page