Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/465691
22 • MARCH 2015 • WORLD FENCE NEWS FENCER'S FIELD REPORT A monthly column of industry bits & pieces Compiled by contributing editor Jim Lucci We had the opportunity to speak with Molly Witham of West-Meyer Fence in Portland, Oregon. At the time we spoke with Molly, she report- ed that the company was still pretty busy. We were told that the company business mix is 50% residential and 50% commercial; mostly generated in a 100-mile service radius. On the residential side, we were told that the company's biggest mover is cedar fence, particularly to the high end market. On the commercial side, the com- pany does a lot of railings and stairs, particularly for retirement centers, as well as the usual chain link work on commercial sites, etc. West-Meyer Fence work also in- cludes, but is not limited to, driveway gates, ornamental gates, cable rail, ce- dar fence, vinyl fence and railing, pipe railing, bike racks, etc. We were told also that among oth- er services offered the company does temporary fence panel rentals, gate fabrications, etc. West-Meyer Fence has been in operation since 1997 and is a small family-owned business. We then asked Molly what the biggest challenge was to the compa- ny this past season. Surprisingly, she told us that the company moved to a new location this past season and has already outgrown it! We then asked what the biggest surprise has been for the company this past season and we were told that the large number of temporary fence panels that were rented out was a big surprise. We then asked about the econo- my in the area. Molly told us that it is picking up and hopefully will contin- ue to do so for the coming season. On the residential construction side, there is a lot of building going on, as well as retrofitting. There are a lot of homes being built especially on the high end, which is considered $380k and up. On the commercial side, there are several large contractors involved and the work that is developing includes fabrication and metal products, espe- cially around in the city of Portland and the surrounding area. We then asked Molly what the strategy for 2015 would be. She told us that she is simply trying to keep up with the work. The challenge is to find top fabri- cators who can do math and translate that into fabrication. This, we were told, is an ongoing problem. Finally, we asked what she thought the outlook would be for the fence in- dustry for the 2015 season, and were told, "positive." We caught up with Terry White- ly of W-Bar-Y Fence in Brighton, Missouri. Terry told us that the com- pany had a really good year in 2014. When asked what he attributed that to, he responded that the company has a good reputation and good cus- tomer service. The company business mix is 40% commercial and 60% res- idential, we were told. On the residential side, we were told that the big movers are chain link, vinyl, and wood privacy. On the commercial side, we were told that chain link and custom wood fence are the big sellers. The company was started in 1978 as a family-owned and operated busi- ness. W-Bar-Y Fence Company has been servicing the Branson/Spring- field, Missouri and the four state area since its inception; but we were told that the primary service area is a 60 mile radius. Further we were told that the company designs, manufactures, wholesales, distributes and installs more fence products than any other company in the area. The company does a complete line of fences, gates, arbors, decks, gaze- bos, and pergolas. In addition we were told that company has a 16,000 square foot indoor-outdoor showroom. We then asked Terry what the biggest challenge was for the compa- ny in the past season. He told us that the constant need to "put fires out" within the organization and keep the jobs running smoothly was clearly the number one challenge. We then asked what the biggest surprise was this past season. Terry very quickly said getting two partic- ularly big jobs was clearly a surprise – jobs that they never really expected and were a "game changer." We then asked about the economy in the area. Terry told us that people were pretty tight with their money. They are not going to overpay for something once they have established a price for which they will pay for a At Western Tube & Conduit customer satisfaction and quality are the first order of business. Our Fencepost and Fencerail production is ISO-9001:2008 certified - and our products are manufactured to meet all the applicable state, federal, industrial and regulatory specifications and requirements. While we regularly stock standardized products and sizes, we are happy to provide custom dimensions as well. All our Fence products are galvanized with high purity zinc. We use high frequency welding (ERW) to turn the highest quality strip steel into tubing, and then a continuous hot-galvanizing process to zinc-coat the products smoothly and evenly. A zinc-rich interior organic coating, a chromate conversion coating, and a clear exterior organic coating provide the complete finish package that gives them superior protection against the elements and long life as a result. Gal-Z serves customers looking for shaped Fence tubing as well as corrosion-protected mechanical tubing. It can be purchased in squares and in rectangles, and it provides excellent environmental durability while also fulfilling the need for strength and weldability.