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16 • MAY 2012 • WORLD FENCE NEWS FENCER'S FIELD REPORT A monthly column of industry bits & pieces Compiled by contributing editor Jim Lucci and the staff of World Fence News Recently, we spoke with Nathaniel Craven of Southern Fence Builders in Laurel, Mississippi, who told us that the season had started off slowly because of so much rain, but at the time we spoke, it was showing signs of picking up significantly. The company service radius is 150 to 200 miles, and its business mix is 60% commercial and 40% residential. On the residential side, vinyl seems to be the current favorite. On the commercial side, while doing a lot of galvanized chain link, Nathaniel said that some commercial work was switching over to vinyl; especially where water wells and services were concerned. Nathaniel told us that he had recently completed a job compris- ing 5,600 lineal feet of 8' high vinyl. We then asked what he thought the outlook was for the residential market in his area for 2012, and he replied that he thinks it is coming back. The fact that many people are now getting their tax refunds should be a decent "shot in the arm," so to speak. We also asked if the buying habits of the homeowners are changing, and we were told that the people's wants were exceeding their needs, but they also almost invariably want the cheap- est price. We also asked whether the com- High Performance Can lever Gate Hardware! For Commercial, Residen al and Ins tu onal applica ons Distributor Opportuni es Available Benefi ts • Higher Weight Capacity • Smaller Overall Gate Length • Easy Installa on • Durability • Higher Effi ciency • Low Maintenance • Minimal Visible Hardware • Accommodates up to 4,000lbs or up to 59 opening. The system works on a simple principle of two heavy duty carriages installed on the ground and a high quality track that rolls on the carriages and supports the gate. 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On the commercial side, he said that there is more bidding taking place. On the residential side, while the early months of the year were dead, things have picked up, especially with people preparing to spend their tax refunds. Finally, we asked about the com- pany strategy for 2012, and were told that Nathaniel is preparing to adjust his pricing to be more competitive and he hopes he will accordingly get more work. We then had the opportunity to speak with Doug Geddis, president of Herb Geddis Fence Co. in Nicholasville, Kentucky. Doug told us that the company has been family owned and operated since 1968 and serves the needs of commercial and residential customers throughout the Central Kentucky region. The company basically handles wood, aluminum and steel ornamental, chain link, vinyl, gate operators, etc. The company's business mix is 75% commercial and 25% residential. While the firm carries a full line as in- dicated before, their big movers cur- rently are pool fencing (aluminum) and wood privacy fence. Doug told us that there are several different options that the customer has when choosing a wood fence. They offer three types of wood: western red cedar, cypress and treated pine. On the commercial side, the com- pany provides fencing for schools, sewage treatment plants, a U.S. Army chemical gas depot, Lexington's Blue Grass Airport, as well as a lot of work for the University of Kentucky. Doug said they bid on many projects through general contractors. We asked Doug what he thought the outlook was for the residential market in his area for 2012, and he told us that he feels it is going to get better. He said that people are starting to "see the light at the end of the tunnel." He noted that the number of pool fence contracts that he has is up significantly over last year. We asked if the buying habits of home owners are changing, and Doug told us "yes, a lot of people are going to aluminum ornamental and privacy fence." We followed up with a question as to whether, over the past couple of years, any projects that they did were tied to federal stimulus money, and Doug responded affirmatively that the airport and sewage plant work were examples. We then asked if the company in- stituted any cost saving measures due to the economy, and Doug said that when they ran across a "deal" he bought materials better, and that they also invested in equipment such as a Cement Hog which reduced labor costs. We continued by asking whether or not the company tries to sell addi- tional items along with their fence jobs, and the answer was no; however, he said that when gate operators are part of the sale, they usually sell continued on page 18