World Fence News

20 • JUNE 2017 • 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 We had the opportunity to briefly speak with Chris Cannon of Mariet- ta Fence in Marietta, Georgia. Chris told us that they were busy and head- ing toward being six weeks out. The company business mix is 50% residential and 50% commercial, generated over a 100 mile radius. We then asked what products were the biggest movers on the resi- dential side and were told it is orna- mental metal and six foot pressure treated wood. On the commercial side we were told it is commercial chain link and, within the city limits, or- namental metal for new buildings is what's called for. We then asked what the biggest challenge was this past season. Chris told us that keeping qualified workers on board was an ongoing problem. We asked how the economy was in the area, and were told that it is do- ing well; there is a lot of building go- ing on, including new housing. In ad- dition, people are removing old fences and replacing them with new ones. A lot of construction and renova- tion is occurring on the commercial side as well, including warehouses as well as installation of interior securi- ty cages. A few strip malls are being built with modular brick walls and with ornamental four foot. As far as infrastructure goes, many people might recall when a sec- tion of an overpass on I-85 in Atlanta collapsed on March 30, and that is in the process of being repaired. We then caught up with Tom Polen of Elyria Fence Company in Elyria, Ohio. The company has served northeast Ohio since 1932. Tom told us that the year was progressing well and at the time we spoke, he indicated that they were five to six weeks out. The company business mix is 60% residential and 40% commercial, generated within a 45-50 mile radius. On the residential side, the com- pany does wood (custom) and orna- mental metal, and the commercial side, which Tom pointed out is really light commercial in his assessment, includes a lot of work for municipal- ities and factories. They also install guard rail. The company also installs lattice, arbors, trellises, pergolas, railings, decks, and gates. We asked about the biggest chal- lenge for the company. Tom told us that the following is an ongoing problem: acquiring qual- ified fence installers. The company is using more subcontractors. He pointed out that the day of using hourly work- ers has gone by the boards. Further, he noted that a company really doesn't have much control over the subs, due to the nature of that arrangement. We asked what the biggest sur- prise has been, and Tom told us that he has found the company to be able to compete with the guys who just are interested in making a quick buck and low balling prices. He has been surprised to find that his sales force, despite giving quotes that are 25%- 35% higher than the low-ballers, are getting jobs anyway. On the residential side, building is going on. Contractors are busy but falling further behind. On the commercial side, things are picking up – more projects are get- ting underway. There is some highway work occurring as well. We asked what the company strategy is for 2017. We were told that maintaining quality products and ser- vices is the top priority. We then spoke briefly with Jon Styles, CFP, who is manager of the Waxahachie, Tex. branch of Robin- son Fence, which is headquartered in Springfield, Mo. Jon told us that this year is going great. They have a lot more work on the books than last year at this time. The company does 100% com- mercial, generated basically in a 500 mile radius. Their main products are chain link and ornamental metal. They generally install at airports, schools, data centers, and for the rail- roads. They also install game fencing, as well as gate operators and access controls. We then asked what the econo- my was like in the area. We were told that Texas in general was going "great guns." Once a month it seems that a new school is under construction some- where. Indoor facilities are becoming more state-of-the-art even at the high school level, which seems to indicate the depth of development of education in the state. On the residential side, subdivi- sions of tract housing are going up – single family homes as well as apart- ment complexes. On the commercial side, new buildings are going up, especially warehouses. For example, there's a one mil- lion square foot warehouse being built with no tenants yet, but Jon says it will be filled with no problem. 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