Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/95301
WORLD FENCE NEWS • DECEMBER 2012 • 77 New ownership poised to take over Davis Fence Co. Wheels are in motion for owner- ship of Davis Fence Co. of Topeka, Kan. to change in the fall of 2013. Under an agreement between com- pany officer Jeff Stewart and his step- father Bob Deever, who owns the company, the firm will be sold to Jeff when Bob retires on his 62nd birthday next September. Davis Fence Co. was started in 1968 by Duane Davis, reportedly to perform repair and replacement work after a tornado tore through Kansas and destroyed many fences. "My stepdad worked for Duane off and on for many years, and finally purchased the company from him in 1998," said Jeff. "I graduated from Kansas State University with a con- struction science and management de- gree in 2002. I went to work for Straub Construction, a general contractor in Lenexa, Kan. "I worked for Straub for approxi- mately seven years as a project man- ager before I decided to join my step- dad in the fencing business. "When I came to work with Bob, we agreed that he would teach me the business and I would purchase the company from him in 2013. He plans to retire on his 62nd birthday in Sep- tember 2013 and sell the business to me," said Jeff. Jeff said that since he has come on Left to right outside the Davis Fence Co. Topeka, Kan. office are Bob Deever, Jeff Stewart and Brandon Minton. board, they have hired a full-time esti- mator/project manager, Brandon Minton. They have also opened a new office in Prairie Village, Kan. to serve the Kansas City market. Jeff said the company had approx- imately $500,000 revenue when he started in 2010, but is projecting to break the $1 million revenue mark in 2012. He said they have gained substan- tial traction in the Kansas City com- mercial construction market in the past three years, and have increased their temp chain link construction fence di- vision from 1,200 lineal feet in use to 8,500 lineal feet in use. They have also improved their in- ternal systems, web site and marketing and the general make-up of the com- pany. Above and below, portions of a com- mercial steel stair, guardrail, balcony rail, perimeter fence and dumpster en- closure gates project that Davis Fence completed for Straub Construction. Major projects they have com- pleted include: – In 2010, completed a $70,000 multi-fence project with Westar En- ergy, replacing residential fences as Westar replaced power poles. – In 2011, completed a $250,000 commercial steel stair, guardrail, bal- cony rail, perimeter fence and dump- ster enclosure gates project with Straub Construction. – In 2012, completed a $150,000 commercial black chain link perimeter fence project for the Topeka Zoo. Davis Fence has handled repeat projects with Westar, Hill's Pet, Dean Realty, Straub Construction, Senne Company, Community Action, the City of Topeka and Blu Sky Restora- tion, among others, Jeff said. They have developed long-term working re- lationships with many other general contractors in Topeka, Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo. "Our goal is to hit the $2 million revenue mark by 2014, and we feel we're going in the right direction!" said Jeff. BOOTH NO. 1419! DAVIS FENCE CO. PHOTOS