Fence Repair or Replacement – A Balancing Act

 Article provided by Stockade (a division of ITW)

 When Ryan Sloop or his two trusted fencers come across a fence that has suffered some sudden catastrophic damage from a car wreck or fallen tree, they stop, pull out their crash kit and make it secure. Like fencing first responders. No questions, no charge, just a small sign to say they were passing through. That’s the ethos of Sloop Fence, an agricultural contractor business based in Mt Ulla, North Carolina.

Not driven by seasons as some parts of the country, Sloop Fence are year-round fencers. It means his team are constantly confronting the decision to repair or replace all through the year.

Ryan says the important starting point never waivers. “Priority number one is to assess short term versus long term goals. Goals can be as far apart as containment, to animal flow, to curb appeal and impact on repair, new construction and type of construction.”
Once goals are identified, budget follows close behind and that’s a balancing act.

“Not everyone has the financial means to take on a big project or complete a new build. Still, repairs can be expensive to do well. Every situation differs.”  

“Most of the time when fences need repair, they are coming to the end of their lifetime. On the flipside, good bones and good materials give something to work with. A lot of times farmers will do repairs themselves.”

Tackling the odd job
When tackling intermittent jobs on your own, Ryan points to the Stockade 315i stapler as a great machine for farmers to have on hand. “A high-quality price point stapler and a good farming ranch repair tool - you can hook it to your belt, take off into the woods and fix something, on your own and quickly.”

The other essential item for no fuss repair has to be the Staplemate, staple removal tool “The guys treasure those pliers. They stay in every kit that we have, always in reach.”

People and machine
Bigger projects or replacement fencing require skilled labor and Ryan, like many operators, is always looking for the right people.

“We could grow our business exponentially if we could find the right people so incorporating the most efficient tools is an anchor for our business.”

Ryan says they were fortunate to find Stockade as soon as it become available in the US.  

“That is where my eyes were really opened to efficiency and how we can transform our business to something more profitable. My first fence project purchase was a Stockade stapler, an ST400 air-operated tool and ten cases of staples. We have run the tools hard without any fear. We quickly found having efficient equipment carried through to profitability.”

 “We ran air for our woven wire. That worked very well. I hesitated buying an ST400i. Then I got a big barbed wire job. We were taking equipment with us. Driving back and forth, stapling, stretching, stapling, stretching. Putting miles on the equipment. I said, ‘You know with an ST400i we could carry it down the fence line and staple as we go’.  Now, it’s probably my most trouble-free tool — and I haven’t used the ST400 ever since!”

Secret to success
“For contactors struggling to find good labor, I say – go to your equipment dealer, that’s where your help is. And I can’t stress this enough— the secret to retention and gaining good people is to put the absolute best tools in their hands every single day.”

“Our tools are non-negotiables for us. When little things come up, they’ve been fixed on the spot, no questions, no haggling, no trouble with repairs.”

Whether it’s repair or replace, Stockade has the right tools for the job “and phenomenal service”.

Visit www.stockade.com to find a dealer near you, or email info@stockade.com to arrange a demonstration.