THE BIG JOB

Contractor's Corner Continued

“The purpose of the fence was to help hide the view of the warehouse from fellow neighbors on the street,” Brimingham explained. “The company wanted them to have something nice to look at.”

Where previously a chainlink fence had made the warehouse quite visible to surrounding residents, the new section of wood fence was designed to shield the warehouse from view completely.

“It was 1,000 feet of 8-foot-tall cedar, and 345 feet of 8-foot iron,” Brimingham said. To top it off, the job also called for the installation of 50 feet of barbed wire.

This was no small amount of time or labor, but CMS went to work and gave the customer a quality finished product in just over eight days. As Brimingham wittily described it, “We showed up and showed out.”

Above: CMS's first big project

It was a challenging project, and one that set CMS Fencing up for future success. In fact, the same client gave them 800 more feet of fence after seeing how well the first fence installation turned out. “I guess you could say it was a big achievement for us,” Brimingham said.

Brimingham is eager to take on new projects, big or small, and is always on the hunt for new ways or ideas to grow his business – he has a fulltime crew for concrete patio and driveway, and plans to keep expanding.

“My favorite installs are the custom ones – iron or wood,” he said. “It presents a challenge for me and my guys.”

 
Above: on site at a recent CMS project.

Brimingham is enthusiastic about making connections with customers in his area and getting to know his neighbors better – and he’s excited for the future.

“We are starting to build a great reputation with the local community,” he added. “Our first year in business has been better than we expected. God has blessed our company very greatly this year.”

Brimingham is still new to the AFA, and looks forward to taking advantage of the opportunities that his membership provides.

“I think the AFA is a great organization,” he said. “They provide training an knowledge that is much needed in our industry to deliver quality work. Hopefully I get to send my guys and myself to take some training.”

  
Above left: one of CMS's current projects: a 1400-foot fence.
Above right: The CMS crew in action.

As a member of the AFA, Brimingham is surrounded by a community of fence professionals with stories much like his own: hard-working individuals who grew up in the industry, learning from the experience of others, offering support and insight to their peers – taking a leap of faith to try and learn new things, and hit that next milestone.

“It's great to see what other companies have accomplished, and how they strive to be the best they can be,” Brimingham said. “When I see the AFA symbol on a fence tag, I know it's a reliable company.”

As far as fencing is concerned, Brimingham is proud of his industry and grateful for the role he plays in supporting its future.

“I like that after a hard day’s work you can see you accomplished what few men can do,” he explained. “We as fencers are a special breed of real men left in the world. And it feels great to consider myself one. And most of all, it allows me time to spend with my wife and kids."