| March 20, 2020
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Visit AFA's calendar page to stay current on all our latest news and updates. Further details on times, locations and more are available on the page.
PLEASE NOTE: Many upcoming AFA events have been postponed, out of an abundance of caution and concern for our members' safety. Please stay tuned for updates on events, and confirm with organizers before registering or making plans to attend.
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The American Fence Association (AFA) is dedicated to the health and safety of its members, staff and their families. We have been monitoring the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and out of an abundance of caution, AFA has canceled/postponed all upcoming in-person meetings and chapter meetings/events through the end of May with intentions to reschedule for a later date.
Chapter events that have been canceled/postponed:
· Northern Ohio Fence Installation School – On The Road Training
· Memphis Tri-State Chapter Golf Tournament
· Texas Chapter Spring Meeting
· Carolinas Chapter Meeting
· Wisconsin Northern Illinois Meeting
· Gulf South Chapter Meeting
Events not on this list are still scheduled to proceed at this time. As we learn about more chapter events, we will inform our members.
Chapters will be utilizing Conference Calls and WebEx Meetings to keep our members engaged throughout this time. Please do the best you can to attend these to support your local chapters and our association.
Staff is working from home in the coming days, so please be patient with a delay in response.
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Proud to Be Part of the Carolinas Chapter of the AFA!
A message from Jon McCoy, Past President, Carolinas Fence Association
Our Chapter is growing, thanks to the involvement of our members and the leadership that has stepped forward.
As the New Year is upon us and I see these articles in our Industry Publications showing the rest of the country what we in the Carolinas are doing, I am filled with pride. Not pride in the, "hey look at us!" sense, but pride in the fact that our Chapter is stepping forward and making decisions to put our resources toward the greater good.
While the Carolinas Chapter has always been generous with its resources, this past year (2019), due to the success of By the Sea in Myrtle Beach and the generosity of our Sponsors. We have been able to contribute to many Regional and Local Organizations that have a direct impact on our community and even our Membership. This culture of giving is a direct result of the Membership of our Chapter and our desire to see the resources we have as a Fence Community serve the greater good of the Carolinas and our Members.
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Please join us in extending a huge congratulations to this year’s AFAEF scholarship recipients!
• Jacqueline Baker
• Emelie Cochenour
• Jessi Bautista Espino
• Genevieve Kroese
• Ismael Nieto
We wish all of our scholarship recipients the best of luck in their future endeavors.
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From the Desk of Tony Thornton, AFA Executive Director
As we deal with these uncertain times, we as an industry have a choice to make. We can accept the fact, life as we know it has been turned upside down, but instead of finding all the negative and bad things, let’s focus on the positive and good things.
We all have choices to make and we can either accept the negative consequences or positive consequences. I personally have lived my life in a positive manner and nothing will change this.
I have spoken to several contractors this week and they all have stated that they have 3-4 months of work and they are putting the pressure on the supplier/wholesalers to deliver the products and put on their yards so if in fact a Government Shut Down occurs, they are better prepared.
This is a forward-thinking vision that will make them successful regardless of a shut down or economic slow-down. I have stated several times over my fencing career, that we have some of the most robust and hardest working people in any trade and now is the time to show it. We don’t accept the fact of making excuses to fail, but we make the decision to be successful!!! We have that choice, so please join me and many others in making the best from a situation that we cannot control.
Your company will survive this issue, if you implement forward thinking strategies and market focused solutions and by you doing this, others will follow in these decisions to make our work environment better for the future.
So, I challenge each of you to accept the fact we can’t control the issue, but we can take a POSTIVE approach and plan accordingly. The outcome is our decision and we shouldn’t allow any negative or bad energy be part of our focus and future.
Keep on Fencing!!!
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The PRO Awards recognize AFA members who have created and installed amazing fence projects from the past year.
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The purpose of the Association Awards is to recognize members who are truly AFA superstars. They are committed to the industry and continue to contribute to the work of the American Fence Association. We’re pleased this year to recognize some truly wonderful accomplishments.
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Join us in Music City and be on the list to pick your booth for FENCETECH/DECKTECH 2021 in Nashville! Save the date for the 2021 booth draw April 20 – 23 2020. Information will be sent via email to current exhibitors prior to the official date. Drawing dates and times are based on priority points.
Booth Rates:
$23 per square foot (AFA/DRI members)
$26 per square foot (non-members)
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Get ahead of the game and pick your booth for FENCETECH 2021! FENCETECH 2021 will take place in Nashville, TN - one of our FENCETECH hot spots! Be the first to pick your booth by becoming a sponsor.
There are still numerous sponsorship opportunities available, including:
• Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsorship packages
• New education break sessions sponsorship
• Registration bag promotional item of your choosing
• Keynote speaker session where you will be given the opportunity to promote your company
in front of two co-locating associations
• The popular Young Fence Professionals Happy Hour sponsorship
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The January/February digital edition of Fencepost magazine is now available! Each issue of Fencepost is archived online so you can easily access all of the industry features, member news, AFA updates and more, with the click of a mouse.
In this issue:
• Can't-Miss AFA Education Opportunities Coming in the New Year • One Week. Three Schools. Unlimited Potential Start Reading.
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FENCETECH 2020 exhibitors showcased a wide variety of innovative, inspiring products and services that are driving the fence industry forward. We look forward to sharing many of these innovations in future issues of Across the Fence and Fencepost magazine, as we dive into topics that are top of mind for fence professionals today.
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AFA extends its congratulations to Rosenbaum Fence Company, based in Hampton, VA, on 135 years of servings its community. Rosenbaum is a family owned business, and has serviced residential and commercial fencing sales and installation throughout the Hampton Roads, VA region since 1885. The company specializes in all types of fencing, including PVC vinyl, ornamental wrought iron, chain link, and wood privacy fencing.
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Mike Mcfarland and Rick Barrows are proud to announce that Ed Poe has become part owner of Modern Fence of Northwest Arkansas. He will serve as President and General Manager with a very hands-on approach.
Ed Poe joined Modern Fence as a Commercial Salesman in September 2018. Ed brought 16 years of experience managing a wholesale supply business to Modern Fence and hit the ground running. The company is proud of their skilled team of builders and great management team in place, and look forward to adding more training, more team building and more services than ever before.
Vernard Leroy Milligan opened Modern Fence in Fort Smith, Arkansas in 1950 at a small office on North ‘B’ Street. Today, the company has 36 employees and is a leader in its industry in Arkansas.
Modern Fence would like to thank Northwest Arkansas for their first 70 years. Ed Poe, Mike McFarland, and Rick Barrows invite their customers to be a part of the next 70.
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Trex Company is widening its Midwest footprint with the expansion of Amerhart distribution into eastern Kansas and western Missouri. Amerhart recently announced the addition of a new location in Kansas City, Kan., bringing distributor’s extensive selection of top brands and building materials, including Trex decking and railing.
"We are pleased to be part of [Amerhart's] continued Midwest expansion," said Jim Cline, president and CEO of Trex, "We welcome the opportunity to drive increased sales and growth for both of our businesses.”
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LP Building Solutions, a leader in high-performance building solutions, has expanded its performance fencing offerings by introducing 8 ́ pickets and a color matched wood rail system. In addition to these two new products, LP Elements® Performance Fencing debuted a unique metal system at FENCETECH 2020 this March.
“We continue to understand more from the fence industry what their problems and challenges are," said Kevin Line, innovation manager,new production development at LP. "Based on this education, we are excited to be able to offer more innovative solutions in our performance fencing portfolio that help meet the needs of the industry.”
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Fortress Building Products, a leading manufacturer of fencing, decking, railing and framing products, is proud to introduce two new fencing solutions for its commercial customers: ARES™ Fencing, and Athens Commercial Fencing.
ARES™ is a high-security steel framing that is engineered as a durable perimeter fence. It is available as pre-assembled full panels to speed up installation and better protect a property.
Athens Commercial aluminum fencing line offers larger rail and wider picket profiles to the existing Athens residential line. It utilizes a lightweight, tempered aluminum that is durable enough to perform as a commercial-grade boundary to protect any property, and an innovative fastener that offers a seamless finished look.
Fortress debuted the two new products at FENCETECH 2020 this March in Salt Lake City, UT.
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Piedmont Fence, located in Winston-Salem, NC, is proud to announce its 40th year in business as of March 1st, 2020.
Piedmont Fence is a top preferred contractor in Piedmont Triad for all types of fencing, gates and gate automation. Some of their fencing options include wooden and chain link, aluminum, vinyl (PVC) and other composite materials.
The company also now offers a full-service Access Control department that installs and services gate operators and accessories, and access control systems of all descriptions. Piedmont Fence is a HUB certified, woman owned business, and is actively involved in their community through their support of the Salvation Army, Special Olympics and other organizations that support the special needs community.
Piedmont wishes to thank all of their customers who gave their business to over 28,000 jobs.
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Nebraska Plastics, Inc, a vinyl fence manufacturer, will create 22 new jobs in Chowan County. According to a recent release by the North Carolina Department of Commerce (shared in part below), the company will be investing more than $1 million into a manufacturing facility in Edenton. “North Carolina has the fifth largest manufacturing economy in the United States,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland. “With more than 170 million customers within a day’s drive and the largest manufacturing workforce in the Southeast, North Carolina is a great state for manufacturers to expand their operations.” Nebraska Plastics, Inc. started in 1945 producing plastic irrigation products for agriculture. The company first invented vinyl fencing in 1978 under the brand name Country Estate Fence. Headquartered in Cozad, Nebraska, the company has remained a family-owned business for 75 years and supplies products to customers in all 50 states and overseas. Along with vinyl fence and railing, Nebraska Plastics continues to produce a line of above ground and below ground PVC irrigation pipe for agriculture.
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AFA extends its thanks to the following members who have recently joined the association as first-time members. Welcome to the AFA family!
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AFA extends its thanks to the following members who have recently renewed their existing membership. We're glad you're part of the AFA family!
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The AFA Member Savings Program, a benefit of membership, connects you to 25+ vendor partner programs to help you reduce operating costs on business expenses you already have, such as payroll, office supplies, fuel, shipping, and so much more.
Batteries Plus - The Latest MSP Supplier
NOMMA MSP has added Batteries Plus as its latest supplier in the Program. Both new and existing Batteries Plus customers can participate.
With over 700 BP locations nationwide, you'll find all of your lighting, power and repair needs at Batteries Plus, from the hard-to-find SKUs to the everyday.
Key member benefits include:
• Group Volume Pricing with Deep Discounts of 20-60% on over 85 frequently needed SKU's as well as a • • standard member discount on all SKU's.
• Convenient Hours & over 700 locations nationwide.
• Free Battery Testing
• Recycling Services
• Free On-site Needs Assessment
• Tailored Service Options
• Fast Local Delivery
• Local Utility Rebate Assistance
• Quality Products & Services
• Online Tools
• Dedicated Advisor
AFA members have saved thousands of dollars each year by enrolling in the Member Savings Program. You can too! Enrollment is free. Click here to learn more and register.
If you are an AFA member and not currently enrolled in the Member Savings Program, please contact AFA’s dedicated savings consultant Dan Pramis at 603-628-2333, Mark Schiavone at mark@membersavingsprogram.com, or info@savings4members.com.
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