| January 20, 2021
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AFA is pleased to present the 2021 Board of Directors. View the full list of board members and their contact information here.
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AFA is pleased to present the 2021 Chapter Presidents Committee. View the full list of committee members and their contact information here.
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As we announced in late December, we are unable to host FENCETECH 2021 at Music City Center in February. Thank you again to all of our attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, volunteers and partners. We have reached out to many of already and we want to let you know that all registrations have been refunded back to the original form of payment. Also, if you made a hotel reservation at an official FENCETECH hotel through our FENCETECH blocks, those reservations have been cancelled. We are in the process of reaching out to all of our exhibitors and sponsors and you will hear from us very soon if you haven’t already. We will be announcing some new online educational opportunities soon, bringing you some of the fantastic FENCETECH educational sessions that we had planned, so be on the lookout for those. If you have any questions about FENCETECH 2021, please reach out to us.
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February 15-18, 2022 // New Orleans, LA
Mark Your Calendars as AFA and NOMMA Take Over the Big Easy! We’re making big plans to deliver you a one of a kind show in New Orleans February 15-18, 2022. Join us down South in the unique city of New Orleans as we combine culture, Creole cuisine and history for an unforgettable FENCETECH/METALfab tradeshow experience.
See You in New Orleans!
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Be the first to pick your booth for FENCETECH 2022 in New Orleans, LA! As a sponsor, you have an exclusive opportunity to select your booth during AFA’s sponsors-only booth draw which will take place in March 2021. You’ll have a variety of options to increase your company’s visibility at the tradeshow with sponsorship prices ranging from $4,000 to $60,000.
Booth Rates:
$23/square foot (AFA Members)
$26/square foot (Non-Members)
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Take your career to a new level this year by working toward one of ACI’s certifications! The Accreditation and Certification Institute offers three premier certification programs for fence and access control professionals. Earning a professional certification demonstrates your knowledge and expertise to both customers and your employer and will help strengthen your career.
All certification programs are self-study. Testing is in person and testing events are in the process of being scheduled throughout the country for 2021. All registered candidates will receive notice as testing events are scheduled and may RSVP to reserve a seat.
Certification programs available include:
• Certified Fence Contractor – recognizes individuals who have an exceptional level of knowledge in all facets of the fence industry with a focus on best business practices and safety
• Certified Gate Automation Technician – recognizes individuals who have experience, knowledge, safety awareness, professionalism and skills in the installation and servicing of automated gate systems
• Certified Gate Automation Designer – recognizes those in the industry who exemplify an exceptional level of expertise in designing and layout of automated gate systems
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After a successful AFA University On The Road in Tampa this past month, we are excited to announce additional opportunities across the USA for this April. These On The Road opportunities bring our high quality AFA University schools closer to you, making them more affordable and accessible. Our April schedule includes:
Fence Contractor Business School is for the next generation of fence contractor professionals, or those who are currently in the fence business and plan to take on an ownership or top management role in the near- or long-term future. Fence Installation School students participate in an intensive course which includes classroom work and hands on training that covers all aspects of fence installation (the Wadsworth school will focus on Chain Link and Ornamental Metal.) And Gate Automation Designer School students design automated vehicular gate systems for either residential or commercial customers or are sales professionals in the automated gate industry.
To find out more about each school, and to register, click on the school name above.
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ACI is accepting applications for test sites across the country. If you have more than five candidates in your area who wish to test and a facility that meets ACI’s requirements, we encourage you to apply. Test site details and the application are available at https://bit.ly/acitestsite.
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Congratulations to the following individuals who have recently earned certifications through ACI:
Certified Gate Automation Designer:
• Anthony R. Pack, Pack Haus Fence Company – Pueblo, CO
• Ben Stalvey, Master Halco – Orlando, FL
• Bryan Hill, Master Halco – Stockbridge, GA
• Chris Feroben, Master Halco – Tampa, FL
• Chris Steele, HighSteele Fencing LLC – Pace, FL
• Dustin Taylor, Superior Fence & Rail of Pensacola LLC – Milton, FL
• Erik Gutierrez, GTZ Fencing LLC – Lake Placid, FL
• Erik Ortiz, Controlled Products Systems Group – Cumming, GA
• Gary Locke, Superior Fence & Rail – Ft. Myers, FL
• Joshua Daniels, Quality Gates and Openers – Southport, FL
• Nick Rike, Master Halco – Orlando, FL
• Paul Bowen, Superior Fence & Rail of Pensacola LLC – Milton, FL
• Scott Meckes, Doorking, Inc – Raymond, MIS
• Shaun Keeney, Southwest Automated Security
• Sterling Barnes, Atlantic Industrial Fence – Pensacola, FL
• Tabatha Rutledge, Master Halco – Orlando, FL
• Tony Fournier, Controlled Products Systems Group – Tampa, FL
• Zachary Revis, Quality Gates and Openers – Panama City, FL
Certified Gate Automation Technician:
• Bryan Hill, Master Halco – Stockbridge, GA
• Chris Feroben, Master Halco – Tampa, FL
• Nick Rike, Master Halco – Orlando, FL
• Scott Meckes, Doorking, Inc. – Raymond,, MS
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As a member, you may know AFA recently implemented a new system which will improve our invoicing process. Members will now receive initial invoices 90 days prior to their expiration date both, via mail and email. The team will thereafter send automated email reminders 60 days and 30 days in advance, in addition to a final notice at the beginning of the month of their expiration date. These emails will all include a link to download your invoice and a direct link to log into MyAFA Portal where you can pay online. We are always looking for ways to improve and we want to provide the easiest solutions for each one of you. Rest assure our Member Services team is always happy to provide any assistance if needed and to answer any additional questions! You can reach our team via email memberservices@americanfenceassociation.com or by calling 1-800-822-4342.
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One question in particular may be helpful from this article:
I was eligible for leave under the FFCRA in 2020 but I did not use any leave. Am I still entitled to take paid sick or expanded family and medical leave after December 31, 2020? (added 12/31/2020)
Your employer is not required to provide you with FFCRA leave after December 31, 2020, but your employer may voluntarily decide to provide you such leave. The obligation to provide FFCRA leave applies from the law’s effective date of April 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020. Any change to extend the requirement to provide leave under the FFCRA would require an amendment to the statute by Congress. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, extended employer tax credits for paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave voluntarily provided to employees until March 31, 2021. However, this Act did not extend an eligible employee’s entitlement to FFCRA leave beyond December 31, 2020.
An employer may prohibit an employee from coming to the workplace, but you have to be very careful about this because of the Americans With Disabilities Act, and an employee may request time off due to exposure to the coronavirus.
Please consult with your own legal counsel because there are many exceptions and employment laws vary significantly from state to state.
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December 19, 1958 - January 5th, 2021
 
After a 14-month courageous battle against pancreatic cancer, Nate passed away January 5th at home surrounded by peace, comfort, loved ones, and their beloved fur babies.
Nate was in the fence industry since 1980 and had a keen knowledge of both products and markets. He was the President and Owner of Scottsdale Fence and Iron Works in Scottsdale, Arizona. Nate was heavily involved with AFA and served on a number of committees, including the Executive Committee and Ad-hoc committees, and was the AFA President in 2015. During his tenure as President, Nate set high goals for the Association and played a key role developing a unique “3-year plan” to increase membership and grow the association as a whole. Nate was inducted into the AFA Hall of Fame in 2020.
In remembrance of Nate’s life and in gratitude for the compassionate and excellent care that gave Nate time with family and friends, his wife Melissa and family request that charitable contributions be made to HonorHealth Foundation, and be directed to HonorHealth Research Institute/Pancreatic Cancer Research Program. Your gift may be mailed to HonorHealth Foundation, Attn: Nate Prewitt Memorial, 8125 N Hayden Road, Scottsdale AZ 85258, or can be made online at give.honorhealth.com. Please contact Netta Shaw, HonorHealth Foundation at 480-587-5094 if you need assistance or have questions.
Nate's obituary is published here.
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Our members are at the heart of what we do. Your dedication and loyalty are second to none and we value your continued partnership!
Log into your member portal and find your online company listing TODAY!
https://afa.users.membersuite.com/auth/portal-login.
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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 or celebrated membership anniversaries with the association. We're glad you're part of the AFA family!
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 Ball Fabrics, Inc. of Deland, FL, has been selected as nationwide master distributor for Fence Guard, the unique fence cap used on ball fields around the country.
“We are thrilled and honored to be chosen to represent such a high quality and well-known product,” said Larry Ball, president of Ball Fabrics. "Our goal is to offer the very best in quality and selection for ball fields, schools, and parks and recreation centers. Expanding into this distributorship is the logical step for us.”
More information can be found at www.ballfabrics.com.
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Master Halco, a leading whole distributor of fencing products across the U.S. and Canada, is pleased to announce their new partnership with Betafance, global manufacturer of fencing systems. Master Halco is now the North American exclusive distributor of Prism 3-D welded wire products.
“Our partnership with Betafence gives us a tremendous opportunity to bring additional higher-level security fencing opportunities quickly to our our customers for the communities they serve,” said Glenn Shenk, Master Halco Vice President of Sales and Operations.
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Hit the ground running in 2021 with member savings that keep you financially organized and save you time and money.
Line of Credit with Fundbox | Synchrony
 
MSP offers a finance line of credit for members in partnership wtih Fundbox and Synchrony. Move your business forward with the right funding, right when you need it. Apply for a flexible line of credit in minutes. nce approved, receive your funds as soon as the next business day.- Lightning fast
- Incredibly easy
- Fair and transparent
Establish your line of credit with Fundbox today.
CardConnect
 Are you looking to earn more from every credit card payment?
CardConnect AIP offers members an easy-to-understand pricing model that typically results in a reduction in fees of up to 40%. Members receive unbeatable customer service with no early termination fees, next day funding, and periodic account audits to ensure you’re always saving with the best rates.
- Integrations: easily accept payment inCard-present, Card not-present & mobile situations
- Security: Protect customers & your business with the latest security technologies, like P2PE, tokenization, and more.
-Transaction Management: Easily get all the information you need with an online portal to view & manage transactions in real-time.
Visit CardConnect AIP at https://afa.savings4members.com to learn more.
By joining the AFA Member Savings Program, a benefit of membership, you instantly have access to the buying power of the collective group which represents tens of thousands of employees and millions of dollars in spending clout. To see all products and services available to you, visit www.afasavings.com.
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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Association News
