| June 27, 2023
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We're thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new AFA portal! It’s now much easier for you to manage your membership, join a local chapter or Special Interest Group, register for events, and apply for a certification!
The AFA portal puts you at the center of our community, enabling you to make the most of your membership and take control of your professional growth.
This is just the start of our plans to expand and improve our platforms and benefits so we can continue to provide exceptional value to our members.
Check out the new portal today at https://online.americanfenceassociation.com/account/login (first time visitors will need to reset their password to access the portal) and stay tuned for more member updates over the next few months!
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The American Fence Association is pleased to announce Catherine Mills-Reynolds as AFA’s new Director of Government Relations and Industry Standards. Mills-Reynolds had previously served on the AFA board of directors since 2020 and chaired the Government Relations and Industry Standards Committee.
Catherine Mills-Reynolds has worked at her family’s business, Mills Fence Company, for the past 14 years as the director of development. Some of her responsibilities included initiating new workforce development programs, facilitating company purchasing and procurement, managing marketing and communication platforms, and aiding in overall, day-to-day operations.
Before joining the family business, Catherine held various public policy and government relations positions at the association level (at the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce), and within public and private organizations. She holds a master’s degree in public policy from The Ohio State University and received her bachelor’s degree in international affairs from the University of Cincinnati.
“On behalf of AFA’s leadership, I could not be more excited to announce Catherine and her new government relations responsibilities," said AFA President Bobby Batchelor. "Catherine knows our business and has the training and experience to advance our industry’s safety standards. Her government relations work on behalf of our members will be a benefit to the entire industry.”
Mills-Reynolds added, “Having grown up in the family business, I’ve seen the struggles and successes that come with starting a fence company, diversifying that company, and then growing it into what is now the largest fence company in the Greater Cincinnati area. Many of the issues our member companies face are the same ones we have dealt with at Mills Fence Company. I’m excited to advocate on behalf of our membership and help ensure we are operating under the highest industry standards. I am extremely proud to be in our industry and looking forward to working together as we chart the path for AFA’s exciting future!”
You can reach Catherine Mills-Reynolds at Catherine@americanfenceassocation.com.
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Are you ready to take your career and the impact you make on our industry to the next level? Then July 18-20 in Nashville is the place you need to be. AFA’s Mid-Year meeting has been reimagined and renamed. ENGAGED is designed to expand our volunteer opportunities and alignment, hone and elevate the skills of emerging leaders, strengthen our community, and help define our collective future.
ENGAGED is also where we will launch AFA’s first-ever comprehensive leadership training program that will teach you to become a more effective leader, manager, and communicator. The AFA Leadership Academy is a highly interactive two-day program that will equip you with the ability, knowledge, and mindset necessary to succeed each time you step up to lead.
Check out the detailed Academy course work here.
In addition, hands-on learning and application customized specifically for fence, gate, and perimeter security professionals, you'll also network with other aspiring leaders and experienced mentors who are guiding AFA and our industry into a future with limitless potential.
Register here! ENGAGED! Industry Leadership Conference | American Fence Association
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The New York/Long Island Chapter, under the leadership of Chapter President, Mike DeLorenzo, and some of the industry’s foremost technical experts from top manufacturers, along with a group of New York’s leading contractors, have been actively working with AFA Director of Government Relations and Industry Standards, Catherine Mills-Reynolds, to resolve a significant issue in the New York State building code regarding pool latches.
Presently, the New York State building code does not follow ASTM standards when it comes to the installation of these pool latches. The group is working together to help ensure that building inspectors in the state of New York are referencing the highest safety standards when assessing these gates in the field.
Are you a contractor who has been impacted by latch issues in New York? If so, please reach out to Catherine Mills-Reynolds at Catherine@americanfenceassociation.com.
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AFA is partnering with the Carolinas Chapter By the Sea Event in September.
Registration opening in July for GADS and FIS featuring chain link and wood disciplines. Discounts will be given to AFA U students to attend the Carolinas By The Sea event!
AFA U – September 12-15
Carolinas By the Sea – September 14-16
Looking for your chapter home?
Visit www.americanfenceassociation.com/membership/chapters to locate the nearest chapter location, and to find contact information for each chapter president.
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The New Legislation Will Ensure the Continued Operation of Fence Contractor Businesses in the State of Florida.
On June 20, 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 1383, Specialty Contractors, into law. The signing of this legislation was a celebration for the AFA and our Florida members, who would have had major business disruptions and lost potential fence installation jobs if not adopted. The local AFA Florida chapter and AFA Executive Director, Michael Reed, have spent months working with state officials and the Florida Home Builders Association to develop a winning solution. This new law provides just that.
HB 1383 remedies the problems created by a previous piece of legislation that was created in 2021. The 2021 law preempted occupational licensing to the state, which essentially would have forced many of our member contractor companies to apply for costly, and sometimes even prohibitive, state licensing to be able to do any fence installations.
It also resulted in other unintended consequences, such as the denial of permits for some. It was reported that some local building code officials were not allowing unlicensed professionals to pull permits for work that was not defined under the state’s scope of contracting. Many member companies would have lost revenue and future projects over these issues.
The new legislation allows counties that would have been affected by this change to continue issuing their own local licensing for fence contractors, which allows our fence professionals to continue with the important work of installing fence in the state of Florida.
AFA Florida Chapter President, Zach Peyton stated, "HB 1383 fixed potentially catastrophic issues for the fence industry in Florida. The FHBA and AFA really stepped up to support Florida's fence contractors by influencing the legislative process towards this positive outcome. Now we can get back to work installing beautiful and safe fencing for Floridians throughout the state."
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We're looking forward to FENCETECH 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee! Scheduled January 23-26, 2024 (January 24-26 Exhibits), this should be one of our best shows to date!
We have contracted with a new floor plan and exhibitor contracting platform, and have opened up the floor to our 2024 exhibitors.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Jim Hawarden, CEM at (314) 561-6717 or by email at jim@americanfenceassociation.com.
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| Pictured: Duo-Tach Earth Auger |
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Premier Attachments has developed and patented a series of attachments with mounting brackets that allow for the two most common skid steer attachment styles, mini-skid & universal skid steer, to be utilized on a single attachment.
There is no adapter, no conversion plate and not a single tool required to switch from one style of mount to the other.
More information at www.premierattach.com.
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Fence Armor, a leading provider of high-quality fence post protection, has announced its collaboration with e-commerce titan Amazon, leveraging its latest feature, “Buy with Prime.”
This collaboration will allow U.S.-based Prime members to shop directly from FenceArmor.com using the Prime shopping benefits they love and trust.
“With Amazon Prime’s Buy with Prime feature, we aren’t just selling our product; we are selling an enhanced shopping and buying experience – an experience that aligns with our high-quality, customer-centric products,” said Al Martins, Founder of Fence Armor.
Further details on Fence Armor's website.
Want to share your own project news and company success stories in an upcoming issue of the magazine or this newsletter? Email editor@americanfenceassociation.com.
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Source: OSHA.gov
Did you know? Working in full sunlight can increase heat index values by 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
OSHA, U.S. DOL, CDC and NIOSH have created an app to help fence industry leaders keep their workers safe in hot conditions. OSHA shares details of the app at www.osha.gov/heat-app:
"The App allows workers and supervisors to calculate the heat index for their worksite, and, based on the heat index, displays a risk level to outdoor workers. Then, with a simple "click," you can get reminders about the protective measures that should be taken at that risk level to protect workers from heat-related illness."
Download the heat safety app here.
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Source: Inc.com
If tomorrow you got hit by a bus or won the lottery, chances are there'd be someone else leading your company soon after. Who would it be? Who on your team is ready to step up to that role, and do you have a strategy in place to minimize disruption during the transition phase?
In other words, what's your backup plan?
Inc.com shares some thought-worthy steps you can take now to ensure a successful outcome for your employees and your business, should a situation of leadership change arise.
Read the article here.
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AFA would like to welcome the new members who have recently joined the association.
We're glad you're part of the family!
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AFA would like to give a shout-out to our members celebrating anniversaries with the association.
We're honored to mark another year in our partnership!
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
