American Fence and Supply Co.’s office and warehouse teams work out of their location at 421 Lissom Lane near I-77 in Charlotte.

American Fence and Supply Co. has been hanging its sign on fencing it has installed for 50 years. In this photo, an 8-foot chain-link fence is topped with three-strand barbed wire.

If you see a fence in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area, chances are American Fence and Supply Co. has been a part of it, says General Manager Michael Boyette. That’s the kind of company it is, with deep roots and longevity in the community.

“We have had name recognition for 50 years, and we have a combined 150 years of fencing knowledge,” Boyette says. With service to both commercial and residential customers, their projects range from keeping NASCAR racers on the track to protecting polar bears in the North Carolina Zoo.

Headquartered in Charlotte, the company installs and repairs fences of all types, installs and services access control gates and sells fencing supplies. American Fence and Supply began as a family-owned company that was purchased by a corporate entity in 2015 and became a wholly owned subsidiary, Boyette explains. It moved to its current location at 421 Lissom Lane near I-77 at that time.

A specialty of American Fence and Supply is custom fencing, especially gates. “We custom build about 99 percent of our chain-link gates and 50 percent of aluminum gates,” Boyette says. Access gates can be tied into a customer’s security system or they can be operated by cellphone.

The company can install wood, chain-link, steel or aluminum fencing. Wood privacy fencing varies from shadow box (with boards on alternating sides of the rail) to lattice top or horizontal, from semi-private to board on board (constructed of an overlapping pattern of vertical pickets), or a truly custom design. The company installs guardrails and handrails where needed and builds dumpster and trash enclosures for commercial customers. They also install traffic bollards for safety and security.

Technology Sharpens Estimates

Technology helps the team assess a customer’s needs, says Randy Ream, Commercial Sales and Project Manager. “We use software that can pull in the construction plans so that we can assess the fencing needs on the project. We use the software to determine the details of the fence, materials and cost. This gives an accurate picture to the client.”

In the next few months, sales representatives will begin using a tablet with a program that helps them develop an estimate on a project that can be quickly emailed to the client, Boyette says. They also answer questions via email, text and phone.

American Fence and Supply has worked on high-visibility projects all over the Charlotte area. The company installed 10,000 linear feet of fence with security gates at Carvana (an online used car sales maintenance facility) in Concord, North Carolina. The company has also installed fencing at the Carolina Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium, Amazon Distribution Center in Charlotte, Duke Energy and Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s long-term parking.

American Fence and Supply has done work for the city of Charlotte’s housing authority, parks and schools. Other major customers are Lowe’s Home Improvement’s corporate office in Mooresville, North Carolina, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Custom Fabrication: An Area for Growth

An unusual undertaking was the Blue Line custom leaf railing for the Charlotte Area Transit System’s LYNX Blue Line stations. An artist designed leaves of native tree species and American Fence and Supply fabricated the leaves to be incorporated into standard track fencing.

The company did quite a bit of gate fabrication in the past, truly ornate custom work, Boyette says. “We think this is a lost art and we have requests for custom fencing and gates. It makes sense to build up this area of our business.”

Although the company’s service area is within a 150-mile radius, the rapidly growing Charlotte metro keeps it busy. “Older neighborhoods are being redeveloped,” Ream says, with homeowner associations (HOAs) often specifying an upgrade in fencing design and materials. “We give them the best product for what they want.”

The company also branches out to new markets when needed. For example, after working on projects for the Carolina Panthers organization, American Fence and Supply subcontracted an NFL installation in California, Boyette says, hiring installers and doing the project management.

Stand by Me

American Fence and Supply stands by its work long term. “We say ‘your fence is our fence,’ ” Boyette notes. The company has been hanging its sign on fencing so long that it is not unusual to find the firm doing generational work—building fences for grandparents, parents, then children. “Last year, one of our customers called and said, ‘I’m living in my parents’ house. You did the fence the first time and we’d like you to build one again.’ ” In another case, the company rebuilt a fence after a tornado had blown a tree onto it; American Fence and Supply had installed the original fence in 1976.

On the supply side of its business, the company sells the do-it-yourself customer everything needed to install a fence. “We serve smaller fence companies that don’t do enough volume to purchase directly from the manufacturer,” Boyette explains.

As well as having fencing expertise, American Fence and Supply’s sales representatives also bring backgrounds in other trades. Ream, for example, previously worked for a construction company, offering a different view of fencing needs and installation.

Pride in Sales Team Collaboration

Boyette takes pride that his sales staff members are collaborative rather than competitive. “The sales guys talk to each other: ‘Does this make sense to you?’ ‘How would you do this?’ They work together to make sure we give the best product. Every project receives the same attention to detail, whether a $150 project or a $1 million project.”

“You don’t just get a sales guy, you get a sales team,” adds Ream. “We collaborate without credit. We’ll go and look at the project on site. Working together allows us to create a product that is unique.”

Because of their level of professionalism, the commercial sales team receives repeat business from large general contractors in the area, Boyette says. The 30 employees who work at American Fence and Supply are like family, Boyette says. “We know each other’s significant others and children.” The company rarely turns down a request for time off when it is needed.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the employees worked in two teams to limit the number of people in the office at any one time. Throughout the pandemic, hourly employees who are not on the job are still paid their full wages. “We enjoy everybody that works here and value their work. We know we will still need all our qualified people when things return to normal,” Boyette explains.

The pandemic has changed the way business is done, especially in the residential world. The company has found ways to install wood fencing more quickly, so that employees can be in and out of a project faster, Boyette says. Another impact has been a slowdown in logistics and supply, setting back some plans to grow beyond the Charlotte area.

Commitment to Community

American Fence and Supply has donated materials and helped with fencing projects for the Boy Scouts of America and Urban Ministry Center, a homeless shelter. The company also sponsors youth athletic teams and donates to Samaritan’s Purse. As soon as COVID-19 restrictions lift, workers will resume volunteering at the homeless shelter and soup kitchens.

The company is a member of the American Fence Association and pays for employees to earn designations such as Certified Fence Professional and Certified Fence Contractor.

Commitment to excellence has always been foremost with the company, Ream says, with an emphasis on meeting clients’ expectations. “We don’t just sell them a fence. We want to be their fence partner.”