Sept, 2010: Marketshare Increases for Licensees

Bakersfield, CA Licensee Installs StoneTree^® Security Fence Walls for Utility Plants

StructureCast, an NPCA Certified Plant located in Bakersfield, CA, has carved a niche in the utility fence wall sector. Under the guidance of Brent Dezember,StoneTree^® Fence Walls with additional security equipment continue to be specified and installed throughout California. The company has completed nearly 20,000 feet of utility wall for Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric. With their persistent marketing efforts, StructureCast has had the StoneTree^® System specified on additional projects and are in the completion stages of installing StoneTree^® security walls in the Antelope Valley and Palm Springs areas of California, with two more projects following in the High Desert and Sacramento, which they plan to complete in the next two months.

Denver, CO Licensee Creates "Aged Brick" Look with Color

Randy Lofquist, Owner of Custom Fence and Supply, and the StoneTree^® Manufacturer in Denver, CO, says “this year has been a great improvement over last and we are working on a lot of new opportunities.” Custom Fence is building a project using the StoneTree^® brick texture, using multiple colors to create an "aged brick" look. They have also completed a large project for a Homeowner Association in Aurora. They are also preparing to build their first double stacked sound wall with security equipment for a Denver utility company which will be commencing construction in the next few weeks.

Custom Logo Fence Walls for Texas Gated Community

Aber Fence, StoneTree^® manufacturer and installer servicing the Houston market, has started construction on Phase Two of the Cross Creek Ranch homeowner association fence project, where 300 homes are presently under construction. Tim Thibodeau is optimistic and says, “I definitely see more opportunity in the marketplace. We are now bidding more work and expect to install almost a mile of fence wall at Cross Creek between now and January."

The Cross Creek Homeowner Association requested the ashlar wall texture, with the Cross Creek Logo cast into the columns. Tim approached AFTEC with their request, and had the custom logo form liner manufactured. The ashlar stone pattern also lends itself readily to utilizing multiple colors to create a natural stone look on the fence wall panels.

In Canada, StoneTree^® Sound Walls and BUILDINGS Are Constructed, & Custom Brick Liners Get Jobs Specified

Cast in Stone Fences in Alberta, Canada, has worked hard to be the established leader in precast concrete fence wall construction in Calgary and Edmonton. Don Stumborg, owner of Cast in Stone Fences, echos Lofquist's statement:

“We are extremely busy and are booked with work through the end of the year”. Cast in Stone Fences pioneered the use of double-stacked StoneTree^® sound walls in Alberta, and recently they built a workshop and office, using StoneTree^®Wall Sections in the stacked stone texture.

Solid Rock Fencing, located in Western Canada, with locations in Medicine Hat, AB and Vancouver BC, has commenced installation of a double stacked sound wall project on the Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler in British Columbia. The StoneTree^®Sound Wall consists of two 8-foot sections stacked atop each other, and is engineered to withstand 110mph winds. To accomplish this, the Rigid Footing Support System was modified to use a W4 13 beam specially fabricated with metal plates welded on both sides to the bottom portion of the beam for added strength. The beams were set 2 feet into the pier footing using a rebar cage and a sleeve into which the I-beam was set and grouted. Once all the wall sections are installed, the columns will be fully grouted creating a strong rigid connection. The joint between wall sections were sealed together using a 1/2 inch thick by 1 inch wide neoprene strip, which will compress to 1/8 inch.

Innovation Paves the Way For New Opportunities

Fencor Concrete Systems located in Mississauga, Ontario, services the Greater Toronto Area. They have worked diligently with municipalities and developers to find designs that will address present and future projects. They found an overwhelming response to AFTEC’s stacked stone texture. However, to complement existing architectural features in their area, some changes were suggested. Consequently, they worked with AFTEC to develop a custom-designed new stacked stone concrete form liner to address the feedback that they were receiving. Since this re-design, the StoneTree^®wall has been specified on four projects including a Wal-Mart Superstore.

In the city of Brampton, a suburb 20 miles from Toronto, masonry brick wall has been the standard for the past 25 years. Recently, walls have begun to show their age and some are crumbling, requiring significant repairs. Fencor approached the city with the prospect of replacing the aging brick walls with precast concrete panels, not only for the replacement projects, but also to set a new standard for the future. Their goal was to introduce a wall panel that would not significantly change the aesthetic feel of the community. This idea was not only embraced by the city of Brampton, but immediately put into action. Fencor began working with AFTEC to design the custom brick form liner which was recently completed and overwhelmingly accepted by the city. The panel to the left is the result of their collaboration with both the city of Brampton and with AFTEC.

Two Mexico Licensees Wrap Up Large Projects, and Look to a Bright Future

BardaMex Muros de Concreto, located south of Mexico City in Puebla, has installed the first 5 kilometers of a 34 km project using AFTEC’s split face block texture. Ricardo Carrera, CEO of BardaMex is very pleased with the progress his company is making with the StoneTree^® System in Mexico. “We see many opportunities for the products and expect to be expanding in the near future” he stated recently.

In Monterrey, Mexico, Felipe Flores, owner of Megaconcretos also sees business improving. “We have just completed 2.5 km of wall and have many new projects that are in the process of being finalized”.