| 77 T T Hugh de Lacy Fencing company extends its reach The company supplies fence panels, fence and gate hardware, gate automation and balustrades, including custom slide, swing and cantilever gates and panels. MANUFACTURING Edgesmith/FenceLab Specialist Auckland gate and fence manufacturer and supplier, Edgesmith, is about to add a new powder coating factory to its existing Silverdale plant, on top of its recent expansion into the Australian market. Initially, the new plant will be for in-house work, supporting the fabrication facility for trade and cash customers alike, and for nationwide retailers like Mitre 10, but will also soon be offering powder coating services to the wider market. The company also has branches in East Tamaki and Christchurch, and has recently opened branches in Brisbane and Melbourne. Edgesmith supplies wholesalers with the likes of flat-pack DIY panels, and also an aesthetically pleasing security panel, Ngaru Mesh, and together they offer multiple applications to both the residential and commercial markets. The company supplies fence panels, fence and gate hardware, gate automation and balustrades, including custom slide, swing and cantilever gates and panels. Edgesmith opened its Brisbane branch a little over a year ago, and has added a Melbourne one since, expanding its reach across the Tasman at a time when sales manager Grant Kaminer admits the market here “is not what we’d want it to be, but is not without its opportunities”. The company has 40 staff in New Zealand, and a further dozen in Australia, and in the latter market Grant says monthly sales have turned out to be better than expected. “We’re expecting an improvement in the New Zealand market in the near future, helped along with further Reserve Bank interest rate cuts,” he says. “Relatively, business is slightly slower, but there are plenty of large projects in the pipeline awaiting the go-ahead, and our new powder coating facility will help us maintain our reputation in the market. So, overall, it’s a positive outlook.” Edgesmith’s range of products and services is built on aluminium and steel welding capacities creating standard and bespoke fence panels and gates from designs drawn up in-house and signed off by the clients, then made up in the factory and powder coated for delivery. “We mostly supply the trade, though a big part of our client base is cash customers from both the trade and individual businesses and homeowners,” Grant says. “As well as the gates and panels themselves, we supply fence and gate hardware, including automated gates with full access control. Electric fencing is also a key product of ours, some for agriculture but mostly for security applications. We back the security products up with the production of razor wire and chainlink fencing, and associated safety devices for all types of gate.” The company is owned by Gareth Knight and Sean Foster, with Gareth being active in the day-to-day management and, together with Sean, facilitating product development. Sales manager Grant hails from South Africa, where he owned a fencing business, so Edgesmith offered familiar ground for him when he moved to New Zealand. Since then, he has been part of an inclusive team that has grown considerably over the years, and will continue to do so with the latest expansion of the business. Proudly Supporting FenceLab 09 309 2279 sales@apexfencing.co.nz • Civil • Commercial • Sports & Schools • Residential
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