| 83 Fencing business a rewarding field Rosa Watson RURAL SERVICES » Simon Fuller Contracting While running a successful fencing run in Southland keeps him busy enough, Simon Fuller still manages to carve out time for his passion – training hunt horses. From his lifestyle block near Gore, he trains young horses from around the country, from breaking them in to being hunt ready. There are currently seven horses on the property and two yearlings, including a five-year-old that came from Erewhon Station and another from Gisborne. Simon is involved in the Eastern Southland Hunt, helping out where he can. There are 30 hunts a year at various locations in the region. Training a horse from breaking it in through to a successful hunt horse was hugely rewarding, he said. “It’s just a very satisfying process.” While breeding hunt horses was a passion, it was not a money-making operation. And that’s where his contracting business comes in. Simon owns Fuller Fencing that carries out agricultural and residential fencing across the Southland region, with a team of three and two tractors and post drivers. While agriculture was the main line of work, mainly in sheep and dairy operations, there was also the retaining walls, lifestyle block fencing and civil work. The company specialises in bringing solutions to infrastructure and development projects, working in closely with local earth-moving operators. Last year, the team worked on a sheep netting fencing project at the newly-developed Kaiwera Downs wind farm, the first stage of which was completed in November last year. Stage 2 is now under way. Simon has extensive experience infrastructure development and layout to draw from. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a dairy fence, a sheep fence, equine facility ... whatever. That is my strength. “It’s understanding and listening to the client and what they might want to achieve even though they might not know what they want. “It’s giving them various ideas that they are happy with and that I know will work ... (and) having the confidence with me that they’ll get the job that they’re more than happy with at the other end.” The results often spoke for themself, he said. “Walk the walk, don’t talk it and people seem to see what the results are.” Simon has been in the agricultural sector his whole working life, building his first fence line at the age of 16. He has managed and leased farms in his career but fell back to fencing, a trade he gets plenty of satisfaction from. “I guess I like that you can go back 10 or 20 years later and look how you’ve helped develop properties and your input into them. The experienced professional contractor. 0800 NO 8 WIRE (44 8 9473) | www.fullerfencing.co.nz Dairy Conversion • Yards • Retaining Walls • Equine • Post & Rail • Sheep & Beef • Maintenance For all Commercial, Agricultural, Car & 4WD Tyres. Proud suppliers to Simon Fuller Contracting (03) 208 8110 - 24 hour on call service 25 Ashton Street, Gore “I find it very satisfying advising people on what works and what doesn’t, and they take that on board. And then we go build this fence and come back and talk to the owners, and they go ‘oh that’s just great’. “That’s the rewarding side of it I suppose.” Simon is happy with how the company was tracking at its current size, ensuring quality and service are not compromised. “Service is important as well as quality of workmanship.” Simon’s son is now on board with the team, helping keep the business ticking over. “Which makes it a lot easier know that you’ve got someone there to rely on that can run the day-to-day. Simon owns Fuller Fencing that carries out agricultural and residential fencing across the Southland region.
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