| 101 Every yard design & build is unique The Western Fencing build resonated with farmers across the world, including in the United States and Australia. Lindy Andrews The power of Facebook still leaves Western Fencing’s Bevan Jamieson gobsmacked. In June this year, a video was posted of a recently completed set of yards. It went viral, attracting some five million views, 1,600 comments and 7,400 shares. The Western Fencing build resonated with farmers across the world, including in the United States and Australia. “They were interested enough to get in touch,” he says. “They asked for the design, which we didn’t have on paper, but we went back to them with advice.” The reason Bevan didn’t have “ready to go” plans was simple – every yard Western Fencing designs and builds is unique. “Every farmer has different needs and wants,” he explains. “I let the farmers lead the design process because they know their operations best and what will work best for them.” At the outset, Bevan and his team mark out the yards with pegs so that the farmer can do a walk-through. From there it’s easy to make changes, avoiding rework further down the track. Bevan grew up on a farm, leaving school to go shepherding at 16, moving on to become a stock manager. “I drove a digger for a bit, but that was not my cup of tea.” In 2012, Bevan was giving his mate Scott McKenzie a hand with fencing his deer farm and the pair decided to give fencing “a crack”. Equipped with a simple post driver and a truck they founded Western Fencing. “We put an ad in the local Farmlands store and picked up our first job from there.” A roadside chat with a Dipton farmer netted Bevan and Scott eight months work, the genesis of a growing client base that remains loyal to this day. Three years after they joined forces the friends parted company, with Bevan buying out Scott to allow him to focus on his farm. RURAL SERVICES » Western Fencing As the business grew, a couple of full timers were needed. In 2018, George Swan came on board as an employee, becoming a shareholder in 2021. Affectionately known as Arnold, Western Fencing’s imported rubber track post driver is a familiar sight as the team makes its way across the Southland region, fencing deer, cattle and sheep farms, as well as designing and building its now internationally famous yards. While Bevan dedicates himself to the fencing business, his wife Tash takes care of the couple’s 140-hectare sheep farm, where they run Romney ewes. Day-to-day work aside, there have been more than a few unusual jobs, like planting 300 to 400 willows for riparian protection. “Probably the weirdest job we have done was Cell: 027 430 1012 Email: admin@mcgregorconcrete.co.nz Free phone 0800 225 850 • Phone plant 03 225 8503 MCGREGORS ReadyMix Concrete &Gravel Summit Steel & Wire are proud to support Western Fencing as an Installer Partner. Suppliers of Posts | Strainers | Timber Troughs | Kitset Sheds Processed Locally Brian Gore yard 032089656 Jason Milton yard 034174458 www.greatsouthern.net.nz Invercargill: 032159738 WESTERN MECHANICAL SERVICES Qualified diesel mechanic, servicing Western Southland and surrounding areas. Western Mechanical Services o ers a range of on-farm servicing and agricultural machinery repairs as well as relief driving. 0273586961 WE PROUDLY SUPPORT westernmechanical2022@gmail.com Western Fencing planting willow trees with the post driver,” Bevan says with a laugh. “One of our big clients came to us and said he reckoned we could spike the holes and plant them faster than he could. “For one bigger client we do everything from decking bridges to effluent ponds and fencing.” It is that good old-fashioned Kiwi Number 8 fencing wire mentality that has ensured the business’s ongoing success.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=