posts in stock and can special order creosote posts.
“You need to have a variety of products, not just what you thought of in the past. You need to be open to change and new product lines. People look stuff up online and see something new and fresh. You need to be famil- iar with these products,” says Chris Cleaver, president.
Cleaver Farm & Home is no stranger to keeping up with customer needs and demands. It was founded as a livestock and scrap metal company in 1946 and has evolved into a one-stop shopping experience for building, home and farm needs. Their willingness to adapt to the times isn’t the only reason Cleaver’s has done well with fence sales.
To better serve rural lifestylers in remote areas, Burnips Equipment in western Michigan started carrying a comprehensive line of fencing products and accessories.
comparing apples to apples. Typically, the products they offer during these deep discounts are of a lower qual- ity, meaning customers don’t always understand why our prices might be higher on what they perceive to be a similar product. It’s a matter of educa- tion,” Vanderkolk says.
Oil Boom Brings Fencing Business
Dealers should keep local economic trends in mind, especially when they can’t compete on price for fencing. The common sentiment may be that rural lifestylers go to big box stores for fencing supplies, but there may be opportunities for dealers to serve their needs better.
“The only way to be a competi- tive fence provider is price, price and price, unless price isn’t a factor.” These are the sentiments of Steve Schroeder of Stillwater Milling. The company has 4 locations across north central Oklahoma. Stillwater Milling has seen an increase in fence purchases due to a local economic trend: the oil boom. “We’ve seen a lot of landowners come in to replace the fencing that the oil companies tore up when they placed their wells. The oil companies are paying to replace the fence, so the customers aren’t as concerned about price as they might normally be.”
Education appears to be an impor-
tant element when it comes to suc- cessfully selling fencing products to rural lifestylers. They often need instruction on which products are best to use, which brands will provide the best quality, and which equipment will best meet their installation needs. “Our main concern is carrying qual- ity products, to give our customers the best value,” says Vanderkolk. “For example, that’s why we carry Tarter and Priefert gates. We only want our customers to have the best.”
Stay Flexible,
Knowledgeable When it comes to fencing, Cleaver Farm & Home in Chanute, Kan., prob- ably carries it. From Red Brand, they carry barbed wire, staples, woven wire, panels, specialty hardware cloths and poultry nettings, among other accessories. Their Oklahoma brand line features barbed wire, panels, fence stays and woven wire, and they also stock Davis barbed wire. Their fence post selection includes products from Commercial Metals Co. (which also uses the name Sheffield) and Chicago Heights. For gates, they stock B&W and Hutchinson Western. They even have some treated round fence
40 RURAL LIFESTYLE DEALER SUMMER 2013 “Sales are going very well; it’s been
a good year. When farmers have a decent year of crops, it seems to lift all economic tides around here,” says Cleaver. “We’re seeing a growing trend in hobby farmers in our area. We’re selling more and more sheep and goat wire. Those livestock markets are going up. Fence for those guys is as important as or even more important than it is for those with large heads of cattle. There’s less space, less head, and these customers are counting on each one.”
Another local development is also fueling the increase in fence sales for Cleaver Farm & Home. Its area in southeast Kansas has seen an increase in out-of-state deer and wildlife hunters leasing land, so deer and wildlife fenc- ing is very popular. Cleaver’s carries Red Brand deer and wildlife fencing, as well as sheep fencing for landowners to contain the wildlife they’re raising.
Always Provide
Exceptional Service Scruggs Farm & Home, serving the Tupelo, Miss. area, has found that customer service has helped them increase fencing revenues. Founded in 1973, Scruggs’ early products were farm chemicals, feed, fertilizer, farm equipment and parts, and many items for lawn and garden. In 1990, they added the John Deere line of products under a separate business name, Coley
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