POWDER COATING
Fencing Out
the Competition
Texas fabricator
uses U.S.-built
powder coating
equipment to
compete against
foreign imports.
EditEd by tim PEnnington
When AAdvantage Panels and Fence CEO Robert Webb started
his Whitney, Texas-based company in 2012 to make and
powder coat decorative fence panels for the commercial,
residential and livestock markets, he knew he was up against
heavy foreign competition, but also an unfulfilled need.
"We first started looking at livestock fencing panels," Webb
says. "Much of the fencing on the market was just plain junk,
made of rough stock with sloppy welds and a finish that
wouldn't hold up to the elements."
On the other end of the market was a high-quality fencing
that many ranchers couldn't afford.
"We saw a niche in the middle for well-built fencing at a
reasonable cost," Webb says.
Compete With Pacific Rim
So when Webb started his company and wanted to install a new
powder coating system, he worked with Reliant Finishing Systems
in Alabama to help him compete with Pacific Rim companies that
have historically dominated the decorative fencing market.
34
SEPTEMBER 2013
— pfonline.com