Confessions of a Cold Caller...

As a business owner, your time is valuable, and always in demand. One way to guarantee that you have fewer distractions is to have whoever answers your phone “filter” calls. The number of “I'll let him know you called”, and “give me your number and if he's interested he'll call you back” responses I get is staggering. I know when I hear this that the chances of you ever hearing about the truly unique products I can offer to differentiate you from your competition in quality and value are next to zero.

Here's what you didn't learn. I offer American made products designed and built here by professionals with decades in your industry. The products you are using are almost certainly imported, inferior copies of products we introduced to the industry.

Contrary to opinion, the cost of using our product is usually lower than that of using our competitor's, and the margins are higher. But you won't know that because you've trained the person who answers the phone to take a name and number, with no compelling reason for you to call back. So you never talk to me.

Instead, I find the one guy in your market who is really into quality. He sells top notch products at prices that make him profitable, and at the same time, attractive to the kind of customers who don't mind paying for good quality work, and who pay on time. I work with that guy, helping him to grow his business, ultimately, at the cost of your business. 

Have at it.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

At first glance it looks like many other well made vinyl enclosures, however, the installer did two things that will likely result in greater need for repair over the life of the gates.  First, the installer chose what looks to be an imported hinge set.  These are made to look like a copyrighted American made hinge, but they are not.
Second, the hinges are installed incorrectly.  This is a common error.  Look at the picture and notice how close together the hinges are spaced.  Look at all the room above the top hinge and below the bottom hinge.  This placement makes the entire gate system weaker than it ought to be.  This is especially critical when using inferior imported hinges.
To make your gate system as strong and stable as it can be, always move the hinges as far apart as they can be.  Think of the forces on the gate as a triangle.  The distance between hinges is the base of that triangle, and the center of the leading edge of the gate is the apex.  Gravity pulls down at the apex.  The broader the base of the triangle is, the better it can resist that gravity.  Applying this extra force to a hinge that is poorly made to begin with is a recipe for call backs and dissatisfied customers.
It may take a little more effort to do it right if you're too short to place the top hinge without a ladder, or don't want to get down low to apply the bottom hinge, but in the end, it's always worth doing a job right.

Hinge Mounted Springs...And Why They're a Bad Idea

Hinge mounted springs are in the least effective place to close a gate. They have no leverage. Even hydraulic closers are more effective when the pulling arm is at a distance from the hinge.

Just like when you were a kid on the teeter-totter at recess, where a skinny kid could lift a fat kid, as long as he was far enough away from the pivot, so a small spring, crammed up against the pivot, will struggle to move a gate.

Yes, we still sell hinges with springs for customers who demand them, but we are offering a smarter, more effective way now. It offers positive latching, every time, with an even power curve that doesn't get weaker as the gate closes. Designed for safety, durability, and minimal maintenance, our new gate closing option should be on your gate.

E-Clips Eclipse

https://youtu.be/6X9HG8qNBSc

(Click to see total E-Clips Eclipse)

  We take every component of our American made hinges very seriously. These are designed to work specifically with our hinges, cut and polished in our shop in East Troy Wisconsin, and available only on Modern Fence Technologies hinges. Some hinge models are designed for easy reversal, requiring no tools to remove and replace the e-clip to reverse the clevis pin direction. Others are equipped with a security screw to prevent tampering. All are 100% American stainless steel.

New Product Idea? We Can Help!

We get it.  When you're in the middle of creating a new product the small details, while very important to the success of your idea, can bury you.  At Modern Fence Technologies and K&R Manufacturing, we strive to take that load off of you while offering  interactive concept development.  This, along with our quick prototyping and job costing skills ensure that the “devil in the details” doesn't get in the way.

While we're known for metal fabrication in steel and stainless steel, we also specialize in plastics and injection molding, and with our network of domestic suppliers, we offer full support from concept to production run. We believe in America and in the American entrepreneurial spirit.  That's how Modern Fence Technologies and K&R Manufacturing were built and will continue to grow.

  In addition to our full line of fence and gate hardware and tools, (many with patents or copyrights), we offer OEM support to several major fence manufacturers, as well as offering design and production of components and products to businesses across the U.S.  It's time to make your idea a reality.  Call us. We want to be part of your American success story.

We're Golfing Again!

We're golfing again!  We're looking for all the guys in northern Illinois and Wisconsin to come out and enjoy a day of fun, food, and golf. 

If you haven't heard before now from your supplier or directly from one of the many ways we're promoting this event, this is your notice to call Alison at 888-456-6786 and reserve your spot.  

All fence professionals are invited to the event on Thursday, September 21^st.

Lunch at Modern Fence Technologies, and golf at Alpine Valley Resort, north of Lake Geneva, followed by dinner at the resort.

By the Numbers...

By the Numbers...

So, gates are what, like 10-15% of your total revenue stream? And gate problems account for maybe 60%-70% of your call backs?

What is the number one failure in a gate system? There are a few things that can go wrong, and any one or a combination of these things can destroy the profit margin on any job. The gate sags. Is the gate itself is the problem, or is it the hinges, or even the post that is failing?

A well made gate will not sag.  To make sure it doesn't sag, or to make sure it doesn't twist and flop around, you just need to remember one rule of thumb. Never lay your bracing down below 45º when measured off the bottom rail. Other articles discuss why this works and how but for our purposes here, it just does.

The best made hinge will not support a gate too heavy for its rating. You need to know how much load a gate puts on the hinge system, not just how much the gate weighs. Load takes into account the stresses caused by the ratio of the width of the panel against the distance between the hinges. A hinge properly sized for the job will support the gate for the lifetime of the fence, and will allow for adjustment to account for the natural movement of the ground.

A post must both be rigid enough to support the load of the gate, and anchored properly in the earth. As seasons pass, changing water content and potentially ice will cause the earth around a post to shift. Sometimes we see the post rise or sink due to “frost heave”. This can be mitigated with proper post setting techniques, again, a subject for another post.

An adjustable hinge will allow for “fine tuning” when the unavoidable small movements occur.  A bolt-on hinge will allow for simple replacement in the field if replacement is needed, without cutting, welding, and paint issues.

Now you know more about why we do what we do at Modern Fence Technologies.

The best post cap available anywhere...guaranteed

  

A post cap is perhaps the lowest priced component on your fence, yet it can have the greatest impact on the good looks and longevity of your investment. Doesn't it make sense to use high quality, American made caps to prolong the life of your investment?

 Modern Fence Technologies vinyl post caps, for the life of your fence.

We've Been Ready for the Unicorn Backlash All Along...

We've been ready for the unicorn backlash all along...

An ice cream parlor in Los Angeles is offering an antidote to rainbows and unicorns to answer Starbuck's. They thought it would be original to offer their product in pure, rich black.

News flash! 

 Modern Fence Technologies has been offering up the very best American made gate hardware in black for literally decades! And for the less adventurous vanilla crowd, we also offer our stainless steel hardware in white.

Call your MFT rep today for the best in American made gate hardware!

Unicorns and Rainbows and Insane Profits on Fads!

Apparently the coolest thing in the world right now is unicorns. In honor of our friends at Starbuck's, we too are launching a unicorn(ish) hinge. 

(Yeah, I know, that's not a horn, it's an ear, and even if it was a horn, there's two of them, so this would technically be a “Bicorn”, which is even cooler, 'cuz if one horn is good, two's gotta be better, right?)

Like Starbuck's our goal is to entice our customers, who usually buy our other stuff, (just not as much of it as we'd like, to be honest), to buy our groovy horse head hinges, because, hey, they're groovy. And kinda unicorny.

Also like our friendly coffee purveyors of lefty-left coast fame, we intend to offer them at a “Special Price”*, for a “Limited Time”**. We'll even customize them with up to three colors of temporary glitter for an additional $10/set.

Call Modern Fence Technologies quick, while supplies last! (Our staff will  be happy to show you all the REAL savings to be had using genuine American made hardware and caps)

* “Special Price” = 20% over list  (Because it's cool, and special!)
** “Limited Time” = Until we run out of them, or Mark and Marge find out we're doing this, whichever comes first!

New Word For Today...

“Chinesium”

I heard a new word while watching a YouTube tear down review of a power tool, (the channel is AvE, if you want to check it out, he's informative and entertaining). The reviewer was referring to the low quality material used in a critical part in the tool he was dismantling as 

“Chinesium”.

Of course, I knew right away what he meant from the context of the comment, but I wanted to know what the rest of the world, (at least the English speaking world) thinks “Chinesium” means.

  So I did what every proper scholar does. I Googled it. The Urban Dictionary catches, what I believe to be, the true essence of everything Chinesium is, and what you can't get from Modern Fence Technologies.

Chinesium

An element not found on the periodic table. A crappy metal or plastic substance made in China in the manufacture of ALL Chinese exports.

The only stuff under the Christmas tree this year is Chinesium crap.

Sadly, much Chinesium is shipped into the U.S. specifically because American consumers think they can game the system by paying less for a product, while expecting it to perform and last like something made well and priced accordingly.

Our landfills swell, and our bank accounts shrink, as we buy replacement after replacement...

A Tale of Two Dumpster Gates

A Tale of Two Dumpster Gates

The photos below are of enclosures at two restaurants in neighboring towns about 10-15 miles from MFT world headquarters. They both went in approximately 5 years ago, within about a year of each other. To be honest, I don't remember which was first. I know the contractor who built one of the sets of gates, because we sold him the hardware he used. The other contractor had the good sense to leave his name off the gates.

Here is a list of all the components of a Modern Fence Technologies stainless steel hinge that are not stainless steel:

Engineered material bearing.

 That's it, all other parts are 100% stainless steel.

Here is a list of all the components of a Modern Fence Technologies mild steel hinge that are not stainless steel:

Gate bracket, post bracket, engineered material bearing.

 All other parts are 100% stainless steel.

Buy American. Get what you pay for. Never pay for it again with our lifetime replacement guarantee.

Is it Really American Made?

There's a difference between “American made” and “an American made company”.  We make our hinges, latches, drop rods, and molded vinyl caps and accessories right here.  From start to finish.

We could import our products and tell everybody that we are “an American made company”, and that would be technically true because even if the products are imported, the company was made in America.

Instead, we use American made materials*, American labor, and our own designs to make everything right here.

Come see us at our facilities in East Troy, Wisconsin.  Then ask your supplier to see their production facility. (Have your passport handy!)

*Certificates of origin available upon request

While we recently took time to thank all those wholesalers who carry our products, we owe a special debt of gratitude to those contractors who have insisted on top quality, innovative products from Modern Fence Technologies. They helped inspire us to weather the storm over the last ten years, and we hope that we have done at least the same for them.

We have quite a few contractors who buy direct from us. In large part, this came about because for whatever reason, the wholesalers they buy fencing from do not offer the American made hardware from MFT that contractors wanted.

Companies that offer top quality, name brand, guaranteed products are typically more profitable than those that offer the same imported, commoditized, generic hardware offered by their competitors. By differentiating themselves from the rest, they are setting themselves apart from the pack. By offering reliable products, they are justifying a better price, with fewer call backs.

To all our contractor friends out there, demanding the best, thank you. We couldn't do this without you!  We're here for you.

Thank You For Buying American Made!

Join the growing number of fence wholesalers offering American made hardware as standard equipment with their gates.  In 2007-2008 we saw a wave of fence wholesalers switch from American made hardware and caps to imported copies.

  As this trend continued, many wholesalers remained true to their customers and refused to offer counterfeit hardware.  To them we say “Thank You!”

We've been hearing from some those who did switch to imports that they have been plagued with pricing irregularities, delivery delays, and ever decreasing quality, as overseas manufacturers dealt with rising wages in their employee base, rising shipping costs, and demands from some customers for ever lower prices.  Broken promise after expensive broken promise!

Now they are coming back to American made products.

We are proud to say we are 100% American made, and because many stood with us, and many more are returning, our prices on most items are stable, and in some cases lower than they were five years ago.  Our products ship the same or next day 97% of the time from one of our two regional distribution hubs.  We also continue to innovate better ways to improve our products while maintaining the high quality standards our customers demand.

Modern Fence Technologies is committed to bringing the best American made hardware to the industry, at the very best prices. 

We're Not Screwing Around...

We offer Phillips pan head stainless steel screws painted black or white with most of our hardware. These screws offer excellent corrosion resistance and look great for years while securing our hardware to your fence and gate.

The down side of stainless steel screws is that you pretty much have to pre-drill the holes you put them into. This is because stainless steel makes a horrible drill bit. There are two types of stainless commonly used for screws. One is too soft to cut steel, so the drill tip on a stainless steel tek screw will flatten out before cutting a hole, and the other is too brittle, causing the cutting edge on a tek screw made from this material to crack off before finishing a hole.

To answer the demand for a corrosion resistant tek screw that will drill through steel posts or aluminum post stiffeners as needed, we have begun offering our American made galvanized tek screw painted black, using the same black coating as on our stainless screws. These are capable of easily drilling through 1/4” of steel while cutting threads and drawing tight. The galvanized and painted finish is extremely resistant to corrosion.

Are they as good as stainless steel at preventing corrosion? It's hard to tell. We've had contractors using them on vinyl gate hardware installations for several years and have not had any complaints about rust. They do offer the best combination of strength, ease of installation, and endurance that we have seen, and unlike virtually every other fastener available in the fence industry, they are made right here in the U.S. of A.!

Decisions....Decisions

The decision to switch to American made fence products can be a difficult one. Common obstacles include the cost of changing all those part numbers and brochures, and the potential for more expensive hardware. (Here's a hint: The second one ain't necessarily so...)

Let's look at some of the reasons why companies all over the U.S. Are deciding that those costs are worth it.

1. The average price a contractor can charge for a fence is measurably higher, when that contractor sells the fence based on it's American made heritage. Ask your customer if they are willing to pay more for American made quality. You might be surprised by the answer.
2. The cost of using our products is lower. Some of the reasons; fewer parts rejected for defect, fewer service calls to replace broken or defective hardware, and fewer lost or damaged parts in inventory, due to our individual packaging, and less time waiting for out of stock products to arrive from overseas. We ship 97% of stock orders same or next day.
3. Companies using our products compete with the imports at a distinct advantage. Companies that all use the same imported products find themselves with only one way to compete, that's price. They have to come in cheaper than the next guy to get the work. Kiss profit goodbye! But companies using Modern Fence Technologies hardware are able to sell quality products at reasonable prices, while setting themselves apart from the rest of the pack.

Modern Fence Technologies has been leading the way in gate hardware for decades. Come see why contractors, fence supply wholesalers, and even homeowners are demanding American made MFT products.

Call 888-456-6786 today. If you are on the West Coast, call our Carson City Nevada branch at  888-613-8146

The Unintended Consequences of Buying Cheap Hardware

Fence contractors use products from all over the world to bring beauty and security to homes and businesses. Among those products can be found inferior quality parts, often from untraceable foreign manufacturers, who don't follow truth in advertising laws, or even safety laws.

When those products end up used on a fence with your company logo on it and fail, your company takes the hit. When you use genuine, stainless steel American made gate hardware from Modern Fence Technologies, you are getting top quality stainless steel throughout. Where others use mild steel, aluminum, or even plastic as support members in their hinges, our support is made of 100% stainless steel.

Rusty Hinges is the stage name of a drag queen in Ireland, (it really is!*). It shouldn't describe the products you put your name on.

In addition to our adjustable stainless hinges, Modern Fence now makes traditional T-hinges, “butterfly” style hinges, and strap hinges in 100% stainless steel.

**(OK, go ahead and look for yourself, https://www.facebook.com/missrustyhinges...)

Why We Do What We Do Vol 1, Issue 3

Bolt On Hinges Vs. Weld On Hinges

Reason C. Whether damaged by the lack of a gate stop, allowing the gate to swing backwards through the opening, or by a vehicle, vandal, or just plain wear and tear, hinges need to be replaced from time to time. Cutting and welding on new hinges in the field means dealing with reasons A and B again. Using Modern Fence Technologies bolt on hinges means not only getting the replacement hinge for free under our warranty, it also means quick, hassle free replacement.

Modern Fence Technologies includes with every hinge the right fasteners for your gate system. These screws or bolts are matched for strength and material performance to the demands of the hinge you are using. We offer stainless steel screws as well as galvanized tek screws and carriage bolts, depending on the type of hinge and your preference, all coated to match the hinges and protect them from corrosion.

If your crew member can operate a cordless drill or impact driver, installing MFT hinges properly is a straightforward operation. Once installed, the hinges are complete, with no need for touch up grinding or painting, and the factory powder coat finish is intact to protect the strength and appearance of the hinge and gate for years to come.

When the time comes to repair a gate with MFT hinges, the removable hinge pin design also makes mounting and dismounting the gate simple, and if the hinge needs to be replaced, the installer can quickly install the replacement hinges with the new screws provided.

Why We Do What We Do Vol 1, Issue 2

Bolt On Hinges Vs. Weld On Hinges

  Convenience is important. So is appearance. Once a hinge is welded on it may need a touch up with a grinder to make it look good, then it should ideally be primed, then painted to prevent rust. The fact is that no matter how many times a business owner tells his crew to follow all the steps, we all know that the easiest one to skip is also probably the most important. Crews consistently cut corners by skipping the primer. A quick coat of finish paint and you can almost hear what's going through their mind,

“Looks good from my house!” We also know that the paint will fail quickly, leaving your company name on a rusty gate.

Even if the primer and paint are done right, the resulting finish is rarely better than an obvious patch job on the factory powder coat or e-coated paint. MFT's color matched bolts and screws eliminate the need for touch up paint, giving you a better looking, long lasting protective finish.

Watch for our next installment of Why We Do What We Do for a long term, business building reason to use Modern Fence Technologies bolt on hinges.