March 2024 marks four years in business for Integrity Fencing. Let’s hear from Shawn Beard, president of the company, about the highs, the lows (can you say, pandemic?), and all that he’s proud of accomplishing in those four years.
What made you strike out on your own and start Integrity Fencing?
SB: I wanted to do fencing and decking differently. I had previously worked at bigger companies, so I had that experience for a while. Part of what I wanted to do differently was to be a difference maker in the community. I wanted to give back while doing what I love. I also wanted to build a team of people with a vision that aligns to core values.
What did you set out to do differently than the competition?
SB: I wanted to build quality fences and do a really good job for people. A lot of companies cut corners and go cheaper with their materials. But I wanted to build quality fences that people would be happy with for years to come. And that means not using inferior products, employing wet set concrete, and not going cheap on the hardware. We use bigger fence posts and sturdy hardware which makes for sturdy gates. Something else we do differently is using appearance grade wood for our projects. We are proud to say that 95% of the lumber in our supply yard is appearance grade wood.
Related Read: Why You Want Your Fencing Contractor to Use Quality Lumber
I also wanted to grow a team that meant I was providing jobs in the local community. It’s important to me that I’m providing jobs and helping people provide for their families.
What are you most proud of your company accomplishing in the last four years?
SB: The solid team we’ve established, the market share we’ve gained, and how we’ve given back to the community.
How has your team grown over the years?
SB: Well, in the beginning it was mostly just me. I worked with customers, purchased materials, built the projects, took materials to the dump, did the accounting—everything. I did what I needed to do to get started. Then I grew bit by bit and established two crews, an office staff, and assistants. We now have 26 full-time employees and 40 associates/subcontractors we work with consistently. I’m proud to say we install an average of 30 miles of fence a year for residential and commercial clients, and our residential jobs average 40 projects a week.
What have you had to adapt to over the years?
SB: When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the supply chain for materials became scarce. I had to get creative and reach out to larger manufacturers like the mills in other states or Canada. Market correction has also been a challenge. The market has now corrected in cedar lumber, it dropped 40% in 2023.
We also continually revamp our systems that help run the business operations. We needed to get away from manual entry of data. With the number of jobs we now handle, there are a lot of product warranties to process. We revamped our warranty system in 2023 and we hired a staff member dedicated to warranty and stain processing and inquires. It seems there are always new policies, procedures, and technologies coming out that we adapt to and grow alongside.
How does Integrity Fencing give back to the community? Why is this important to you?
SB: Community outreach is part of my core values and I incorporate that into my work.
Last year my team volunteered at the Thanksgiving outreach event near Denver City Hall hosted by David Clifton Ministries. Integrity Fencing was a corporate sponsor of the event and staff helped with event setup, food service, and bike repairs.
Upcoming in April 2024 we are volunteering at the Denver Dream Center and later this spring we will be giving away a fence project to a local family who really needs it. The public can nominate a family for a free fence by emailing info @ integrityfence dot com.
With every project we build, we donate a portion to four different nonprofit organizations in the area. This is our way of thanking the community for doing business with us. In 2023 we donated over $100,000.
What type of fence do you build the most of? What type of decking is most popular?
SB: Cedar fences are by far our most popular fence. They are beautiful, made with appearance grade wood, and built with high quality hardware for sturdiness. Around 50% of clients choose to stain their cedar fence a color of their choice. Second in installs is Trex fencing and ornamental (wrought) iron fences.
We partner with a decking expert and many different types of decking material are chosen by our clients including Trex or cedar. What stands out about our decking installation is that we use Diamond Pier technology. A Diamond Pier is a type of deck footing. It consists of a piece of concrete with four holes in it and steel pins going through the holes into the ground. It is often referred to as a pin foundation system. Diamond Piers are structurally rated footings for decks, gazebos, pergolas, screened-in porches, and other similar structures.
Related Read: 3 Reasons Why Steel Diamond Piers are Best for Deck Building
In what city have you constructed the most projects?
SB: Littleton, CO. That’s where it all started!
If you were building a new fence in your own yard tomorrow, what type would you choose and why?
SB: I would go with Trex or a cedar fence with steel posts. A Trex fence is beautiful from both sides, but cedar is nice looking as well, and when you build a wood fence with steel posts it makes it very durable. It will hold up well against high winds.
What else would you like to say about your company?
SB: We are family owned and operated; we are not a franchise. We started out small and have successfully grown thanks to our great community and their trust in us. That’s why it’s important to us to always be giving back.
