Today, March 13, 2025, Integrity Fencing celebrates five years in business! To honor this milestone, we spoke with founder and owner Shawn Beard to learn why he was drawn to start this business, why he believes everyone deserves a second chance, and how his first foray as an entrepreneur was selling sticky notes in his neighborhood as a kid.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Northern Colorado. I was born in Greeley and grew up in Loveland and Fort Collins. Later, I relocated to Littleton, where I still live today. It’s close to the mountains and reminds me of Northern Colorado but is closer to the big city. I love Littleton; it’s friendly, has nice neighborhoods, and it’s easy to pop into Denver for sporting games. I love my home state of Colorado. I’ve briefly lived in other states, but no other place feels right!
What was your early professional background?
Throughout my career, I have owned five different businesses including a landscaping company, a print publication company, and a mortgage company. Later, I reinvented myself and started Integrity Fencing in 2020. March 13 is our five-year anniversary, and I’m very proud of that.
You seem filled with the entrepreneurial spirit. How did that come about?
When I was a kid, I sold sticky note pads around my neighborhood for $0.25 a piece. I guess I was a salesman from the beginning. Later, as I got older, I saw the imperfections in companies and wanted to fix them myself.
Why fencing and decking? What drew you to that industry?
It was really by chance. I was ready to reinvent myself, and someone offered me an opportunity in fencing, so I took it. At first, I worked for different fence companies and learned a lot. Then, as I took it all in, I wanted to do it myself.
How has Integrity Fencing grown and changed over the years?
When I first started out, I was fine with being a two-man construction crew. But soon, I realized the potential of selling residential fencing, so I brought more people on board. Many of the current managers at Integrity Fencing have been there for three years now.
I will say that as you get bigger, holding onto a company’s culture and vision is a challenge. But I strive hard to be involved in the community and motivate my employees to do the same. For me, it’s about relationships, and I focus on keeping my employees happy with good work and fair pay.
Over the years, many fencing franchises have popped up around the Denver Metro area. Many of them have never built a fence before and are completely inexperienced. Integrity Fencing is not a franchise; we are a family-owned business. We are all about relationships, partnerships, reliability, and quality. We pride ourselves on our positive and direct relationships with suppliers and our many subcontractors.
We have done a great job tackling the residential market and are now moving to more commercial projects and new home construction. We recently landed a big contract with a home builder, which we are very excited about.
What made you decide to add your own supply yard?
It was hard to get materials during the first years of the COVID pandemic. I didn’t want to be in that position so I decided to contact direct suppliers. I began by developing relationships with the right people and I’ve since made lasting partnerships with lumber mills. Our supply yard has inventory for Integrity Fencing projects, as well as for local contractors and DIYers. We now have the materials we need, when we need them, and stock high-quality products for others. It’s a win-win.
You are very supportive of providing training, even beyond traditional job training, for your employees. Why is that important to you?
I believe that helping people make good decisions outside of work translates to better decisions at work. We have provided a financial health class taught by Mark Jackson, and we have offered massages on Fridays.
You are a family-owned business that believes in giving back to the community. What do volunteering and community mean to you?
It means sacrificing your time to make sure you make a difference. Whether it be money for nonprofits or physical service. Integrity Fencing gives donations to four different nonprofits every year. These organizations typically involve helping the unhoused, battling addiction, and things to help make a community better. We also focus on community outreach and church outreach.
See related post: Integrity Team Shows Up for Community
I believe in giving people a second chance because someone once took a chance on me. I try to pass that on, whether it be through donations and community work, or in my hiring process. Your past doesn’t define you; it was a season in your life. And if you’re willing to learn from mistakes to change and grow, our company can support that.
Do you have a mantra or phrase to motivate your employees?
“My team makes me better.” We also use the word team as an acronym: Together Empowered Aligned Making a difference. This is because it’s never about one person; it’s a team environment. While our word of the year was relationships last year, our word for 2025 is professionalism.
What’s something about Integrity Fencing that people may be surprised to know?
They may not realize how much we’ve grown. We have many more trucks out there now; we have 20 vehicles in our fleet! Also, we moved to the Littleton/Highlands Ranch area and more people are discovering us. I think people are surprised by how much inventory we carry and the size of jobs we can tackle. We have completed commercial projects for half a million dollars.
See related post: Local Commercial Fencing Projects
We are a member of the Fence Workers Association, a Trex Fencing certified dealer, a member of the American Fence Association, BBB accredited, and certified in gate automation.
My Sales Manager, Area Manager, and I recently attended the Fence Tech conference, where we became Sales Training School certified, and the company gained gate automation and design school certifications.
What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t working?
I like to travel. I try to get away before and after the company’s busy season. I enjoy going on date nights with my wife, Christina. We also volunteer together and do ministry work. When I need to have fun and be in the moment, I hop in my muscle car, a Dodge Challenger. It’s really fun to drive.