Concrete Fence Newsletter - May 2009

Houston Based Aber Fence Provides Creative Fence Wall Solutions

Aber Fence of Houston, Texas began manufacturing the StoneTree™ Fence Wall system in October 2006. They started their operations with an eight foot high forming system and soon realized an additional six foot system was needed to adequately facilitate the market. Therefore, to be more efficient for producing both the six and eight foot high wall, they added a six foot system to their operations.

When Tim Thibodeau, the owner of Aber Fence originally purchased the company, it was in bankruptcy. Through his hard work and dedication, he re-built the company into a viable fencing organization having 45 crews operating and installing fencing just prior to the US Economic Slowdown. At the time that Tim was first introduced to the StoneTree™ Wall System, he had reached a point of not being sure if he wanted to remain in the fence business or shift his talents elsewhere. He had previously dabbled with other concrete systems but was so impressed with the features of the StoneTree™ Design, that he made the decision to incorporate the StoneTree™ Product into his existing operations. Tim has worked very hard to develop a market for the StoneTree™ Product beginning with a few smaller projects, gaining exposure and then advancing to taking market share with larger developments and building projects in the area.

Aber Fence, having many contacts and a major presence in the construction industry, contracted with Texas Ventures, the developer of Whispering Oaks, a residential project in Richmond, Texas to provide a StoneTree™  Boundary wall around the site as well as a decorative entry way. The wall leading up to the entry was custom designed to incorporate an eight foot high wall with four feet of ornamental iron on top. To maintain the aesthetic value and provide additional security, AFTEC was asked to provide a custom column form so that the columns could extend four feet above the wall and thus tie all the various materials together.

This concept spilled over to the entry treatment which also adopted the twelve foot high column along with gates 26 feet wide by 15 feet tall, all of which Aber Fence fabricated and supplied. A six foot high ornamental iron fence using stand-alone columns was also included in the project to allow for the visual exposure and enhancement of their water features. With Aber Fence's design/build capabilities for creating the custom wall application, the project proved to be a great success.

Concurrently with the construction of the Whispering Oaks project, Aber Fence was also working with SWA Group. They were searching for a wall system for the Cross Creek Ranch project in Fulshear, Texas. Aber Fence contacted AFTEC to build a custom designed wall panel and column which would reflect a fresh approach to the typical ashlar style stone pattern. The Cross Creek logo was created in the column portion of the wall which branded the boundary wall to the project. During the development stage, the designer and project engineer traveled to Salt Lake City to inspect and approve the custom designed master molds.

Cross Creek is a Master-planned mixed use community for residential, retail and office space, developed by Trendmaker Development Company, a subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser. The entire project will require approximately 50,000 lineal feet of wall treatment.

Aber Fence, also a specialist in ornamental iron fabrication and installation, is now introducing AFTEC's new ST315 combination forming system capable of producing a three foot high wall panel with an attached six foot high column. The system provides a very efficient solution for the combination low wall and ornamental iron design.

AFTEC welcomes its newest licensed manufacturer in Toronto, Canada

AFTEC is very pleased to welcome Fencor Concrete Systems, Inc. located in Toronto Canada. Fencor was started in February 2004 and is owned by Richard Pringle and Andrew Savaglio. AFTEC wishes Fencor Concrete Systems, Inc. great success in all their future endeavors.

StoneTree™ Boundary Wall Project Exceeds Expectations in India

NMSEZ Private Limited, Navi Mumbai, India announced that on May 6th, 2009 the 10,000th StoneTree™ Column/Panel wall section will be produced at the Navi Mumbai site for their 100km boundary wall project. This is a monumental achievement taking place approximately 10 months after the commencement of the project in June 2008. To date, over 40 kilometers of boundary wall has already been installed and operations continue to move forward smoothly.

New StoneTree™ Texture

A new texture is now available for the StoneTree™ system that incorporates two designs. AFTEC developed the Coral Stone/Split Face Block combination to introduce a new architectural design to the marketplace. The combination of these two design elements creates a depth of field and deep textural finishes and is complimentary to most designs. The texture is for use in both residential and commercial applications.

AFTEC's First Licensee Meeting is a Great Success

AFTEC's first annual get together for StoneTree™ Licensed Manufacturers held during the World of Concrete Show in Las Vegas earlier this year was a great success. The event was represented by manufacturers from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. One of the developments that came out of the meeting was the demand for a licensee community forum. AFTEC felt it would be very beneficial and is now launching a "blog" site where licensed manufacturers can discuss and share ideas on marketing strategies, production processes, and installation issues as well as provide a vehicle for discussion of new ideas and designs.