Auchterarder-based fencing supplier and contractor Coventry for Fencing leads the way with its agricultural, domestic, and industrial ranges. The business covers all four corners of Scotland and northern England from its three yards, including Carstairs and Doune.
The business was originally founded in 1971 when Ally Coventry, alongside his wife Pat, established the fencing contracting business.
Ally explained: “Beginning with an old postal office van, basic hand tools – as was the way then – and some long hours, we were out and about getting the jobs done.
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“Just like now there was a lot of forestry work available and being on per-metre rates gave you the incentive to get the jobs ticked off.
We would put fencing up during the day and I would work into the evening installing strainers to get a head start on the team returning in the morning. Certainly different from nowadays with so many machines available.”
After just five years, Ally and Pat didn’t take long to discover a gap in the market through lack of material suppliers.
They started off by purchasing artic loads of posts, strainers, and wire then distributed them between their own contracting business, local farmers, and contractors. And so the sales side of the business was created.
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Ally highlighted: “From the beginning, the aim of our business has been to work closely with our clients and especially those within the agricultural sector – tuning into what works well and areas that we could expand.
“Operating the contracting business also provides us with a key insight into how our products perform, therefore we can be happy the products we sell are made to last while keeping us in touch with our original customers who have supported us over all these years.”
Over time the business outgrew its Aberuthven yard and moved just a few miles down the road to Auchterarder in 1981.
The business continued to expand with the purchase of the Carstairs depot in 1986 and the Doune sawmill in 1994, offering a wide range of wood supplies and fencing equipment, and employing a total of 23 local employees across all depots.
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By 1997, Ally and Pat’s son Ross was showing a keen interest in the family business, and his commitment and success continued as he now runs the company.
Skilled workers construct agricultural products including wooden gates, dog kennels, larch sheep feed troughs, and, of course, fencing rails and posts.
This goes all the way through to domestic items such as benches, decking, planters, trellises and fencing panels.
By-products such as bark chip, sawdust, and wood chippings are sold from the Doune sawmill for use as bedding, natural weed suppressants, and pathways.
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Traditional machinery remains a feature in the workshop. Ross explained: “A lot of the tools we use are from Wadkin and Stenna including bandsaws, tenoners, and mortisers – the quality of the equipment is great and if serviced regularly and maintained, they’ll last a lifetime.”
Complementing the wooden products are galvanised gates – railed, meshed and deer gates purchased through IAE. Additionally, there is high tensile netting which comes from the UK, Spain, and South America. Logs and sawn timber are sourced mainly from Scottish mills.
Ross commented: “Over the years the world economy and shipping costs have affected our business. For example at one point imports received from South America witnessed a 300% increase in shipping costs. Thankfully having a good range of suppliers from different world markets allows us to keep a great range at competitive prices.
“With faster-grown wood species so widely available, it is important we are selective with the quality of the wood we buy as this ultimately affects the overall finish and lifespan from products.”
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The sawmill at Doune takes timber from its original state all the way through to finished articles, and part of this process includes treatment of wood.
Once the items have been sawn down to the intended size and measured for moisture content, the process involves UC4 pressure treatment of 180PSI within a chamber – up to 8m3 of wood can be treated per four-hour session, using CELCURE® AC-500 wood preservative.
Creosote is also used to provide a longer-lasting effect, sourced from slow-grown northern European pine. Posts in the form of natural rounds, square, machine round and octoposts are held in stock.
Helping to distribute the products is a fleet of lorries including two 26t and 32t DAF lorries, kitted with Moffett forklift trucks to allow easy self-loading and unloading of cargo.
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Additionally, 7.5t and 3.5t pick-up trucks are used for smaller loads and for narrow drop-off points.
Ross explained: “Our predominant market is the agricultural side, especially in relation to supporting contractors and farmers with a swift reliable service delivering fencing materials and gates to such a vast rural area. For example, we recently supplied 14,000m of deer fencing all packed into 100m bundles ready to be helicoptered out to a forestry job in the rural Perthshire hills.
“Other stand-out sales include selling flower planters to children’s TV show Topsy and Tim, sheds designed for shooting school clay traps at Gleneagles, and 6m-long poles and woodchip were previously sold to Adventure Scotland to create a walkway at their Nethybridge site.”
The future of the family business remains positive as they look forward to exhibiting at the Royal Highland Show this year – at one time they attended as many as 28 shows a year and continue to receive trade stand awards.
Ross concluded: “We enjoy working closely with the agricultural sector and take opportunity to support it where we can. Getting involved with sponsorship at various events such as the RSABI concert, ploughing matches, and road runs.
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We love to show support back to the industry that supports us.
“My three sons Callen, Cairn and Cameron, although still young, already show a keen interest in the business and we’re proud to continue maintaining a local family business.”
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