McVeigh Parker is a specialist farm and fencing supply company that has been in business for 40 years. Their pioneering fencing system, Clipex, won Gold in the Technical Innovation Awards at the 2018 Royal Highland Show.

Clipex is a revolutionary fencing solution, cutting the assembly times of traditional fencing in half and drastically reducing the need for ongoing maintenance. We spoke with Chris Hambridge from McVeigh Parker to find out what makes Clipex special and why it’s worth getting involved with the Awards.

Tell us a bit about your company?

Our company specialises in the wholesale and retail of farm and fencing supplies. We employ approximately 100 staff across seven branches nationwide. We have been trading for 40 years, having established in February 1979.

What led you to develop your product and how is it helping the industry?

In Clipex, we developed a whole fencing solution that would last 30 plus years. It was initially considered because of the poor quality of timber treatment on offer, and the general shortage of timber due to biomass demands.

“We combined the latest innovations, including the strongest, longest lasting wire in the market, XFENCE, with the unique quick clip and all galvanised steel intermediate posts of Clipex, and completed the product with our own designed all-steel strainer and strut system. Initially we were looking for a long-lasting solution, however this system has not only proved to offer longer life but can also be erected in half the time, whilst demonstrating up to 50% savings in both lifetime costs and labour.

Why did you apply for the RHASS Technical Innovation Award?

We applied for the award as it was a nationally recognised, non-biased award, requiring a quality product that could pass strict entry criteria. We were confident our Triple X Fencing System of XFENCE, Clipex posts and steel strainers would offer real returns and stand up to the RHASS scrutiny.

Has winning made a difference to your business?

It has certainly increased the profile of our company and the products we promote. It has given validity and assurance to the end user, demonstrating the awarded products have stood up to independent testing.

What are your plans for the future of your business?

Stay in business and grow. We are looking to bring more innovative products to the market that will save our customers both time and money and offer real return on investment.

What would you say to someone interested in applying for an award?

Go for it, if you have the confidence your product will stand up to independent tests and rigorous examinations and really offer returns to the end user – it’s certainly worth applying.

If you want to know more about the awards and grants that RHASS offer, go to https://rhass.org.uk/awards-and-grants/.