Professional Builder discovers why Birkdale is the new best mate of the nation’s fencing fraternity
It was the American Poet Robert Frost who first coined the phrase: “good fences make good neighbours” and you would be hard pressed to find anyone these past forty years who hasn’t done more to promote that ideal than John Abernethie. The man behind Birkdale – one of the industry’s leading exponents of garden fencing systems – John spent his formative years building the family fencing business before deciding to branch out in 1982 selling a small range of accessories to contractors to make their lives on site easier.
As he explains: “Being so involved in the day-to-day business of erecting fences and gates, I was perfectly placed to know what the guys on site were routinely up against, and the sort of things which commonly had them pulling their hair out on a regular basis. The choice of fencing options in the UK at that time was fairly limited, of course, but there were some new products and systems out there in the wider world which I was confident could work in what was then – and still is to a certain extent – a very conservative market.”
Continues John: “By 1990 I had taken on my first sales employees and, two years later, we were working closely with suppliers and manufacturers across China and India, leading to our first container of gate hardware. It was the prelude to the big breakthrough in 1999 with the launch of our own sub-brand, the Gatemate range of basically everything you need to install a garden gate.”
With a new warehouse and office space acquired in 2005 – and exports established to the USA and Canada – the “Mate” concept was significantly enhanced with the launch of Fencemate, supplying everything from decorative fittings to decking accessories and railing systems, and Sitemate, which offers a comprehensive selection of specialist fencing tools and fixings.
“Fencing has never been a career for the faint hearted,” elaborates John. “The market has long been dominated by heavy concrete posts and gravel boards and that’s before you have spent back breaking hours digging the post holes and concreting them in. Traditionally, most of the guys are pretty worn out by their fifties but, thanks to new labour saving innovations, it doesn’t have to be this way for the next generation.”
“In 2018, for instance, we came up with DuraPost, a simple yet highly effective lightweight galvanised steel fence post and gravel board system which, at around 75 per cent the weight of concrete, takes away so much of the hard graft. Not only that, it is extremely durable and, used in conjunction with a variety of traditional timber and composite finishes in a variety of colours, it is an attractive proposition for homeowners looking to upgrade their properties.
It has the potential to completely revolutionise the industry because the feedback from contractors trying it for the first time has been 100 per cent positive in all respects. And, perhaps most importantly, their customers are delighted to have something which is the envy of their neighbours, and is guaranteed to last for at least 25 years and will withstand winds up 110 mph,” enthuses John.
In 2018 the company scaled up its own premises, moving to purpose-built offices in Stokenchurch, Bucks, where newly installed, perfectly manicured gardens are a showpiece for the complete Mate range. Enthuses Fenton Rowles, Head of Sales and Marketing at Birkdale: “The new site enables us to develop and install an ever-growing range of fencing systems and options in real life situations, which potential customers can come and see in situ. It’s also home for our DuraPost Trained Installer Scheme, which is expected to really take off again post covid. There is also an app, FenceBuilder, to assist contractors and homeowners in visualising the final effect when specifying projects.” Like noisy neighbours, no wonder their competitors are anxiously peering over the fence, wondering what Birkdale will come up with next!”
For further information on Birkdale visit https://www.birkdalesales.com/
