07/16/2025
It’s hard to even write this… but here it goes.
I’ve spent the better part of my life busting my ass building up other people’s businesses — helping the “big boys” grow their empires since 2002. Then in 2016, I decided it was time to build something of my own. I didn’t want just another fence company. I wanted to create something different — something better.
See, most fence companies have been doing it the same way since the 1950s — building fences like they build car parts: cheap, fast, and made to fail every 6–10 years so you keep coming back. I refused to play that game. I wanted to build fences — and a reputation — that lasted.
At one point, I had multiple crews running strong. We were doing good work and making a real name. Then COVID hit. Everything changed. Nobody wanted to work unless they were getting paid double. Material prices went through the roof. I had to raise wages by 50% just to keep guys on the job. And even then, customers still expected 2005 prices in a 2025 world.
Let me put this into perspective: when I started building chain link in 2003, I was getting paid $1.50 a foot. Now I’m paying $5 a foot — and people still hesitate to pay it. But if someone offered me $5 a foot? I’d drag my 43-year-old fat ass out there and smash that job like it owed me money.
I didn’t go through all this — the sleepless nights, the underpaid hours, the headaches, the no-shows, the cheap customers — just for me.
I built this company for my kids.
I wanted to give them something real. A name that meant something. A business that stood on quality, not shortcuts. That’s why I kept pushing. That’s why I’ve taken every hit and kept going — because I believed this could be our legacy.
I’ve almost sold this company a few times. And honestly… I’ve thought about doing it again lately. I’ve worked harder than most people could imagine. And some days I wonder if it’s even worth it.
But here’s the truth: I built something this industry didn’t ask for — because it was better than what it wanted. And maybe that’s why it’s been so damn hard to keep it alive.
I’m not sure what comes next. But I do know this: every post, every panel, every job — I did it with pride. And no matter where it goes from here, no one can say I didn’t give it everything I had.
— Still out here,
Steven McGuire
Www.fenceminnesota.com
