“Tough times never last, but tough people do.” – Robert Schuller

Just as things were getting back to some resemblance of normal, it seems as things have become chaotic again.  At the end of February Covid cases had dropped, freight availability had improved, prices on materials were beginning to soften and lead times were dropping.  Then Putin gave the order to invade the Ukraine and the positives were lost.

We have once again seen spikes in raw materials and products.   Steel and scrap prices have shot up.  Aluminum prices have rapidly increased, and supply is tight.  Zinc prices are also up, and availability will be a problem later this year. 

Freight is a separate issue in and of itself.  We have all seen the increase in fuel prices and the shortages of qualified drivers have made it difficult to ship material.  Rates continue to increase, and it is difficult to find trucks to haul material to many areas.  What use to take a day to find a truck now takes a week or more. 

Due to the current issues, we are forced to increase our January 2022 Wholesale Fence Catalog prices immediately by the following percentages:

• 12% - Chain Link Fence & Pipe & Tubing.
• 10% - Gates, Tension Bars, Strand Wire, Barbed Wire & Tension Wire.
• 5% -  Fittings & Attachments
• 15% - Tie Wires (this includes the 10% increase from earlier this year on aluminum.).

Lastly, I would like to say I have been humbled by how Tough our employees have been.  They have dealt with Covid shutdowns, short staff, material shortages and shifting production schedules all while taking care of their own families.  Yet they have found a way to increase production and continue to produce a superior product.

Thank you for your continued support,

Bill Peterson

President

3-26-2022