Justin and Danielle Nary are owners of Taylor Fencing, an agricultural fence contracting business started up by Brian Taylor in Lamoni, Iowa. Fencing has been Justin’s life, ever since he took up the offer of two weeks’ worth of fence work for Brian over a decade ago.
Stockade caught up with Justin during a bridge overlay on Interstate 80. His crew include four fulltime installers plus himself. They are part-way through their latest 10,000-foot right-of-way project, a new access control fence for the Department of Transportation (DoT) using 12 ½ gauge high tensile wire 10/47/6 net and a 14-gauge four-point top and bottom barb. All posts are American timber and steel, and the crew are equipped with four ST400i cordless stapler tools, a Log Cabin Pro driver, Protec evo and Bobcat skid steers with remotes.
Justin says, often, the toughest part of a project is managing the lay of the land which varies considerably. Here the land fluctuates from good farm ground to a nearby 90-foot drop with a lot of waterways and rocky areas.
Even though the crew are bound to a spec for DoT work, Justin says they still need to figure out “how to make the imagination of an engineer come to life in the field.”
For Justin, a pleasant reward is driving along the interstate and noticing 75 percent or more of the fence has been built by Taylor Fencing. “It’s a pretty surreal feeling,” he says.
Building custom fence is another ballgame. Justin’s crew can apply different techniques. “No situation is the same as the last, and not every bracing technique or tie down technique will provide the same result every time. This makes us think in the field and gives us the opportunity to be creative.”
Six years ago, when Justin began the process of taking over Taylor Fencing, getting more involved in the industry and following fence work on social media, he started noticing new techniques and tools like the ST400i stapler. In 2020, he took the plunge and bought an ST400i.
“Every once in a while, you get one of those why-did-it-take-me-so-long moments in life as a business owner. That was one of those moments. A small investment that can make a big impact in your company.”
Since then, Justin’s gained three more ST400i tools.
“I think a guy can go through a mile-stretch and go four times quicker with the ST400i than hand stapling. You are also taking into consideration the wear and tear, hand driving ten staples every post. There’s a lot of staples in a mile. Once you start using the tool and then go back, there is no comparison. Fence work is miserable without it.”
Prior to entering the fencing industry, Justin studied Sports Medicine at Graceland University. He brings that sports medicine lens into how he runs his company.
“I take employee fatigue into consideration a lot when it comes to investing in tools and equipment. My crew’s physical and mental health are very important to me and the success of my company. Without my team, I’m not able to produce as much fence. The ST400i is one of those tools that helps with fatigue and helps speed up my crew. A task that was dreaded for the end of the day, now is something they don’t mind doing and now it only takes a quarter of the time… maybe even less.”
In the early years Justin hand stapled for seven years, doing on average 30-50 miles a year. But now he says the ag industry is very machine and tool driven and proper tools are a big determinant for success.
“It’s in our best interest as owners to provide these tools for our crew. We are taking the hard work out of hard jobs, and it is an attraction for employees. I do feel like it makes them stay with us. When you’re in the process of hiring someone, I believe when they see tools and equipment that you’ve invested in to make their life easier, it sets you apart from other places.”
“The ST400i is one of those tools— It pays itself off real quick. My crew love it and it makes my life a lot easier.”
Justin Nary, Owner of Taylor Fencing