Superior Fence & Rail’s founder shares the secret to a successful franchise model
The top fence company in the US, as rated by homeowners, media outlets and multiple customer trust sites, Superior Fence & Rail (Superior) offers the best quality fence installation and construction, along with unparalleled customer service and warranty. The company’s dedication to outstanding service is upheld across more than 100 locations in the country, with each fence manufactured at its respective location to ensure it is built to the customer’s exact specification. Beyond offering endless fence customization options, Superior’s fences are aesthetically appealing and long-lasting, making them useful for various applications.
“Originally established in 2002 in Orlando, Florida, the company expanded to reach a total of five locations by 2009, all in Florida,” unveils President and Founder,
Zach Peyton. “In 2016, we had the idea to start franchising and sold our first franchise the following year. After opening a few more locations in 2018 and 2019, we experienced significant expansion in terms of locations from 2020 onwards. At the end of 2021, we were acquired by Empower Brands, which now owns our concept and nine other franchise brands. Today, we have roughly 115 locations across many states in the country, albeit not all 50 of them,” he continues.
In less than a decade, Superior’s franchise model has already proven incredibly successful. Zach reveals the factors behind the decision to adopt this model. “It is important to note that the franchise expansion idea came from my partner, Chris, who co-founded the business with me. Chris really wanted to see the brand expand nationally and was the architect behind our growth in Florida during the 2000s. At the time, the location I was running in Jacksonville, Florida, was thriving, low-stress, and required minimal involvement. When Chris saw how smoothly my branch was running, he realized what was missing to make his franchise concept a reality: structure, processes, and technology. Over my first six years in the business, I implemented all of these aspects into my branch, enabling it to thrive.”
But, as Zach notes, ‘thriving’ can mean something different from person to person. “Instead of measuring the success of the franchise solely by how much it has benefited me, which I believe is a little short sighted and not the correct approach, I evaluate it based on how well our franchisees are doing. Those who have been with us the longest are thriving, and some have achieved an impressive scale of business in a short amount of time. I am very pleased with these results, as I use not only the success of our franchisees as my guiding metric but also their happiness. It is no secret that one can make an extraordinary amount of money and be terribly miserable or make just enough money and be very happy. At our franchise, we have everything in between, with franchisees who are both happy and successful,” he shares.
Custom fabrication
Shifting his focus back to the core business, Zach sheds light on Superior’s extensive product portfolio. “Residential accounts for around 80-to-90 percent of our business nationwide. The products we offer within this market are primarily backyard fences, such as privacy fences, picket fences, ornamental fences and vinyl fences. Privacy fences are our most popular product, they can be made of wood and come in various versions, the popularity of which varies from one state to another. We also offer niche products like metal privacy fences made of ornamental steel or aluminum, which are gaining traction in different regions. Within this range, there are numerous styles available, resulting in an extensive catalogue of over 1000 options we could potentially offer. However, with the reality of deed restrictions and regional preferences, most of our offices offer a core group of around 20-to-30 products for residential customers.
“In the commercial sector, our key products are chain link fencing and security fencing, which is heavy-duty and ornamental. Moreover, in recent years, we have delved into custom fabrication, primarily in our Jacksonville branch, where we customize railings and gates. Recognizing its potential, we have started implementing fabrication in some of our other facilities,” he goes on.
To complement these various offerings, Superior also handles the installation of fencing for both residential and commercial customers. “We offer a full-service installation, with a particular focus on its successful management to ensure we are efficient and respectful of the customer’s time. When we arrive for an installation, we always bring all the tools we could potentially need to avoid trips to the hardware store, which can waste the client’s valuable time and create inefficiency. We are committed to completing what would take a homeowner a couple of weekends to install, with a few of our team members in just one day.
To achieve this, we need to have all of the approvals done at the neighborhood and municipality level as well as order any materials we may not have in stock. Moreover, we strive to be accurate with our installation scheduling while remaining flexible enough to keep some free slots in the same week, as sometimes people may have a fencing emergency. Therefore, our mission is to be available to help with these emergencies and make sure the customer is happy on the other side of the installation process,” Zach reveals.
Notably, Superior completed a large-scale tracking fencing job for Trex, a decking company, a project that Zach is keen to highlight. “Over the last ten-to-15 years, Trex’s privacy fence line has gained significant traction, making them a major player in the US. We recently completed a large-scale project for a community in Orlando, Florida, involving the installation of over $1 million worth of fencing. Not only is it beautiful, but it is likely the heaviest duty privacy fence on the market,” he ends.
Moving into the future, Superior Fence & Rail is eyeing further expansion, aiming to grow primarily by building market share in its existing locations rather than opening new ones. Armed with professional teams delivering first class customer service and an impressive offering of quality fence products, Superior will continue to lead the way in the fencing industry by constructing secure and attractive boundaries.