Family Ties

Bailey Fence Company

STANDING BACK-TOBACK

The benefits of a family-owned business are many. The commitment, flexibility, and trust are a few of the valued aspects, and if conflict and family dynamics can be kept in check, it is often a treasured legacy.

For the owners of Bailey Fence Company in Hayward, California, managing the company’s growth through the years has been a positive experience.

“My father was the vice president of sales for one of the largest fence companies in Northern California in the 60s and 70s,” explains Kent Bailey, one of the founders of Bailey Fence Company. “During the 70s, my brother, Karrick, and I went to work there also as installers. After 10 years or so, we both moved to outside sales and estimating. My father always wanted to have his own business with his sons. After his sudden passing and some issues at the company we worked for, we decided to make a go of being our own bosses.”

Bailey Fence Company began in 1984. Today, it’s still located on the same property: three acres comprised of office, warehouse, and yard. The front 1.5 acre contains the 2,400-squarefoot general offices and a 4,000 square foot shop and retail office. The back acreage is the holding and bone yard. They currently have 34 full-time employees.

“In the early years, we didn’t know if the business would even make it,” Kent says. “We were very lean. We only took on the jobs that we had the manpower for and could financially handle. As our customer base grew, customers started asking us to do more than chain link on their projects. We had never done ornamental iron before, but we learned. Chain link has always been king for us. Over time, we added the ornamental iron, then handrails and guard railing.”

Kent’s son, Luke, joined the business about 13 years ago. Growing up within the business, he worked weekends and summers, then worked full time starting at age 21. “Today, he’s an officer of the company,” Kent says.

“The strength of the business is family, as well as the weakness,” he says. “With family, there is trust. You trust the decisions, intent and actions are in the best interests of the company that you built and that carries your name. You don’t want to disappoint the others in your family. The weakness is that there is a family dynamic and history other than business. Sometimes, we’re too hard on our family and sometimes, we’re not hard enough. Being a family-owned business has its own issues and there have been times that it has almost come to blows, but in the end, we’ll always stand together for our family business.”

To learn more about the history, products, and services, visit baileyfenceco.com.