Temporary Fence Stability with Anchor Weights

Mason Boudreaux is the third generation owner of a family business based in Cutoff, Louisiana. From the beginning, Joe's Septic Contractors has focused on finding solutions to meet customer needs.

So, it's no surprise that Mason began searching for temporary fencing options to ensure his customers had the best solution for managing event traffic. 
To learn more, see How SONCO’s Anchor Base Products Helped JSC Grow their Temporary Fencing Business.

Becoming a Temporary Fence Rental Company 

Joe's Septic delivers portable restrooms throughout the Gulf Coast to organizations sponsoring outdoor events. When rentals were dropped off or picked up, customers mentioned issues with crowd control. They wanted ways to direct visitors to event locations and prevent unwanted intrusion.

The customers also wanted flexible solutions that could adapt to different scenarios. For an outdoor event with live music, they would need to protect the performers and their equipment. They might also need a designated area for medical assistance.

Whatever the use, the temporary fencing solution must be easy to set up and take down, but also strong and stable.

Mason saw temporary fencing as the answer to his customers' needs. For his early deployments, Mason secured the temporary fencing with sandbags that he and his employees filled.

Although the customers were pleased with the flexible fencing, Mason's experience with sandbags made it clear they weren't a viable long-term solution to stabilize a temporary fence. 

The Inconvenience of Sandbags

Do you know how long it takes to fill a sandbag? As Mason discovered, it takes one person five minutes to fill a 30-pound sandbag.

Imagine having to fill sandbags for 100 feet of fencing. Assuming the recommended four 30-pound sandbags every 12 feet of fencing, that's 32 sandbags.

That's three hours of shoveling sand into bags. Not even considering the time it takes to seal the bags or clean up the sand that doesn't make it into the bag.

Before long, Mason realized that at the rate the business was growing, he needed an alternative to sandbags. They were bulky and took up storage space. 

Keeping the inventory of filled bags low reduced storage requirements, but it also limited the turnaround time for delivering temporary fencing. 

Mason needed a solution that was convenient and cost-effective. It had to stabilize a temporary fence and minimize safety risks. 

The Best Bases for Temporary Fences

Mason's research led him to SONCO's family of Anchor Bases. The product line comprises the following three products. 

Anchor Stand

The Anchor Stand is a durable alternative to metal tubing. It improves safety with its low-profile and high-visibility markings, resulting in fewer trips or falls. The stand is made from high-density polyethylene and steel and is completely recyclable. 

Anchor Weight

The Anchor Weight also has a low profile with high-visibility markings to minimize accidental falls or trips. It acts as ballast to stabilize temporary fencing without the mess that comes with sandbags. The reusable weights are made from recycled PVC and HDPE, which are 100% recyclable. 

Anchor Block

The Anchor Block fence base is designed to replace bulky concrete blocks that can crack and break. The Anchor Blocks will replace both fence feet and fence weights -- a two-in-one solution. The recyclable blocks stabilize temporary fencing and help prevent toppling under adverse weather conditions.

Over four years, Mason purchased over 1,650 Anchor Weights and 1,050 Anchor Blocks, along with other SONCO products.

Why JSC Chose SONCO

Mason wanted a solution that could replace sandbags. The alternative had to stabilize fencing at outdoor venues where weather was unpredictable, and attendee safety was a priority.

He needed a reliable solution that eliminated the need to fill sandbags. He found the durability, stability, and convenience he needed in SONCO's Anchor Base family of products. 

Durability and Stability

An Anchor Weight can be used 25 times before replacement. That's a significant improvement from the one or two times a sandbag can be used. 

Once a sandbag gets ruptured or dislodged, the temporary fence becomes easily compromised and unstable. Stability is essential to deploying temporary fencing. Unstable installations have leaning panels or fallen fences.

A temporary fence can hurt people by falling on them. If a panel is already down, someone might trip over it, leading to serious injuries like bruises, cuts, concussions, or broken bones. Plus, when staff keep running back and forth to fix the falling fence, they can't do their jobs properly.

Also, when it's windy, an unstable fence can blow around and damage vehicles, buildings, and other stuff. 

To tackle these problems, Anchor Weights offers a tough solution that can handle rough weather and keep temporary fencing steady. It helps prevent accidents and lets staff focus on their work. 

Customer Preferred Over Sandbags

When Mason decided on SONCO's Anchor Weights, he was looking for a cost-effective solution that would ensure fence stability. What he found was a solution that met his needs and that customers preferred.

Today, Mason's customers stipulate the types of fence anchors they want. They don't want the messy look of multiple sandbags stacked haphazardly. They want to minimize the potential risk of an accidental fall from dislodged sandbags. The attractive design adds a level of professionalism that event planners want to convey.

Since his initial purchase, Mason has ordered temporary fencing and accessories from SONCO's website. He loves the stability, and his customers love their aesthetics. To learn more about Mason’s journey, check out the video below: