Fencing
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LIKE ITS CUSTOMERS – farmers and landowners up and down the UK and beyond – Tornado knows the difference between a good fencing job and a poor one. It knows the difference between a fence that’ s easy to make and a fence that will actually do the job that’ s needed( and will do so to the exacting demands of the most knowledgeable farmers).
Being able to understand the intricacies of the agricultural fencing market and having the capability, as a manufacturer, to produce and supply products to meet all its customers’ needs is key to the Tornado approach.
Tornado customers over the years have appreciated and benefited from the fact that the company is very much more than just a manufacturer
Tornado knows the difference
of fencing – it is a partner in their livestock fencing projects. The company believes it has the best products and, with distribution centres in both England and Scotland, it also has the capability to supply rapidly, even at the busiest times of year.
Through its dialogue with farmers, network for professional fencers, focus groups, social media and other tools, Tornado invests the time to listen to what its customers want. Stock availability is a key issue; when farmers are working on projects which can be susceptible to unpredictable weather windows, they need to know that they can get the products they need from Tornado stockists. Tornado is constantly developing its capability to service growing demand. Having recently invested in major upgrades to the stock and distribution centre at its Millom manufacturing site, the company is fully prepared to meet the demand during the upcoming peak season.
Tornado is different from other manufacturers due to its background in fencing. Tornado’ s Managing Director was himself a fencing contractor 36 years ago, so the needs of the industry and
of customers have always been an integral part of the company philosophy. That is why the company was the first in the UK to manufacture high tensile steel fencing – the company recognised that this was, and still is, a key customer requirement. There is need for a fence which is stronger, longer-lasting, flexible, easier to install and does not require re-tensioning every year.
The Tornado team bring from that heritage a clear understanding of what it takes to design, manufacture and install an effective fence for every situation. Tornado understands that regional differences and traditional allegiances to different product types are an important factor within the fencing market. Tornado will seek to encourage customers to upgrade to new products, and in particular high tensile rather than mild steel, but will be aware of local preferences and standards where these exist.
Tornado understands that farmers are extremely busy people and time is money. The Tornado Fencing Configurator – available on the Tornado website – is designed specifically with farmers in mind. This fence planning tool assists farmers with accurate fence positioning and material planning. This can be done by using the online mapping tool to mark out your fence line, or using the Tornado Track app( available from the App Store or Google Play) on your smartphone to simply walk your fence line. You then send the finished track to your account on the website and select the materials you want to use; a PDF materials list is then created which can be sent directly to Tornado or printed off and taken to your local fencing retailer.
With new products, digital tools and investment in manufacturing and stockholding capability, as well as taking the time to talk to its customers, Tornado demonstrates that it knows the difference that its customers are looking for. The company has the capability to support farmers at the busiest times of the year – it understands livestock fencing and it understands the needs of its customers.
“ We are a market leader in our sector,” says Paul Harris, Sales & Marketing Director,“ but we understand that we do not have that position as of right – we have earned it and we have to keep on earning it. We have to invest in product and distribution, and we have to keep talking to our customers. We have to demonstrate our capability to meet their demands, because we understand that their trust in us, and the relationship we have with our customer base is only strong because we can demonstrate that we know the difference, as they do, between a good fencing job and a poor one.”
84 Spring 2017 www. farmers-mart. co. uk