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Top: Shown here is a cellular vinyl gate and pillar posts with EverDur™ Ornamental Aluminum Fencing. Perfectionfence.com Middle: The UpGrade ornamental fence system is designed for commercial and industrial applications, with panels that adjust for slopes up to 30 degrees. An exclusive Architectural Grade Powder Coating provides superior protection and color retention. Betafenceusa.com Bottom: This aluminum estate swing gate features block hinges and a standard self-closing gravity latch. It is protected by Armor-Guard powder coating, which is reportedly more than twice as thick and twice as hard as liquid baked-on enamel finish. Alumi-guard.com Non-Residential Fencing Fencing demand in the nonresidential building construction, non-building construction and agricultural markets will advance 1.1 percent annually through 2014. Rebounding office, commercial construction and transportation construc- tion spending is also expected to spur growth, as well as accelerating institutional construction spending. Fencing Growth By Product Type Among the main fencing material categories, the most rapid growth through 2014 will come in the plastic and composite-fencing material niche. Concrete will also see above-average demand gains through 2014. Metal Fencing In 2009, metal fencing accounted for the fencing market's largest share in both value and unit terms. Through 2014, demand for metal fencing is expected to advance 2.0 percent annually. Growth will be derived from continued interest in metal fencing to mark boundaries and with security-oriented projects. However, because metal already dominates the nonresidential market, below-average growth in this area is predicted. Metal fencing pricing is forecast to only rise about one percent per year through 2014, due mainly to declining metal prices. Wood Relative to other materials, wood-fencing demand will advance at the slowest pace through 2014, due primarily to increasing market penetration from plastic and com- posite-fencing products. Chain Link Over the next two years, the demand for chain link fencing in the United States is expected to grow two percent each year, due mainly to the material's popularity and low cost as a boundary marker and its use in security projects. What LC/DBM Readers Report Recently, LC/DBM conducted a survey of fencing contractors. Overall, the survey illustrates that the industry is improving, but is held back from substantial growth by the sluggish economy and its predictable consequences. What Contractors Are Installing According to the survey, wood is still the material of choice by a wide margin. Nearly 72 percent of residential landscape contractors use wood, followed by 32 percent using vinyl, 24 percent chain link, 11 percent wrought iron and 8 percent aluminum. The Contractors' Fencing Business A mid-year snapshot shows that business in general skews toward the positive, but only slightly. When asked their predictions for the next few years, contractors predict that mostly their businesses with either stay the same (56 percent) or improve (34 percent more jobs) and 6 percent (a lot more jobs). 14 percent said they see less work in the next few years and zero predicted a lot less work. When asked how their business was compared to 2011, the numbers are slightly less positive, as 34 percent reported that their 2012 sales were either less or much less than 2011. 53 percent reported their sales as the same, and 11 percent reported their sales as higher. The sluggish economy shows a recurring influence in a number of areas. When asked on what clients base their buying decision, 74 percent said price, 40 percent said longevity and 37 percent said style. 24 LC DBM