GateHands Make Farm Fencing More Secure

You can’t help but notice those sagging gates when you drive down any rural highway. Finding a latch solution that offers the security needed without a hassle has long been a challenge for farmers and ranchers. Now, GateHands offers an innovative, yet simple and secure gate latch system that fits on all standard-sized tube gates.

Founded by a father and daughter team, GateHands, which is manufactured in Ponca City, Oklahoma, provides a great alternative to the commonly used bailing wire and chains for holding together gates.

The product began after the wheat harvest on a family farm in June of 2014, in north central Oklahoma. Brad Fredrick, the inventor, was working on some fencing for a neighbor. These gates were large and heavy and he started to think about how there had to be a better way to hold them together. Next, he went to his shop and did what any other farmer would do — he built his first prototype, out of necessity.

Using his welding skills and tools, it took Fredrick a few different prototypes to master the design. Now, six or so designs later, this product has been sold in all 50 states.

GateHands is a two-piece system that attaches to existing gates and uses the weight of each gate to keep them straight and secure. Installation takes less than three minutes. A locking pin keeps the gates secured or a padlock can be added for additional security.

Fredrick and his daughter Kelsey Wagner, coowners, have taken GateHands from concept to final product. Fredrick enlisted his daughter’s help with sales and marketing. Wagner runs MyMediaMatters Creative Agency, a marketing firm, also located in Ponca City (www. mymediamatters.com). Wagner built their ecommerce website, and they began selling exclusively online in 2015.

“Right now, our product is the only double tube gate latch available in two sizes on the market,” Wagner said. “Our target retail customers include cattle ranchers, construction companies, oil and natural gas companies and any farm owner with metal tube gates currently being held closed by chains or wire,” said Wagner. “We definitely had to go through some failures to get where we are, but we are so excited to say that we now have customers all over the United States.”

Two years ago, in addition to selling latches on their own website, they also began selling through TractorSupply.com.

“Our customers absolutely love this product, and we love serving our clients,” says Fredrick. “It’s literally the last gate latch you’ll ever own. It’s just a simple operation. There’s no more messing with chains or clanking, loose gates.”

Wagner and Fredrick agree that the manufacturing and shipping process has been a lot of work, admitting that they have considered selling the product to a larger corporation.

“We love our product and our customers, so it would have to be a buyer that we trust to really take care of our clients, but we also understand that a bigger corporation could take the manufacturing and shipping processes to the next level. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens,” said Wagner.

GateHands fit on 1¾ -inch and 2-inch tube gates in all configurations, both side-by-side and overlapping. If you aren’t sure what size your gates are, you can download a measuring tool on the product website.

Brad Frederick and his daughter, Kelsey Wagner

IGD International Gate Devices

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ROUND Frame: 2 1/2” OD ROUND Posts: 4” & 6” www.slidegate.net

Learn more at www.gatehands.com, or email sales@gatehands.com