Deb Roche, Owner, D Roche Fencing

Deb Roche was working at a local newspaper as a receptionist and proofreader before she and her husband, Don, started D. Roche Fencing in 1980. “We both wanted to be self-employed and work outside. Fencing was a good fit, and the start-up costs were minimal at the time.”

Deb has been involved in all aspects of the business from the beginning. She and Don share owner/operator responsibilities equally. They started out doing agriculture fencing and over the years have also diversified into commercial and residential.

The company faced some challenging early years. “I’m really proud we made it through the first 10 years. Those were tough times to be in the ag fence market, with interest at 18% and farmland values and commodities crashing. But we made it though and learned some valuable lessons.”

When it comes to balancing work and family life, Deb says it all blends together for them, and that has never been a problem. “We’ve always made sure to set aside time for family events, church and other social activities, and as we get older, that is becoming a bigger priority.”

As a business owner partner in the fence industry with her husband, Deb says she has not ever really experienced gender discrimination. “Don and I just showed up to install a fence and no questions were ever asked. Being a woman never became an issue.”

She feels the qualities that have helped her be successful hold true across gender lines. “Be honest, work hard, be respectful and do quality work.” In addition, Deb shares the best advice we ever received “Bob Gotee, a past president of the American Fence Association, was speaking at an event we attended, and he said, ‘I never made any money until I got out of debt,’ and that really stuck with us as we worked to grow our business.”

Deb feels very positive about the future of D Roche Fencing and the industry overall. “Don and I are both grateful to keep doing what we love – going out and getting the job done. We hope to continue to do so for many more years. I’m also excited to see so many young fence owners in our Northeast Kansas area. We know running and growing a fence business takes a lot of work and it’s great they are willing to make the sacrifice.”