Start-Up Stories Those on the outside may think owning and growing a business is glamorous. They see the current building, the staff, the equipment and the profits. What they don’t see are the startups. The small beginnings, the everpresent worry, the dreams and the everyday decisions that can either make it or break it. Fence News honors those who put their hat in the self-employment ring and built their business one small step at a time.
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MAY 2022 | FENCE NEWS USA
It’s not so much about building fences as it is helping people. In 2018, Brett Myers had served 18 years an active-duty serviceman with the US Navy as a biomedical engineer. Hurricane Florence, a category 4 storm, hit his town of Jacksonville, North Carolina with winds of 140 miles per hour, causing devastation throughout its path. “Our home was destroyed. Our town was destroyed,” Myers says. “My wife and I purchased a new home and we had three dogs at the time. We urgently needed a fence. There was only one local fence company at the time, and our experience with them was difficult, to say the least. My wife and I made three different appointments with them, and they never showed up to any of them.” Myers took it upon himself to learn how to build a fence. After building his own, he built neighbors’ fences, their friends’ fences, and it just continued from there. “I continued doing as many fences as I could, while still on active duty, because our area was so devastated. It was up to us to figure out how to rebuild our community and that’s what we did,” he says. In March of 2020, he reached 20 years with the military and retired, devoting all of his time now to his fencing business, Anchor Fencing 22. “The 22 refers to the unfortunate statistic of the veteran suicide
rate of 22 veterans a day,” he explains. “I employ as many veterans as I can. If I can work with them, day in and day out, get to know them and help them, I have hope that they won’t harm themselves.” Anchor Fencing 22 has steadily grown, receiving great recommendations from previous customers. “We focus on quality construction and friendly customer service. We’ve created a network here in Jacksonville with several realtors and house flippers who keep us busy,” Myers says. While most of his work is residential, he also deals with commercial and government projects. “I learn something from everyone I work with. Things are falling into place as people get to know our company and we continue making helpful contacts throughout our region,” he says. “It’s not so much about building fences as it is helping people. This fencing company helps me fulfill my desire to help veterans by giving them a job and helping them provide for their families.” Even though he was a biomedical engineer by trade, “I can’t imagine doing anything else besides beautifying Onslow County and surrounding areas with one quality fence at a time.” To learn more, visit www. anchorfencingllc.com.
