A Yarmouth-manufactured electric horse fence that is promoted as No. 1 in its field moved closer to a legitimate claim to that title after an international marketing deal announced Wednesday.
Woodstream Corp., a global manufacturer of animal control products based in Pennsylvania, said it is assuming international marketing and distribution of the ElectroBraid brand of electric fence through a licensing contract with E.B.F. Manufacturing, an affiliated company owned by David Bryson of Halifax.
“Woodstream has the resources and the capacity to market and distribute our product at a level we could only dream about,” Bryson said.
It is a significant development for E.B.F. Manufacturing, which had to arrange refinancing with suppliers through the federal Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act last year, he said.
Bryson credited his suppliers for staying with ElectroBraid after it unexpectedly suffered the loss of a major contract and embarked on a search for new markets last year.
“We’ve been doing pretty well and currently have our product in about 150 retail locations in the United States.”
The large Woodstream organization sells to about 2,000 stores, so there is serious potential for a dramatic increase in activity at the 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Yarmouth where the patented ElectroBraid fence is produced, he said.
ElectroBraid fence will now become available exclusively through Woodstream’s international distribution network.
The Yarmouth-manufactured fence is widely recognized as a safe and economical alternative to barbed wire or traditional wood fencing.
Bryson said the product is popular in Nova Scotia and can be identified wherever horses are contained by its distinctive half-centimetre braided rope, which looks much like braided yachting rope.
When the rope is installed, it is usually deployed in four strands to posts about 40 to 50 feed apart.
“The horse investigates, and after receiving a shock, generally keeps away from the fence,” said Bryson.
He said the manufacturing plant is operating one full shift per day and he expected to see this increase to three shifts per day in about a year and a half.
“We remain committed to Yarmouth and the product quality we are achieving there.”
Bryson said Woodstream is the largest supplier of animal containment fencing in England and is expanding into Europe.
“This completes our transition from a mail-order boutique to a mainstream supplier.”
Woodstream had lots of good things to say about ElectroBraid fencing in a news release.
“Recognized by prominent equine veterinarians around the world as one of the safest horse fences, ElectroBraid is the perfect compliment to our existing fenceline,” said Andrea Itnyre, a category development associate at Woodstream.
ElectroBraid provides a low-cost alternative to traditional wood fencing and provides a spinoff benefit of providing a clear line of view for horses, Bryson said.
“Horses can become agitated with three-tier wooden fencing. They cannot see what is on the other side and are always on alert that a predator may be approaching. With ElectroBraid, they have a relaxing wide-open view and, of course, the horse owners like this as well.”
He said a large part of the saving with ElectroBraid come from the ability to space posts up to 15 metres apart, compared with the 2.5-metre spacing used with traditional fencing.
