Challenge

As a strong supporter of the Washington Football Team franchise, FedEx had purchased the naming right to the stadium in Landover, Maryland, changing the name to “FedEx Field”. FedEx was then interested in prominently promoting its brand name by seeking to boldly display the FedEx logo and branded color scheme along the top of the stadium.

Solution

Pexco partnered with a fence customer to come up with a strategic branding solution, leveraging its premium fence slat products and existing relationships in order to service the end-customer and provide the highest quality end-product to promote brand identity for FedEx.

Innovative Thinking

Long Fence, one of the largest fence companies in the United States, and long time customer of Pexco, was approached by FedEx to help in a design for the stadium. Long Fence has been providing its clients with design solutions for over 60 years. Company President Mike Ritter and its Commercial Sales Manager Craig Herrick soon met at the stadium with FedEx and the Redskins to discuss the project.

The mission was to erect two parallel vinyl coated chain link fences. One was to be installed on the top of a concrete parapet wall at the top of the stadium, and one was to be installed on an “I” beam ledge on the outside face of the stadium. The 2,300 linear foot inner fence was 8 feet high with a 2,400 linear foot outer fence (for additional protection) 10 feet high. The chain link was 1 3/4 inch mesh 9 gauge vinyl coated wire produced in three custom FedEx colors: purple, orange and green. Also required was privacy screening material to be added, and matched to the same colors of the vinyl coated chain link.

Master Halco, the world’s largest Fence Distributor produced and supplied the custom colored chain link fence fabric for this job from their Baltimore/Richmond facility. Spearheading the project for Master Halco were Paul Eff and Bruce Ensor. Both plastic fence slats and a textured fiber windscreen material were considered for the application. Pexco’s fence slats were chosen because they are far more durable, longer lasting, offered a better warranty, and best displayed the three bright FedEx colors.

The PDS® Fence Division of Pexco, the largest producer of privacy enhancements for chain link fence systems, customized their traditional Top Locking slats at their Massachusetts facility to meet the special requests. Managing the project for the Pexco team was Richard Brooks (VP Sales & Marketing). Produced in the same three custom FedEx colors, the slats were also custom fabricated with top locking and bottom locking notches so locking channels could be inserted at the top and bottom of each slat for extra security.

All materials were shipped to Long Fence during July of 2003, and the FedEx Field Stadium job was completed in August. The three fence companies involved in this project were very happy with the results. FedEx officials were also pleased with the project, which increased safety and enhanced visibility for their company’s well-known identity.

Pexco has capitalized on the success of this job by creating new avenues of partnered custom fence business, designed to promote the corporate identities of other major corporations or business franchises throughout the country utilizing chain link enhancements in corporate colors.