People often ask me about the history of Knight Fencing. I can tell them about how long we’ve been at the yard, how we’ve grown, the kind of work we do now and who we do it for.
But it’s really a story about my Dad, Richard Knight.
There would be no Knight Fencing without him. We’re here thanks to his determination, his skills and his hard work.
Knight Fencing officially came into being in 2008, but our story starts before that – in the early 1990s, after the recession had struck. The fencing and landscaping firm that Dad owned with his partner had folded and Dad was on his uppers, all his savings gone.
All he had was an old Bedford TK tipper truck and a handful of tools.
But that was enough.
He wasn’t giving up.
One day he sat down at his dining table, picked up the phone and began ringing all the local building companies.
And one of those calls was to Portsmouth Contract Services, a business owned by Portsmouth City Council that looked after all the council houses in the Portsmouth and Havant area.
“Do you need any fencing work done?”, he asked for the umpteenth time, before explaining a bit about himself.
“You might be just the person I’m looking for”, was the reply. Portsmouth City Council were starting to subcontract their building work.
A few meetings later and the deal was done – Dad set up Richard Knight Fencing Services and started working for Portsmouth Contract Services. Just him and a single labourer doing their fencing and gates maintenance.
Within three years, I had left my job at a steel fabrication and site welding firm and had joined Dad, adding a new area to his business – steel fencing. Soon Richard Knight Fencing Services was doing the steel railings and gates for Portsmouth City Council as well.
We were on the up and we’ve never looked back. Fast forward to 2008 and Richard Knight Fencing Services became Knight Fencing Ltd, Dad retired and I took over the company.
After that, although he had hung up his tools, Dad was always around to help out and offer advice when we needed it. He made sure that we knew the importance of determination and hard work, of not giving up.
He helped us to keep growing – to enjoy the good times and survive the tough times. His belief in quality, value and honesty has made us what and who we are today.
Richard Knight is the story of Knight Fencing. Thanks, Dad.
Danny Knight, Managing Director
