Jerith Mfg. Co.

Company: Jerith Mfg. Co., Inc.
Company Description: Jerith is the oldest and largest aluminum ornamental fence manufacturer in North America. We are a third-generation family business that is now in its 53rd year of operation. Jerith has become a leader in the fencing industry – known for our high quality products and outstanding service. Currently we employ about 200 people in a 444,000 square foot facility in Philadelphia.
Nomination Category: Company, Office & Product Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best New Product or Service

Nomination Title: Jerith's Patriot Ornamental Wire Fence

Tell the story of this nominated product or service (up to 500 words): its function, its features and benefits, and how it differs from competitive offerings. Include in your description the date in 2003 on which this product or service was introduced to the U.S. marketplace:

When you think about chain link fence, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? 
UGLY, right? Nobody likes it, but it’s everywhere. But on July 1, 2003 the world
became a more beautiful place! That’s when Jerith introduced its new Patriot
Ornamental Wire Fence. Our goal was to unite the warmth and old-world charm of
wrought iron fence with the inexpensive functionality of chain link.

We accomplished this through a variety of innovations. First, we combined a heavy
welded-wire mesh with tubular top and bottom horizontals to create an ornamental
fence that is unlike any other. The wires in the mesh are 2, 4, and 6 gauge thick,
which are about twice the width of those typically used in a chain link fence. And,
because these heavier wires are welded at each intersection, Patriot Fence is
remarkably strong too. We found that a section of this fence can hold over 500
pounds without any permanent deformation.

To create a more appealing look, we designed a unique, patented mesh pattern to
give Patriot Fence the “style” that chain link lacks. Three different patterns are
available for each fence height depending upon the size of the wire used in the
mesh. Heavier gauge material permits us to space the horizontal wires further
apart and create a more open feeling to the fence. The entire Patriot Fence
system is galvanized and powder-coated for outstanding outdoor durability. This
combination of features allows us to offer an 8-year warranty on the fence,
including its finish.

However, the biggest achievement of this project is that we are able to produce
and sell this innovative fence for about the same price as vinyl-coated chain link. In
general, other types of ornamental fences cost about twice as much as chain link.
Marketing of this product only began recently, and the initial response from both
homeowners and architects has been very encouraging. The consensus is that
Patriot Ornamental Wire Fence is an elegant, attractive and affordable alternative
to chain link!

List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. You may include links to product photos, service logos, etc. IMPORTANT: List each link on a separate line, begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.website.com]:

http://www.hooverfence.com/ornamental/jerith-patriot/index.htm
http://products.construction.com/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=204&PageID=249&cached=true&mode=2
http://www.jerith.com/Patriot.pdf

Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of the team that development this nominated product or service:

Bruce Schwartz, President and Owner, is the grandson of Jerith’s founder, Irving
Schwartz. Bruce received his undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from
Northwestern University and his MBA from the University of Michigan. Because
Jerith is a family business, Bruce has essentially been working at the company
his whole life. He “officially” joined his father, Jerry Schwartz, in 1985 as Marketing
Manager to help control the company’s remarkable 25% growth rate. Bruce then
became President in 1995, and the sole owner of Jerith when his father retired at
the end of 1998. The company has continued to expand under his leadership.