Postsaver: Extending fence post life : Latest News

PRESS RELEASE

BROTHERS WIN WITHOUT DRAGON’S FIREPOWER

Savvy entrepreneurs Richard and Jim George who spurned a £160,000 deal on the Dragons’ Den TV series have seen sales of their anti-rot fencing post sleeves soar by 75%.

The brothers, from Malvern, Worcestershire, stunned the panel of multi-millionaires on the hit BBC 2 programme when they declined four offers for a stake in their Gloucestershire-based business last summer.

Following the show, their website crashed after being inundated with enquiries about the bitumen-lined sleeves which extend the life of fence posts by keeping preservatives in and decay out.

“Sales to our existing customers have jumped by 75%, mainly because members of the public started asking for PostSaver after they had seen the product on the show. We’ve also added many new stockists to our national supplier network,” said Richard George.

“We thought we had made the wrong decision but now we’re not so sure. As we said at the end of the programme, only time will tell and we do feel vindicated by our decision to reject the cash,” he added.

Brothers Richard and Jim George in the Dragons’ Den

L to r: Brothers Richard and Jim George.
Application of PostSaver sleeve

As PostSaver sleeves are produced in a range of 12 sizes, the Staunton company has also won orders from a diverse range of businesses including vineyards, playground equipment makers, decking firms and utility companies for use on telegraph poles.

The brothers developed the protective fence post sleeve after the EU ruled only environment-friendly preservatives could be used to treat timber fencing.

Many consumers are unaware of the potential problem of ground rot in fence posts and the hassle and costs associated with replacing a perfectly good fence after only a few years, explained Richard.

More information including a product demonstration can be viewed online at www.postsaver.co.uk

Note to editors:

More product information is available online at www.postsaver.co.uk
and www.easy-fill.co.uk

Media contacts:
Jim George, Postsaver, 0845 643 4089
Debbie McCarthy, DMPR, 01886 888000
Issued: 2/12

BROTHERS TAKE ON THE DRAGONS

Brothers Richard and Jim George braved the Dragons’ Den to try and secure backing for a product that aims to stop premature fence post rot.

The plucky pair from Staunton presented their PostSaver invention to the panel of multi-millionaires during episode 3 of the popular BBC 2 TV series, which aired last night (August 14).

After a nerve-wracking pitch, the brothers were made offers by four of the Dragons but a final agreement on a deal could not be reached.

“Under the glare and pressure of being in front of the Dragons, I think we may have made the wrong decision by not accepting an offer, but only time will tell,” said Jim George.

“And although appearing on Dragons’ Den was a gruelling experience and not something to be undertaken lightly, it was a fantastic opportunity to pit our wits against a formidable team,” he added.

The brothers came up with the idea for the protective dual-layer fence post sleeve after the EU ruled that only environment-friendly preservatives could be used to treat timber fencing.

“The new preservatives are less effective which means that instead of posts lasting on average 15 years, they can now rot through at ground level in only a few years, which leaves consumers with an otherwise perfectly good fence that has to be replaced,” explained Jim.

PostSaver sleeves comprise a tough polythene outer layer lined with a meltable sealant and are designed to keep preservatives in and decay out. They are easily applied using a low-cost gas blow torch.

While they couldn’t agree a deal on PostSaver, the brothers are already contemplating a second shot at the show with another invention. They have developed a special fuel-saving spout for use with fuel cans, which works just like a petrol nozzle at the garage and prevents overfilling by stopping the flow when the tank is full.

Note to editors:

More product information is available online at www.postsaver.co.uk and www.easy-fill.co.uk

Media contacts:
Jim George, Postsaver, 0845 643 4089
Debbie McCarthy, DMPR, 01886 888000

FARMER AIMS TO KEEP FENCE POST ROT AT BAY

Progressive farmer Richard Thomas is trialling an innovative product that claims to double fence post life* in a bid to avoid the pitfalls of premature rot.

He has fenced a 10-acre field at his East Midlands farm using 400 posts fitted with Postsaver protective sleeves, which are specially designed to keep timber preservatives in and decay out.

Richard, who is chairman of the Notts branch of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), hopes the exercise will prove useful, particularly as he plans to expand on the range of conservation schemes at his 2,500-acre farm in Blidworth.

Alongside his well-established business of rearing pigs and growing spring wheat, sugar beet and vegetables such as carrots, asparagus and spinach, Richard aims to create more areas for grazing, which will require a substantial investment in fencing in the near future.

“I have had a few problems where animals have pushed over posts that have rotted prematurely so a low-cost product that can help extend the life of timber posts to perhaps 15 years or more could prove to be very beneficial,” said Richard.

Fencing supplier and timber treatment specialist Jon Walker of Calverton recommended the application of Postsaver sleeves as an added layer of protection to the chestnut posts he has provided for the exercise.

“These sleeves involve only a very small extra cost and they are a good combination with posts that have been treated with the correct strength of preservative solution required for ground contact timbers,” commented Jon, who has 25 years’ experience in the industry and whose business treats 150 tonnes of timber a week.

Designed to protect the most vulnerable part of a fence post from rotting organisms, Postsaver is a tough, double layer polythene and bituminous sleeve developed by brothers Richard and Jim George in response to changes in EU preservative legislation.

“Many farmers and landowners are unaware of the growing problem of premature fence failure associated with the ban on traditional copper, chrome and arsenic preservatives in favour of more environment-friendly options.

“These ‘greener’ preservatives are far less effective and mean perfectly good fences are being scrapped because timber posts have rotted through at ground level within a few years,” explained Jim George.

Postsaver sleeves are produced in a range of sizes to fit all popular round and square post sizes. They are easily applied using a simple hand-held gas burner for lower volume applications or with a purpose-designed, mobile, pro-contractor machine that’s gas powered for use where large volumes of fencing are being treated.

EU VOTE ON CREOSOTE

Following the EU wide ban of CCA preservatives in 2004 and the subsequent restriction of the use of creosote the EU are currently reviewing the on-going use of creosote for the preservation of timber fencing,railway sleepers and most importantly Utility Poles.

The likelyhood that creosote will be banned is fairly inevitable, most people say it's just a matter of time.

Another meeting of EU competent authorities was held this month and it was of no great suprise that an agreement was not reached.

The final decision is now being left to the Council of Ministers for the early part of 2011.

But whilst there is much lobbying focused on retaining creosote,what else is there to bring to this very important debate?The EU are very keen to hear about alternatives to the on-going use of creosote,after all it has carciogenetic properties and contains PAHs (listed as persistent organic pollutants).

There are two other options for the EU to consider :

1	Continuing the use of creosote but using it in a safer and more environmentally friendly way by using a barrier system that is employed on the in-ground contact area of the pole which would prevent the creosote from leaching into the environment.

2	To ban creosote altogether and use a current copper based preservative to treat the utility poles in combination with a ground contact barrier sleeve to achieve an environmentally safer alternative to creosote which importantly has the required length of service life and overcomes both commercial and practical considerations for manufacturers,network providers and utility companies alike.

These are two key issues that are fast becoming part of the EU debate on the on-going use of creosote.

EU competent authorities are hungry for innovative and proven solutions to this tired and long winded debate on the use of creosote where the 'status quo' is the default option.
Barrier sleeves are poised to change the face of this debate,some would say that it's long overdue!

STOP THE ROT FOR 59p!

In response to over-whelming demand from stockists, contractors and farmers for a low cost way to heat shrink Postsaver sleeves to existing fence posts, Postsaver have developed the product so it can be applied with a simple hand held gas blow torch.

Since the EU banned the old but effective cca preservatives in 2004 the new environmentally friendly replacements are proving to be far less effective with some current timber fence posts rotting through at ground level in a matter of a few years.

This obviously poses a problem for consumers, contractors and stockists alike, nobody wants to have to replace a new fence that’s only lasted a few years especially when everything above ground level is perfectly serviceable.

The tough and durable Postsaver dual layer sleeve product was developed 16 years ago to prevent this very problem and works by keeping preservatives in and decay out of the vulnerable part of the post just below ground level.

The sleeves comprise a tough polythene outer layer with a bituminous lining that slides over the post and using something as simple as a hand held gas blow torch sleeves can be heat shrunk onto the post in around 40 seconds, the sleeve is proven to at least double the life* of the fence post which on average gives a 40% fencing life cycle cost saving for the consumer.

It’s as simple as that and with sleeves from as little as 59p it’s a small additional cost that gives peace of mind protection and financial benefits for stockists, contractors and consumers alike.

*Applies on fence posts that are not treated to BS8417