Balancing farm and lifestyle in Central Otago

In the small town of Roxburgh, tucked into Central Otago’s Teviot Valley, you’ll find Abercrombie Fencing Services, a father-and-son team keeping rabbits out and standards high.

Brian started the business nearly 20 years ago, and these days his son Andrew runs the show. Brian still works alongside him, joking that his official job title is “the boy.”

Roxburgh is a place of about 600 people, where the locals know your name and the Clutha River cuts through rolling country and orchards. It’s also where Andrew and Brian have built a reputation for quality work, fair prices, and a good yarn at the gate.

“We’re not out here trying to buy Ferraris; we just take pride in doing a good job at a fair price.”

The balance between farm and lifestyle

Abercrombie Fencing naturally splits its time evenly between farm fencing and lifestyle or residential projects.

“We might spend a month on farm fencing, then the next couple of months on lifestyle,” Andrew says. “It keeps things balanced, and lifestyle work helps with cashflow – it’s more consistent through the year.”

While Brian still loves the big open-country jobs, Andrew has brought a new energy to the lifestyle side. Since joining the business ten years ago, he has expanded their offering to include paling, steel, equestrian, post and rail, and their most popular: macro fencing.

“We’ll do everything apart from rock and brick.”

The Brassknocker project

One standout job was a major subdivision in Brassknocker, just out of Chatto Creek. The project included nine kilometres of seven-wire Y-post fencing, with two kilometres of rabbit netting to combat a local infestation.

“We got into one house, then the neighbour wanted a fence, then the next one – and before we knew it, we’d done every house in the subdivision.”

It was their biggest quoted job at the time, back in 2022, and came with its fair share of challenges.

“The ground was frozen through winter, and we were doing it while Covid was making its rounds,” Andrew recalls. “Staff were off sick, and we had to juggle timing with other contractors. But apart from that, it went pretty smoothly.”

The team on site included Andrew, Brian, Genna, and Becky, along with their Kubota Series 2 Kinghitter, an orchard tractor, and plenty of manual wire running. The land itself was once an old farm paddock that had rolling hills, and was full of character.

Six years on, Abercrombie Fencing still does work in the same subdivision, building equine fencing and macrocarpa entranceways. “If you’re doing a subdivision in Central Otago,” Andrew laughs, “and you haven’t got schist stone or macro involved… you’re not doing it right.”

Lessons from the lifestyle side

That Brassknocker project opened Andrew’s eyes to the business side of fencing. “It taught me a lot about pricing, communication, and management,” he says. “It showed me how important it is to ask the right questions and really understand what clients want.”

Communication, he reckons, is what sets them apart. “Clients come to us through word of mouth. We talk to them properly, explain what things cost, and try to find the right fit for their budget.”

“People come in with big ideas – it’s about giving them the best result within their budget.”

Between them, Brian and Andrew have more than 30 years of farming experience, giving them a practical edge when it comes to layout, stock movement, and yard design. “A lot of people buying lifestyle blocks haven’t fenced before,” Andrew says. “We try to give them maintenance tips too – like checking rabbit netting monthly, keeping timber stained or painted, and adding a hot wire if needed.”

Local supply, local pride

Staying local is a key part of how Abercrombie Fencing operates. Around 95 percent of their timber comes from Stuart’s Timber, a family-run sawmill in Tapanui. “We’ve got to be organised, but it’s worth it,” Andrew says. “Supporting local businesses is important to us.”

Finding staff in a small town, however, isn’t easy. “If we could click our fingers and find a replica of us 20 years ago, it’d be a lot easier,” he laughs. For now, they stick to what works – which is a small, reliable team that gets the job done right the first time.

Looking ahead

Next on the horizon is work in Queenstown, where rabbit netting will again take centre stage. “There’s no point putting six figures’ worth of natives into a property that’s just going to feed some rabbits,” Andrew says.

Outside of work, he enjoys exploring the South Island with his wife – “driving to Queenstown for noodles and a beer,” or unwinding at home or the local pub. Watching his son play sport, catching up with mates, and enjoying a Hazy or a Speight’s if nothing else is on tap.

From paddocks to lifestyle blocks, Abercrombie Fencing Services continues to set the bar in Central Otago, proving that skill, communication, and good old-fashioned pride in your work never go out of style.

Written by Brooke O’Connell