Fencing Industry Excellence Recognised
At the August 2023 annual Conference held in New Plymouth, the Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) recognised three excellent fencers through the inaugural FCANZ Industry Awards.
A New Award
FCANZ has replaced the lifetime membership award, which has been presented twice before, with a re-invigorated Legacy Award. The first lifetime membership award was presented to the late Bill Schuler, a legendary fencer with a name known by many. The second was to Frank Prince for his work on the NZ Wire Industries National Certificate in Fencing Master Fencer manual, which was delivered at Flock House.
The new Legacy Award will be a special and infrequently awarded honour as part of the industry awards, and recipients receive honorary FCANZ Life Membership. It is for individuals of the highest calibre – the best of the best – who are recognised as having significantly contributed to the growth of the fencing industry by their own deeds, in a giving capacity.
2023 Legacy Award Recipient
Long-time fencer and fencing competition legend Paul Van Beers was presented with the Legacy Award for his contribution to the fencing industry.
Paul has won the Golden Pliers 13 times (plus another win the year the competition went to Central Districts) and the Fieldays Silver Spades 14 times, including a win alongside his son Jason in 2015. Paul has also won the World Power Fencing Competition in Germany twice. He has fenced in New Zealand, the US and China, demonstrated in New Zealand, the US and Australia, and been a demonstrator at All About Fencing events and FCANZ Best Practice Days.
He is held in very high regard by fencing competitors, has long been seen as the “one to beat”, and is an industry example of a high level of workmanship. The farming community are also fans, with farmers heading to the Fieldays specifically to watch “Paul Van Beers”. As Debbie White, FCANZ Vice President, said in her address, “What makes this Award special is that Paul amplifies the true value of the fencing industry as a profession. FCANZ are honoured to be able to be able to award the Legacy award to Paul.”
2023 Emerging Talent – Youth Winner
Taylor Barr, from Tawai Fencing in Kimbolton, won the Emerging Talent – Youth Award for under-25-year-olds in the industry, who have shown a commitment to fencing as a career and demonstrated growth and excellence in their workplace. Nominated by their employers, the finalists and winners were determined by a panel of independent assessors based on visual evidence provided and through interviews with finalists. Judges said, “The three finalists are all sterling young candidates who have obviously earned the respect of their employers. We’d all happily employ any one of them. Taylor clearly understands client needs, using the right materials and working within the client budget. He helped in Wairoa post-cyclone and is passionate about what he does both during his workday and in his personal time.”
2023 Trainee of the Year
The Trainee of the Year award recognises a worker who was enrolled in an NZQA National Certificate in Fencing Level 3 course during 2022 and has demonstrated to the tutor that they have excellent knowledge and skills in fence line installation. There were 4 finalists for this award, with Michael Conijn from Custom Fencing in Dunedin taking out the honours.
Judges’ comments stated that Michael “Demonstrates exceptional workmanship, shows natural leadership within teams and has no hesitation in sharing his knowledge to help upskill others. His assessments were completed to a high standard, he works well in the team environment, is dedicated and focused, and Health & Safety minded.”
Final Word
Debbie went on to say, “The calibre of nominees was incredibly high, and so we congratulate both the finalists and winners. Being nominated and making it as a finalist is recognition of the high regard that these fencers and their work are held in. We look forward to seeing what they all achieve in the coming years, and to see who the recipients are of the 2024 FCANZ Industry Awards”.
