Just about everyone knows that a fence is a freestanding structure designed to define a boundary or property line, to prevent access, or to provide a visual screen or both. 

Over time, the formerly popular chain link fences have been displaced with materials that provide privacy such as, wood and concrete block and most recently, precast concrete fences. 

Over 50 years ago, modern precast concrete fences were first made in Europe and Africa. They were primitive concrete panels and posts that had a pattern only on one side. They were made by pouring concrete into steel trays or “pan” molds which had a pattern on the bottom. The open side was smooth, flat concrete. The other side matched the pattern in the pan. Neighbors choose which side they wanted, which was largely driven by who was paying for the fence. 

In 1977, a South African businessman secured funding in the amount of $2M from a South African loan officer at California Federal Bank

in Los Angeles. The money was raised based only on photos, not actual samples. 

The bank became the majority shareholder in Consolidated Fencing, Inc. organized to produce its product, "Quikfence."  

The funding decision-makers were not informed that the fence was single-sided until the fencing company had to explain to the Cal Fed board why sales were not meeting pre-funding projections. California Federal closed the company after 9 months.  

Soon after that, with the assistance of a mold maker, Mark Gelfat pursued his vision and developed today's popular precast concrete fences and concrete fence molds, with the same texture and pattern on both sides.

Over the years, the technological advancements of those concrete fence molds, and their efficiencies, set the foundation for the creation of today's advanced textures and patterns.

The success of the aesthetic and structural benefits of concrete fences has created an enormous demand for concrete fence as residential and commercial development privacy and noise screens, as well as federal, municipal and utility companies and most recently, Homeland Security Anti- Ballistic Barriers.

Based on the overwhelming response to his prototype products, Mr. Gelfat became the sole founder and incorporator of both

a Los Angeles, Ca - based concrete fence company and a Euless, Texas - based concrete fence company to market, produce and install the concrete fences he created and brought to market. He later sold his successful Texas company to the father of his first employee and young protege who runs the company today. His former company still produces the identical concrete fences that were first developed in his backyard and then produced in his first factory in the parking lot of a friend's business. Today many companies in Texas, and many more around the world are profiting from the same concrete fences.