Interviewing Jerry Short was no small feat. First off, if you know Jerry, you know he likes to talk! However, not a single word out of his mouth is invaluable. In fact, you’ll notice the word “value” come up quite a bit as we explore Jerry’s history in the fencing industry, his American Built journey, and his time spent with Master Halco.
Our first question to Jerry was “Where did your involvement in the industry begin?” This opened the door to talking about some of not only Jerry’s biggest milestones – but Master Halco’s, as well. Take a look…
- 1975 – At just 29 years old, Jerry owned his own logging business where he sold many a log to none other than Halco Fence & Wire, who operated their own sawmill at the time.
- 1981 – Jerry then went to work for Halco Fence & Wire as their Sawmill Superintendent in Hadlock, WA.
- A few months later, Jerry gave a presentation on his sawmill’s operations to the executive team. His audience included Ben Wallace, President of Halco Fence & Wire at that time. (If his name sounds familiar to you – it should! Ben would later become the owner of Jamieson Fence Supply, which has since merged with us, Master Halco, in 2019. Things have really come full circle!)
The executive team had never seen a presentation like Jerry’s before. It was 180 degrees from anything they had been told about the mill. They were so impressed, they promoted him to Plant Manager. - 1983 – Halco Fence & Wire merged with Master Fence Fittings, creating the name we know today: Master Halco.
- 1989 – Although Jerry had doubled production as Plant Manager at the Hadlock mill, no amount of productivity could make up for the outdated equipment they endured. With the cost of new equipment being nonsensical, Jerry made it clear to the executives that it was in Master Halco’s best interest to shut the sawmill down. Even though the employees knew the mill was closing, they still worked as hard as ever. Jerry had implemented a rewards program, offering lotto scratch tickets and popsicles to keep spirits up and production high. Jerry knew how to inspire hard work and earn respect. And the respect went both ways… Jerry was not only responsible for shutting the mill down, but also for lining up jobs for all of his employees. He collaborated with local businesses to get all 20 of his men placed at new jobs in no time. Jerry recognized the value of teamwork, respect, and community involvement.
- 1990 – After Jerry closed the sawmill’s doors, he was then assigned to travel throughout the United States and Canada to develop an unprecedented Wood Product Management Program. This was a new venture for Master Halco. And Jerry took on the task just like any other – with passion.
- 1992 – After 2 years of traveling across North America, tirelessly studying the wood markets in each region, Jerry put together a report and presented it to Master Halco’s executive team. This showed how large the wood marketplace truly was, and gave step-by-step ways of how Master Halco could grow and be competitive within it.
- 1993 – Soon after his presentation, Master Halco created an entire department centered around wood. And guess who they put in charge? Why, Jerry Short, of course! Jerry’s department executed all purchasing, forecasting, pricing, and inventory control for all of Master Halco’s ~40 branches, growing sales from 3.5 million to 76 million dollars in just 6 years.
- 1999 – On the cusp of a new millennium, Master Halco decided to embark on a branding overhaul. Fun fact: They used a company called Transformational Branding, the same group that branded Gateway computers! Yes, you remember – The computers that came in a cow-spotted cardboard box!
With this endeavor came a brand-new Master Halco logo – the same one you still see us use today!
Jerry was heavily involved in this rebrand, moving to California to build all the fence displays that were used in photoshoots to produce ”lifestyle” fence photos. Two of which you can see here:
- 2001 – Soon after, Jerry’s valuable contributions to the rebrand were recognized when he was promoted to Director of Marketing.
- 2008 – Yet another “full circle” moment in this timeline… Jerry went to work for TMI Forest Products, now known as Alta Forest Products – currently Master Halco’s sister company! He was hired on as their Vice President of Sales & Marketing.
- 2010 – Jerry couldn’t stay away from Master Halco for long! He rejoined the team as Region Manager of the Northwest, overseeing 6 branches.
- 2012 – Jerry then expanded to become Region Manager of the entire West Coast, upping his branch responsibility from 6 to 13.
- 2013 – Master Halco knew Jerry’s many talents were best put to use in the Marketing Department, leading him to be promoted to Director of Marketing yet again.
- 2018 - Present – Having started one of Master Halco’s greatest customer rewards programs, Masters Club, Jerry then became Manager of Marketing Programs so he could take full ownership of his creation and make it the great event that we know and love today.
Continuing on with the interview, you can truly see how Jerry’s history in the fencing industry has shaped his view with how he answers the remaining questions…
MH: What advice do you have for the fencing contractors reading this article?
Jerry: This is definitely an industry you can have a career in for yourself and your family, because it’s an industry that is going to have longevity. There will be adjustments that you will have to make and challenges you will have to face, but the need for fencing will always be there. You are providing a tangible asset with tangible values. Whether it’s safety, protection, privacy, etc. All those things are what your product provides and what your customers will continually have a need for. But how do you succeed in the industry? You offer your customers options. Educate them about those options. Let them understand the value of what you’re offering, and they will pay for that value.
MH: What has kept you so involved and passionate all these years? What inspires you?
Jerry: It’s about creating value so that you and others can succeed. Build quality into the process and you’ll create value. Create a story about the value of whatever you’re selling. Value = success. And when you succeed, your customers succeed. When your customers succeed, their families succeed. When their families succeed, so do the communities they live in, and so on and so forth. That is what inspires me daily. It’s all about the bigger picture. It’s caring about the quality product and services you are giving your customers.
MH: What has been the most memorable time you’ve seen in the fencing industry?
Jerry: I’d have to say it was this year, just a couple of months ago. Starting with FenceTech 2022, winning the award for Best Island Booth. Then the very next week, following it up with my last Masters Club event since I’ll be retiring at the end of April. I am so proud of the program we were able to put together, and now the positive feedback from our customers who understand and appreciate the essence of Masters Club being a networking event between contractors, associates, and vendors. And it’s not just the feedback from the contractors, it’s now the feedback from the vendors also that have attended and the value they see in that kind of a program. Keeping the customer’s best interest in mind. That has been my passion and focus all my life.
Jerry Short does so much more than just what’s mentioned above. He is a wealth of knowledge, a dreamer, and a man of limitless passion who will work tirelessly to see that the dreams of himself, and others, come true.