A Fenceman's Legacy
The Building of a Fence Company
Bay Area Fence Factory began in 1972, when our founder, Marc Hudson (1949 - 2011), opened Fence Factory in Safety Harbor. Marc built fences the same way he lived - straightforward, honest, and built with a certain flair.
The early days were pure old‑school Florida: Fresh-cut cypress cants, cutting your own pickets, stringers and posts from a rough-cut slab of wood. Learning craftsmanship from doing the work yourself.
“The Barefoot Fenceman”
If you’ve been around Tampa Bay long enough, you might remember Marc by his nickname - “the barefoot fenceman.” He practically never wore shoes, whether he was in the shop, working up a quote, installing on a jobsite, or walking through a scrap yard. It wasn’t a gimmick. It was just who he was.
People still stop by the shop asking if the barefoot fenceman is around. That tells you everything about the kind of impression he made.
Marc passed away about twenty years ago, and when he did, Fence World News ran a three‑page tribute with messages from fence company owners and suppliers from across the Tampa Bay area.
They remembered him for his craftsmanship, his humor, and the way he made people feel at ease. The stories ranged from heartfelt to downright funny - the kind of things only people who worked alongside him would understand.
We won’t publish the whole article here, but the spirit of it is simple: Marc and his Bay Area Fence Factory continue to have an impact on this fencing industry and on our Tampa Bay community.
“Marc built fences the way he lived - straight, honest, and durable.”
- Fence World News tribute
1987 - A Fence That’s a Standing Legacy
One of the best examples of Marc’s Bay Area Fence Factory work is still standing today at Coachman Creek Condos in Clearwater, Florida. It was our first large PVC vinyl fence installation, and one of the very first vinyl fence installs in the Tampa Bay area. Built in 1987 using Country Estate material from Nebraska Plastics - back when 'plastic fence' was still a novel idea in Florida.
That fence has survived five hurricanes, countless storms, and nearly four decades of Florida sun. Some sections have been replaced over the years because cars drove through them, but the untouched back run is still straight and solid. The original 10‑inch bottom rail - a profile you can’t even get anymore - is still there and still looks good.
Coachman Creek Condo Perimeter fence. I took this picture on January 29th, 2026. Bay Area Fence Factory did this PVC vinyl fence install in 1987. Thirty nine years later and still delivering value.
It’s a reminder of what happens when you build things right the first time.
Still Here. Still Local. Still Building Fences That Last.
The shop today is the same shop Marc ran. It’s not fancy - it’s a working shop, the kind that smells like sawdust, PVC shavings, and Florida humidity, with the tat‑tat‑tat of nail guns in the background. The tools have changed, the materials have evolved, and the storms keep coming, but the core of the business is the same.
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We’re still here.
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We’re still local.
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We’re still building fences that last.
And every once in a while, when some old-timer walks in and asks, “Is the barefoot fenceman around?”
That’s when you know a legacy is still alive.
