Author Archives: theafi

Thank You to Our 2025 UK Fencing Awards Sponsors As we continue to reflect on what was a fantastic evening at Mercedes-Benz World earlier in the month, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our sponsors who helped make the UK Fencing Awards 2025 such a success. Your support is what allows us to celebrate excellence […]

CJT Timber Sourcing Share Accreditation News CJT Timber Sourcing LTD are Proud to share a big milestone 🌲 We’re now officially a WPA Approved Treater, using UK BPR-authorised TANALITH E preservative across our timber treatment range. Managing Director Ben Parton Commented: “For us, this isn’t just a badge, it’s about doing things properly. Every piece of […]

Tornado Wire Wins Prestigious Manufacturer Award for Achieving Customer Value Tornado Wire has been named winner of the “Achieving Customer Value” category at The Manufacturer MXAwards 2025. The award was presented at a ceremony held at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool on 12 November,celebrating outstanding performance and innovation in UK manufacturing. The “Achieving Customer Value” category recognises businesses that demonstrate how customer strategy has contributed to measurable improvements in growth, innovation, operational excellence, and customer satisfaction. For Tornado Wire, this honour represents a significant milestone in its mission to help customers grow and succeed through high-quality, durable wire fencing solutions. The shortlist for this year’s awards included a host of industry-leading manufacturers, each showcasing impressive customer-centric strategies, operational advances and solutions. To be recognised alongside such formidable peers is in itself a mark of distinction, reflecting the respect of the independent judging panel and the wider manufacturing community. CEO Rebecca Galley, who attended the awards alongside Operations Director Steve Allard, Sales Manager Malcolm Blackford, and Operations Manager Wayne Ruddy, said: “We were absolutely thrilled to hear our name announced. Of all four categories we entered, this was the one I most hoped we would win. Our team works tirelessly to build strong relationships and deliver real value to our customers and the wider industry. I may be relatively new to the business, but it’s clear to me that this team thoroughly deserves this recognition, and I couldn’t be prouder.” The award follows a year of tangible progress across Tornado’s customer engagement strategy, underpinned by insight-driven product development, responsive service, and operational improvements. “This win reinforces that we’re delivering on our mission,” Galley added. “It’s about fuelling our customers’growth and success with fencing solutions they can truly rely on.” Tornado’s entry showcased its end-to-end approach to listening, innovating, and acting on customer feedback. Initiatives such as the development of the award-winning Pro- Strain® system and the new Pro-Strain i-Post®reflect Tornado’s commitment to understanding contractor challenges and delivering practical, future-proofsolutions. The company’s collaborative model brings together its sales, operations, and technical teams, ensuring the voice of the customer is embedded throughout the business. “This wasn’t the result of one project or one team,” said Galley. “It’s a company-wide achievement. Our sales people understand customer requirements in detail. Our operations teams back them up with manufacturing excellence and reliable delivery. And across the board, we’re all working to innovate and improve together.” She added: “We’ll take a moment to celebrate, but we’re also looking ahead. We’ll digest the judges’ feedback and keep pushing forward with our improvement plans for 2026 and beyond.” Tornado Wire extends thanks to its team, its customers, and the event sponsors and judges who made the evening possible.

What a Night — UK Fencing Awards 2025! Last Thursday we came together at Mercedes-Benz World, Weybridge for the UK Fencing Awards 2025 — and what an incredible evening it was! With a champagne reception, a fantastic three-course dinner, the high-energy F1 simulator challenge, and an unforgettable talk from Perry McCarthy — the original Stig from Top Gear, it truly was […]

Stress Awareness – Supporting Minds at Work One in four people in the UK will experience a mental health issue at some point. While most conditions are mild and treatable, anxiety and depression are particularly common and can arise from both personal and work-related challenges.  We would like to introduce you to a timely opportunity to […]

AFI Website Update – Member Login Emails Sent Thank you to everyone for your patience and positive feedback as we launch the new AFI website. We’re pleased to confirm that the password reset emails have now been sent to all members. If you haven’t already done so, please follow the link in that email to […]

Countdown to the UK Fencing Awards 2025! The countdown is on! In just over two weeks’ time, the fencing industry will gather for the UK Fencing Awards 2025 – an evening of celebration, recognition, and connection at the iconic Mercedes-Benz World, Weybridge, on Thursday 13th November. This year’s event promises to be our biggest and most exciting yet, with […]

FenceX 2025 Breaks Records and Brings the Fencing Industry Together The UK fencing industry came together in record numbers on 15th October for FenceX 2025 at NAEC Stoneleigh – and the result was a day packed with innovation, collaboration, and inspiration. With groundbreaking numbers of visitors and record numbers of exhibitors showcasing the latest in fencing products, technology, and best practice, this year’s show […]

🦌 New Product Launch 🦌 CJT Timber are proud to launch their new DeerFence Range,  the latest addition to their Platinum Brand, purpose-built for deer fencing projects across the UK. ✔️ British homegrown and fully traceable machine-rounded timber✔️ UC4 5.3% treated & incised✔️ Platinum Recognised 15-year warranty✔️ WPA Member & AFI Supplier Member Accredited✔️ Preservative treatment fully third-party tested & verified. DeerFence Range Includes: Strong, reliable, […]