John Payne founded his first fencing company in the early 1990s – literally in a barn in southern Ellis County — after an unsuccessful foray into the commercial ostrich ranching business. As painful as losing the commercial ranching operation was, Payne says, that experience was one of the best things that ever happened to him. Leaning on his wife, Lana, and drawing on his faith, Payne bounced back quickly, as most entrepreneurs do, to build Payne Fence Products into an industry leader with a reputation for quality second to none.
“Looking back on the last 25 years, there is no doubt God was working on Lana and me,” Payne says. “In the early days of our fence company, we felt we were surviving, but daily we were committed to diligent work, great service, and executing a plan.” With its reputation based on top-quality service, materials, and innovative engineering solutions, Payne Fence Products developed a reputation for devising solutions for complex commercial, industrial, and security projects for clients such as Wal-Mart, Lowes, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, US Dept of State, Customs & Border Patrol providing 124 miles of US Border Fence and Gate Systems on the US Southern Border. And in so doing, it attracted the attention of international conglomerates and its ultimate suitor, the BetaFence Group of Belgium, a 135-year-old business with the largest market share in the world of fences. In 2008, Betafence entered into a partnership with Payne Fence Products and then bought the company in its entirety in 2011. Payne, who helped guide the transition, exited the company with an equity buyout to embark on his life’s next chapter. As a fencing industry entrepreneur, Payne obtained more than 20 patents that translated into better construction, processes, solutions, and fences. He has served on several ASTM International Technical Committees to help develop industry standards. As a 5th generation Texan and landowner, John understood just how vital a good fence is—and often how difficult it can be to build that good fence over rugged terrain and streams. Now, he had the chance to bring together two great passions: devising solutions and improving the land. And thus, Tejas Ranch & Game Fence was born. In just a few years, guided by Payne’s vision, Tejas Ranch & Game Fence has become known for quality and attention to detail throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and points beyond. Discerning landowners recognize the professionalism and results-oriented approach Tejas brings to every project. “Whether it’s a high-game fence, cattle fence, horse fence, or clearing land for income production, at the end of the day,” says Payne, “it’s all about creating something in a way that makes people say, Wow!”
