Apple Valley, Calif., Fence Building Company Does Brisk Business.

By James Ramage, Daily Press, Victorville, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Feb. 3--APPLE VALLEY, Calif. -- Fence-builder Allfence has roughly doubled its staff in the past two months, and still there aren't enough hands to do all of the work, Purchasing Manager Todd Elliott said.

But business is better than ever, Elliott continued, and so the 20-employee company has been stockpiling materials to build more of its wood, steel, rail and wrought-iron fences.

"It's a good season for building," he said. "For the last year, we've been do