In 1945, Henry Long left his job at the Washington DC Department of Public Works and established a small fence company at the corner of 18th and Rhode Island Avenue in Washington DC.
The purchase of the company in 1961 by Henry’s son Bob ushered in a tradition of being family-owned and operated. Over a decade ago, Bob Long transitioned ownership of Long Fence to his daughter, Barbara “Bobbie Lee” Long Ritter and his son-in-law Mike Ritter who has long served as the President and CEO. Today the company takes pride in the fact that 5 generations of family have been associated with Long Fence throughout its over 75 years of existence.
A large part of Long’s early success came from developing Long® Environmental Systems, manufactured prefabricated chain link fencing panels that could be bolted together quickly to form dog runs. Long Fence expanded their product line selections to include such other home product services such as decks, gazebos, screened porches, sunrooms and hardscape products.
In the ensuing years, Long Fence it expanded its footprint. The Virginia office grew out of what was once a gas station. The company undertook an expansion into Capitol Heights in the 1970s; it remains the HQ. The Montgomery County office began as office trailers and transitioned into a full building in the ’90s. The company moved their Crofton Office in to a larger modern facility in Odenton, MD, in 2010. Since then, a Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, branch has opened, focused exclusively on commercial services.
The company primarily services the mid-Atlantic region. Residentially they dominate the area commonly referred to as the DMV – District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Commercially, the company has managed projects for a host of companies such as Amtrak as well as sporting complexes along the Eastern seaboard most notably Audi Field for D.C. United’s soccer to the Ball Park of the Palm Beaches in Florida which serves as the home of the National’s and Astro’s shared training facility.
Long® Fence’s reach has grown even in places without a physical presence. Today, the firm works commercially from coast-to-coast, installing large-scale government and commercial fencing projects throughout the United States.
Today, the company continues to be family owned and operated. With 5 generations of family members involved in the day to day operations of the company, they collectively bring years of fencing knowledge of the industry to Long Fence, with the goal to better serve their customers.
The Long® Fence brand is a household name regionally and has become highly recognized throughout the nation. The Long® Fence sign is synonymous with excellence in residential and commercial products and services.