Rob Bell Fencing Ltd has been named Agricultural and Equine Contractor of the Year 2025 by the Association of Fencing Industries (AFI).
Director Robert Bell said the accolade was especially meaningful after narrowly missing out in previous years.
“We’ve been a finalist for the last two years and missed out,” Mr Bell said “so to grab the top place this year is a real honour,” he said.
The AFI posted the win on social media and praised the firm’s “exceptional rural craftsmanship, attention to detail, and commitment to quality,” adding that this year’s entry showed “industry-leading standards in performance and delivery”.
Although Mr Bell is no stranger to awards – having won several local and national hedge-laying titles – this is his first national award for fencing.
The business began in 1988 when Mr Bell was ‘a simple hedge-layer with a car, an axe and a chainsaw’. It has since grown into a leading agricultural and forestry fencing contractor working across Cumbria, North Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Mr Bell paid tribute to his team and to his wife and co-director, Clare.
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He said: “Thanks must go to my wife, the glue that holds it all together,” he said. “And to the lads that work for us – this award might be in my name but it’s their dedication to detail and commitment to quality that delivers the results.”