Finding the best solution

 

Having moved to a five acre Dairy Flat property to accommodate the exercise requirements of their four large dogs, Ann and Dan Wright wanted to install automatic gates at the driveway entrance but could find nothing that suited, particularly because with the house so far from the entrance digging a trench for the power was going to be invasive and expensive. Necessity being the mother of invention and with the can-do attitude that characterises how they operate, Ann and Dan undertook hours of research and experimentation to find a solution, eventually designing and building their own gates.

What they came up with was a complete, stand-alone system where nothing is wired to the house and all the automation for operating the gates and the lighting comes from solar power.

“Solar used to be unreliable and you couldn’t have anything like an intercom attached to it,” Ann tells me, “but we knew the technology was there. We have a lot of building and electrical knowledge and with some help from a specialist electrician we experimented by getting the parts and pulling the equipment apart to understand how it would work. With our system you push a button at the gate and our cell phone rings. I can be in Australia and let you into the house.”

At the time they were planning to establish a home-based business suited to their skills – Ann had worked in finance and business management and Dan is a mechanical engineer also with business management experience – and they realised they had come up with a product that met that criterion and at the same time filled a gap in the market. Advantages include no limit to the distance between a house and its gates, that customers can choose any style and material for their gate, and that the system is engineered so that the solar units never run out of battery power. The system is ideal for rural properties because the automated gates are reliable whatever the length of the driveway.
Getgates was launched at the end of October and friends and associates helped Ann and Dan find 

their feet as their first customers. From there the company has gone from strength to strength, with Ann taking care of the quotes and Dan, with help, doing the installations. Now, having in a short time built up the large bank of wholesale 

suppliers that gives them the buying power to set reasonable prices, they also provide gates powered by electricity, fencing, intercoms, solar powered driveway alerts, lighting, letterboxes, stone pillars and perimeter planting.

The Wright’s pride themselves on the high standard they’ve set themselves, selling high quality products and finding clever solutions, which often require them to think laterally.

“When you find something you’ve never encountered before you research it and work it out until you’ve found a solution,” says Dan and as every person has different tastes, requirements and budgets their motto is “you dream it, we’ll make it.”

They are also committed to giving excellent, timely service, adding security and value to your property while offering modern yet affordable options. As Ann explains, “We put in a lot of personal effort with people because we want to keep our relationship with our customers on a personal level and enjoy it. We want to do a good job for people.”

Ann and Dan are set on expanding their services. In the pipeline are a number of other, related companies designed to provide solutions to home needs like security and pet enclosures.

“It’s simple,” Ann says. “They can choose what they want and we’ll take care of everything.”

BEFORE & AFTER: Ann and Dan’s own entrance.

LIFESTYLE: The Wright Family – Ann and Dan with their four ‘kids’.