How Bob Ray 5X’d Reviews & Grew a Fence Brand in Just a Few Years

In this episode of The Contractor Grow Show, Mark talks with Bob Ray, owner of North Indy Fence Deck & Rail in Noblesville, Indiana. After selling his family office-supply business, Bob jumped into a completely new industry—buying a small fence company with no trade background, just years of experience running and growing businesses. Bob unpacks how he evaluated the business, turned it into a highly reviewed local brand, and built steady lead flow through reviews, relationships, and smart job selection—not by trying to be everything to everyone. If you’re thinking about buying a contracting business or leveling up the one you’ve got, this conversation is packed with practical, repeatable tactics. Key takeaways: Why Bob bought an existing fence company (and its building) instead of starting from scratchHow he went from knowing nothing about tools to confidently running a fence/deck operationThe simple “spiff for 5-stars” system that took them from ~50 reviews to nearly 250How crews are trained to ask for reviews without it feeling awkward or fakeBuilding upstream referral engines via HOAs, landscapers, concrete contractors, and GCsWhy he focuses on aluminum fencing and deck resurfacing instead of saying yes to everythingThe pros and cons of commercial work vs. residential (cash flow, payment delays, pricing)How North Indy uses online tools and instant quotes to pre-qualify and educate homeowners