FROM FATHER TO SON

Dennis Wutke first bought Mild Fence Company in 1977. It had originally opened in 1972 and has now been in business for 45 years, though this year marks the 40th anniversary of its ownership under the Wutke family.

Eric Wutke remembers helping his father out in the summers starting at age 10 — lending a hand here and there. By age 14 he began spending his entire summers building fences.

The Wutkes are originally from Montana, and Eric’s mother’s family had been here since before Montana was a state — the Tetraults, a French-Canadian family, migrated to Montana in 1886.

Dennis worked for Boeing and the family was frequently moving. They knew they wanted to settle down in their home state, and the fence company was a way for them to earn a living back home.

The four Wutke children all went to high school in the valley. Eric and his sister Leslie both attended the University of Montana, where Eric earned a degree in business management. He returned to Kalispell working as the assistant manager at the Herberger’s department store and later moved to Denver where he became the manager of the store there.

In 1996, Eric returned home to continue working in the family business, though his father had always wanted something different for Eric.

“You have a vision for your kids that’s better than what you had,” Eric said. “... But I made it clear I would start fencing, but my goal wasn’t to stick with fencing.”

Eric had his sights set on management — a position he had already acquired the experience for. He wanted to work somewhere that wasn’t a traditional “suit and tie” operation, and returning home to work for his father offered him the chance to do just that. Father and son worked together as partners for more than a decade until 10 years ago when Eric bought the company and his father retired.

Since taking over 10 years ago, Eric has gone a new route — expanding beyond Montana to include locations that service Idaho, Washington and North Dakota, as well as new Montana locations. Mild Fence now has five locations with about 100 employees.

“I’ve taken the business and I’ve grown it,” Eric said.

He didn’t set out with a quota for expansion, but simply kept an eye out for opportunities, he said, adding that that’s what he plans to continue doing moving forward.

“There are a lot of guys like my dad who don’t have sons to take over, but they want to sell [their business] and keep it going,” he said.

Eric added that several of his business opportunities have come from the retirement of previous owners. When he buys an existing business, he also keeps on the existing employees, he said.

“We’ll continue to look for opportunities in other communities, and if they fit we’ll take them,” Eric said.

“It’s a great opportunity and men can make it be a career and work up to becoming a foremen,” his sister Leslie said, who also works at Mild Fence.

What’s made Eric so successful, she added, is his management skills and his willingness to get his hands dirty.

“If he needs to do what needs done, run parts or estimates, go out with the crews and build, he’ll do it. Stuff isn’t beneath him,” she said.

Though Dennis didn’t intend for his son to take over the business, Leslie said their father is proud of how the company has grown under his son’s guidance.

Over the years Mild Fence has taken on larger projects — such as fencing the Anaconda airport and the Kidsports baseball fields. The business is currently installing 100 miles of fencing along Interstate 15 north of Great Falls and replacing 36 cattle guards, as well.

The company has also donated funds and fencing to local nonprofits, including A Ray of Hope, Samaritan House, Coats for Kids and the Flathead Spay and Neuter Task Force. As it continues to grow, the company remains a family operation.

And just as Eric used to help his father as a kid, Eric’s sons now spend their summers building fences as well.

For more information about Mild Fence Company, visit https://www.mildfence.com/.

Reporter Alyssa Gray may be reached at 758-4433 or agray@dailyinterlake.com.