NEWARK, DE – July 27, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –
Leading Edge Fence & Gates has confirmed that the automated gate systems it installs are built and configured to UL 325, the safety standard governing powered gate operators in the United States. The family-owned company, which has specialized in gate automation since 1993, applies the standard across residential and commercial installations throughout Delaware.
UL 325 sets requirements for how a powered gate behaves when something obstructs its path. Compliance involves entrapment protection, external sensing devices, and controls configured so the gate stops or reverses rather than continuing to close. The standard governs the operator and its installation, not only the gate panel itself.
The standard also divides gate operators into usage classes based on the type of property being served. A residential driveway serving a small number of homes falls under a different class than a multi-family property, a retail site open to the general public, or a restricted industrial location. Selecting an operator rated for the correct class is part of specifying a compliant system.
Entrapment protection is central to the standard. UL 325 calls for independent means of protection in each area where a person could be caught by a moving gate, which typically pairs the operator’s inherent obstruction sensing with external devices such as photoelectric eyes or contact edge sensors. Revisions to the standard require those external devices to be monitored by the operator, so a gate will not run if a sensor fails or becomes disconnected.
“An automated gate is a piece of moving equipment, and UL 325 exists so that it stops when something is in the way,” said Wes Tribbitt, owner and operator of Leading Edge Fence & Gates. “Installing to that standard is part of the job, not an upgrade.”
Compliance also applies when an existing gate is automated or an aging operator is replaced. Retrofitting a manual gate with a powered operator brings the installation under the same standard, which determines the sensing devices and control configuration required at that entry. Property owners adding automation to a gate installed years earlier are often unaware that the work carries these requirements.
The company installs gates across a range of operational types, including slide gates, swing gates, and vertical pivot gates, along with lift gates, gate arms, barrier arms, and crash gates for controlled vehicle access. Gates are fabricated in wood, aluminum, and vinyl. Each configuration is matched to the entry width, the daily traffic pattern, and the security requirements of the property rather than selected from a fixed catalog.
Access control is installed as part of the gate system rather than for building entry. The systems offered include cellular access control, keypads, vehicle sensors, and remote operators, which determine how a gate is triggered and who is granted entry. A residential driveway may operate on a remote alone, while a commercial site with steady vehicle traffic may combine sensors with credentialed entry.
“Gates and access control have been the center of this business since it started,” Tribbitt said. “Fencing is a natural part of the work, and the two are often installed together, but the gate side is where the technical work sits.”
Because gate operators are mechanical systems in daily use, the company offers preventative maintenance agreements covering scheduled service on hydraulic and mechanically driven operators. Scheduled service addresses wear in hinges, rollers, and hardware, and confirms that safety and access components continue to function as installed.
Fencing remains a core service. Leading Edge installs vinyl in picket, three-rail, privacy, and semi-private configurations, wood in three-rail, split rail, privacy, and shadow box styles, aluminum in two-rail and three-rail profiles, and chain link in four, five, and six foot heights for residential yards through commercial perimeters.
The company was founded in 1993 and holds membership in the American Fence Association, the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, BNI, and the National Federation of Independent Business. Installations carry a five-year workmanship warranty on fencing and a one-year warranty on gate work.
Leading Edge Fence & Gates operates only within Delaware. Fencing work covers New Castle and Kent counties, while gate installation and automation extends across New Castle and into Sussex County.
Founded in 1993, Leading Edge Fence & Gates is a family-owned gate automation, access control, and fencing company based in Newark, Delaware. The company designs and installs automated and manual gate systems with integrated access control, along with vinyl, wood, aluminum, and chain link fencing for residential and commercial clients.
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For more information about Leading Edge Fence & Gates, contact the company here:
Leading Edge Fence & Gates
Alex Danner
+13028890990
alex@deckfencemarketers.com
3040 Old County Rd, Newark, DE 19702, United States
