We’re exceptionally proud to have a true pioneer of the GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) industry as part of our technical team. Dave Mooney has nearly three decades of hands-on experience and has been instrumental in pushing this material forward. He co-created the innovative GRP palisade fencing and has played a major part in solving some of the most complex safety and access challenges across the world. 

We sat down with Dave to find out more about his journey through the GRP industry, the achievements he’s most proud of, and what the future looks like for this groundbreaking material. 

Reflecting on three decades of GRP success

Dave’s journey into GRP began in the late 1990s. Fresh out of university, Dave started his career at a local engineering company to assist the development of their GRP products, which ignited his interest in this unique composite material. 

Back in 1998, while working for his previous company, Dave co-created GRP palisade fencing. Scottish Power tasked them with replicating their existing steel palisade fencing in GRP. Dave and his team sourced the GRP material and put together a simple sketch, before being commissioned to deliver the first ever GRP palisade fence. Little did he know that this invention would become a real game changer for some of the world’s most demanding industries…

Why GRP palisade fencing is the smart alternative to steel

GRP is an alternative to steel. It’s non-conductive, corrosion-resistant, lightweight, and requires minimal maintenance. In electrified environments where safety is paramount, like railways with overhead cables, it offers peace of mind that steel simply cannot match. If a live cable hits a steel fence, that fence becomes live too. But with GRP, that danger is eliminated. 

So, how has GRP palisade fencing evolved over the years?

A rollercoaster journey of challenges and breakthroughs

When Dave and his team first created GRP palisade fencing, they didn’t encounter any major challenges, and were fortunate that all the materials they needed were available off-the-shelf. But as interest from major clients like Network Rail grew, new challenges soon emerged. Although GRP offers plenty of advantages, it didn’t mirror steel in every technical specification. However, Network Rail recognised that GRP Palisade delivers outstanding performance where it counts, and fully embraced the material’s unique advantages.

Finding a new home at ModSafe

After running his own successful GRP business for over a decade, the impact of COVID-19 forced Dave to close its doors in 2024. But this opened up a whole new chapter for Dave. His previous company had been supplying ModSafe with GRP products for many years, and our director David Smallridge already trusted Dave’s abilities. We offered him a new role as a technical consultant at Ezi Klamp, and the rest is history. 

Our strong focus on customer service immediately stood out to Dave. When you look after your customers, they keep coming back time and again – which is a philosophy that Dave and the rest of the team stands by.

Here at Ezi Klamp, we openly encourage innovation and collaboration, which are two qualities that Dave thrives on. A recent example of this is our investment in a state-of-the-art CNC machine, which has helped us to accelerate production speed and improve the precision of our GRP products. This technology is opening up lots of opportunities for new products, which we are really excited about sharing with our customers.  

There’s a bright future ahead for GRP

GRP is incredibly versatile, and there’s almost no limit to what you can achieve with it when you think creatively. Dave’s designs have now been used all over the world – from walkways in Middle Eastern mines to access structures on offshore oil rigs in Abu Dhabi. He’s proud of how he’s been able to help businesses evolve through good design and problem-solving. But it doesn’t stop here.

Dave believes that GRP will only keep growing. It’s adaptable and durable, making it the ideal material for so many modern challenges. And he’s excited to be part of that journey at ModSafe and take GRP even further.

Interested in learning more about GRP palisade fencing? Get in touch with Dave and the team today to discuss your upcoming project requirements.