Stevenson Brothers’ success story – from the (rocking) horse’s mouth
Stevenson Brothers Rocking Horses was founded more than 40 years ago and Azets has been supporting the business for much of that time.
Twin brothers Marc and Tony Stevenson established the family firm Stevenson Brothers Rocking Horses with a clear vision in mind: To make the world's very finest rocking horses, and make them popular again
Tony was trained by their Uncle James Bosworthick, a shipwright along with their father at Chatham Dockyard and later a celebrated rocking horse maker known fondly as ‘the rocking horse man’.
They set up their first workshop in a reclaimed RAF Hut on Finn Farm in Kingsnorth, Ashford, kindly loaned to them by their sister Lesley on October 20th, 1982 – their birthday – and they haven’t looked back.
Now, more than 10,000 rocking horses later, the core mission of the company remains: to continue to make the world's very finest rocking horses.
Having made rocking horses for parents, grandparents, grown up girls, equestrians, celebrities, royal families and art lovers across the world, the brothers remain committed to the highest levels of quality.
They are constantly innovating and designing new pieces for their clients.
Katie Hodson, Managing Partner at the Ashford office of Azets caught up with co-founder Marc Stevenson at the firm’s headquarters in Bethersden, near Ashford on her latest quarterly visit.
Origins
Marc explained the background to the business.
“We've been making rocking horses since 1982. Our goal was to reintroduce traditional rocking horses to a new generation. My twin brother Tony and I grew up in Kenya during the 1950s and 1960s, and when we returned to England we spent time with our uncle James Bosworthick, who was a master craftsman. One of the beautiful things he made was rocking horses – although, sadly, never for his nephews.
“We grew up watching him carve horses and at the same time always knew that, as twins, we'd work together one day. I went to art school, earned an art degree and specialised in designing educational aids for children with physical and learning disabilities. Tony worked in various roles but had always been talented at sculpture.
“Eventually we persuaded Uncle James to teach one of us the art of making rocking horses. We were determined to succeed and borrowed the money to enable Tony to complete a short apprenticeship with him.
He took detailed notes and learned everything from carving to assembling the horses, which he passed on to me.
“In 1982, we borrowed a shed on our sister's farm in Kingsnorth and spent months gluing timber together, carving, sanding, painting and stitching leather saddles. Once we had our first collection ready, we invited local television and newspapers to our launch. We officially launched the business on our birthday, 20 October 1982, and, as far as we know, we're probably the only twins in the world who make rocking horses.”
Growth
“Over the years we've grown considerably. We outgrew the farm and moved to our current site in Bethersden, where we've expanded the workshop by doubling its size and now have a fantastic team of people working with us.
“What started with just Tony and I has grown into a close-knit family business of around a dozen people. Some members of our team have been with us for over 30 years.
“Many of our loyal colleagues have been with us a very long time. Artist Matthew Clift has been with us 36 years, Ian Burton 29 years and invaluable Partner Sue Russell, who answered a small advertisement in our window, has been here more than 42 years.
“Our customers are incredibly varied. Parents and grandparents are still our biggest audience, but we also have many adults who have always dreamed of owning a rocking horse themselves. These are timeless pieces – mostly made from oak – that appeal across generations.”
One of Stevenson Brothers most popular creations is a zebra, part of a tribute to the twins’ East African heritage, which began as a limited edition of 100 pieces, but demand has taken the numbers far beyond that. There are also carousel animals, including a magnificent tiger inspired by traditional French carousel carvings, and currently underway is a striking white snow tiger.
Marketplace
Marc said: “We already export to many countries, including the United States, despite the tariffs, South Africa, parts of Europe and the Middle East.
“However, the UK remains our strongest market. England has such a rich tradition of rocking horse craftsmanship, and many customers enjoy visiting the workshop in person.
“Some travel from overseas, arriving by train, helicopter and even private plane – landing in the field behind out HQ – to view or collect their horses.
Challenges
“The biggest recent challenge has been Brexit. Exporting has become much more complicated, with significantly more paperwork and administrative requirements. Our customers in France, for instance, have to have a VAT number.
“Covid also created difficulties, particularly with rising fuel and shipping costs. One positive outcome from the pandemic was that it encouraged us to embrace social media properly.
“We invested time in growing our Instagram and Facebook presence – and today we have thousands of followers. It allows people to see what we're creating every day and stay connected with the workshop.
The future
“We're looking out for collaboration opportunities with other great businesses, placing our rocking horses in five star hotels.
“We've recently secured planning permission for an exciting new development at our High Halden site, which will include a larger workshop, showroom, museum, café and farmers' market.
It's something we've dreamed about for years, and we're thrilled it's finally happening.
Working with Azets
Katie Hodson has been working with Stevenson Brothers for more than two decades.
Marc said: “Having a trusted and experienced adviser offering professional advice and acting as a listening ear is invaluable.
“I like to sleep at night knowing everything is done properly – and that our taxes, VAT and compliance are all under expert control, as administration is very much not my forte.
“Katie and the team at Azets stay in touch with us constantly, come out and see us at least once a quarter and make sure that we are fully au fait with the many and complex regulations associated with running a business.
“We've worked with Azets for more than 25 years and having regular meetings to review the business has helped us stay on track. Their advice has allowed us to concentrate on what we do best – creating beautiful rocking horses with a passion.
“I would have no hesitation in recommending Azets to other businesses.”
What Azets says
Katie Hodson works with a range of SMEs, owner-managed businesses, sole traders and partnerships, and has particular expertise in the construction, property and viticulture sectors.
She said: “It has been an absolute pleasure working with Marc, Tony and the Stevenson Brothers team for so long – and seeing the business grow to such a degree has been particularly heartwarming.
“I like to think that Azets is very much an integral part of the firm’s wider team and that we have played a significant role in ensuring everything is done right.
“Marc is very receptive to advice – even when challenged – and takes the view that he can rely on us to work behind the scenes to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Azets in Kent
In Kent, Azets has offices in Ashford, Maidstone, Canterbury, Sidcup and Tunbridge Wells, with the Ashford office providing services in Audit and Assurance, Tax, Business and Advisory, Corporate Finance, Restructuring and Recovery, Forensic Accounting, Human Resources, and Financial Management.
Azets’ wider Southern region includes offices in Beaconsfield, Bicester, Godalming, Heathrow, Hertford, Kettering, London, Newbury, Peterborough, Poole, Portsmouth, Southampton, Southend, Witney and Thame.
l Watch the video: https://www.azets.com/en-uk/resources/case-studies/client-spotlight-stevenson-brothers
Comments