fairs were an absolute necessity then, whereas now many businesses work very well without ever attending one. We have weathered several severe recessions in our forty years, but they aren’t always a bad thing as they remind you to control the business and its costs tightly. The COVID crisis was the most dramatic and I will never forget the experience of running a business when all the employees are furloughed. However, it also helped us see which parts of the business were the most and least profitable and redirect our energies accordingly. Brexit was a challenge not least because not all family members voted the same way, possibly something other family businesses can relate to. We do a high proportion of export business and have had to make a lot of adjustments to accommodate Brexit. It would be nice to feel there were some benefits but I can’t say they have become apparent yet. Tell us about your product offering. We are a niche business and concentrate on traditional and contemporary walking sticks, seat sticks and umbrellas. We occupy the mid- to upper-end of the market and have made our name through the quality of the design and manufacture of our products. Almost all products except some of the entrylevel ones are exclusive to us. We stock hundreds of different styles, so we have everyday models, ladies’ fashionable patterned canes, folding canes, orthopaedic models, formal and collectors’ canes, traditional leather seat sticks and contemporary plastic and aluminium ones, plus a small range of umbrellas. This means we can supply very different product ranges according to the requirements of the customer. For example, we supply gift shops and garden centres, but also country clothing shops and mobility retailers, and they all choose very different products from us. What are your most popular products? We sell a great many traditional wooden crook and derby walking sticks, which are popular because they are cost-effective but smart enough not to be mistaken for sticks on loan from the hospital. However, the patterned and folding canes are also a very large part of our market. We take great care over the colours, styles, handle shapes and sizes and patterns so that retailers can offer something elegant and attractive to their customers. Many people are initially reluctant to use a walking stick but once they see that they can have something beautiful that reflects their personal sense of style, it becomes a fashion accessory as much as a mobility aid. Women in particular will accumulate large collections of walking sticks to match different outfits and many a pretty walking stick is bought as a present for a friend or family member. Have any styles taken you by surprise with their popularity? We were initially reluctant to sell skull canes because we thought they were creepy. However, customers kept asking, so we trialled a couple and they were 81 COMPANY PROFILE
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