SCOTTS of Thrapston celebrates its centenary in 2020 – 100 years of innovation, passion and success with timber at its heart.
Consistently offering top-quality products and service whilst riding the waves of history, the company continues to serve a local and national customer base.
The family business has a proud reputation of turning timber into a stunning range of products.
Founded by James Scott in 1920, the company had humble beginnings delivering tools and products to local farmers, including wheelbarrows and ladders. Now, it offers sought-after summerhouses, stables, garages, car barns and pavilions, along with roof trusses, engineered flooring, replica Lord’s Benches, education and community buildings.
Chairman David Scott, whose son James is managing director, said: “Since my grandfather’s time, we have grown and embraced new technology to become the company we are today, creating attractive, innovative products for the equine, leisure and construction sectors.
“We understand timber, we are used to working with it and our design division has excelled over the years, with stunning buildings that embrace the demands of modern life.”
Those original agricultural buildings blossomed into a collection of stabling that has served many generations of horse owner, becoming aspirational in the equestrian world.
For decades, Scotts has been viewed as the leading stable manufacturer in the country, supplying products into the racing, show jumping, dressage and eventing worlds with great success. Scotts has proudly exhibited annually at Burghley and Badminton Horse Trials.
For nearly seven decades, the business has also been at the forefront of summerhouse manufacture and is proud to be one of the longest exhibiting trade stands at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, first appearing in the mid-1960s. Scotts has also attended the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show since its inception.
Last year, the company launched a range of traditional hardwood summerhouses, using ethically sourced Red Grandis, a premium quality, functional hardwood.
James Scott commented: “Customers are increasingly demanding sustainable materials. We have always believed in listening carefully to what they say and, through meeting their demands, we have remained at the forefront of our industry.”
Scotts also has a strong timber engineering business and enjoys a solid reputation with housebuilders, from volume to self-builders.
James added: “The selling point of our timber-engineered products is the service we offer. This added value that we provide housebuilders brings ease and speed to the process of building a house.
“This side of the business is doing extremely well, with roof truss sales exceptionally busy as the new homes market remains buoyant. We have also seen a growing trend for luxury housing developers to remove the traditional brick-built garage from their plans in favour of bespoke timber car barns.
“The continuation of merging new technology with traditional craftsmanship to produce products that stand the test of time will help the business not only survive but thrive into the next 100 years.”