Thrapston family family firm celebrates a century of craftsmanship

Scotts of Thrapston is famous for its timber structures

An East Northants firm is marking its centenary this year and is now in its fourth generation of family management.

Scotts of Thrapston is well-known for its summerhouses, stables, American barns, garages, car barns, pavilions, roof trusses, joinery, engineered flooring and education buildings.

The company was founded in 1920 by James Scott, and had humble beginnings delivering tools and services to local farmers. The mantle then passed to Douglas Scott and the business is now run by the third and fourth generations, chairman David Scott and his son James, managing director.

James and David Scott who have taken over the running of Scotts

David said: “Since my grandfather’s time, we have embraced modern technology to become the company we are today, creating attractive, innovative products and building a reputation that we are extremely proud of.

“We are a company engrained with a passion for the beauty of wood and have seen our product portfolio grow and develop over the decades.”

The business started out producing products such as wheelbarrows and ladders and offered a selection of agricultural buildings, including poultry houses.

Nowadays, that product range has grown and consolidated, seeing Scotts become the leading stable manufacturer in the UK, supplying products into the racing, show jumping, dressage and eventing worlds.

For nearly seven decades, the business has been at the forefront of summerhouse manufacture and produces a range of ethically sourced hardwood summerhouses, which was launched last year. The company is proud to be one of the longest exhibiting trade stands at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, first appearing in the mid-1960s.

Scotts also has a strong timber engineering business and enjoys a solid reputation with housebuilders, from volume to self-builders.

James Scott added: “We understand timber, we are used to working with it. 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.”

As part of the centenary activities, the company has also carried out a corporate identity refresh to consolidate its digital presence, including updating its logo and branding to reflect the fact that the company is ingrained with a passion for wood.