The clock on the wall
Mary finds out more about one of the numerous very successful companies in our area that many people have never heard of, Ravencourt Living
I
T ALWAYS FASCINATES and surprises me the number of extremely successful businesses there are in our area that are completely under the radar, with very few people knowing anything about them. Many of them are leading lights in their particular fields, selling worldwide and some, one of the most successful in the world. One of these businesses is Ravencourt which is based just outside Stamford. Established in 1984 by the Story family, managing director Oli Story is the third generation of his family to run it. Very few people will have heard of Ravencourt but many, many of us will have used their products. They started in 1984 by importing science equipment for school science labs. And then clocks for classrooms. These clocks were large and clear and easy to read so perfect for a classroom wall. It quickly became apparent that these large clocks would be very useful for those with impaired sight and for those with dementia so a second branch of the company was established, Ravencourt Living. The company quickly became a business of two halves, albeit run under the same umbrella. The school clock side of the business along with science equipment including voltmeters, PH meters and the like is now one of the largest suppliers of science equipment to schools. They don’t sell direct but through wholesalers so realistically why would we have ever heard of them unless you were purchasing science equipment, quite niche? The other side of the business is continually expanding (well both are) and those clocks are still selling well. Ravencourt Living supplies products for the elderly and those living with Alzheimer’s with the aim of helping people maintain their independent living for as long as possible and to stay in their own homes. Products include reminder clocks, pill dispensers, one button radios and numerous others which help people with mobility, hearing loss, visual impairment, dementia and much more. Ravencourt is now one of the largest suppliers of products worldwide; yet again, very few of us have heard of them.
But that is now beginning to change. Most of their products are sold to core retailers such as councils, care homes and wholesalers but they are beginning to be more visible in high street retailers such as Boots and Argos. And consumers appreciate the customer service that is o ered. Boxes are clearly labelled with contact details and anyone can ring Ravencourt direct to get advice about how to use the products, or indeed general advice about daily living aids which can help people cope with Alzheimer’s and keep you at home for longer. The sta are very experienced with one expert writing blogs and reviewing products and they pride themselves on their customer service. The company works in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society who vet a lot of their products then recommend them. Ravencourt gets valuable information from them too so the partnership works really well with the company able to develop di erent products after taking advice from the society.
'Very few people will have heard of Ravencourt but many, many of us will have used their products. They started in 1984 by importing science equipment for school science labs. And then clocks for classrooms.' 32 April 2022/ theactivemag.com
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