John discussing product ranges with son Saul.

After 50 years working in the pet industry John James still loves to be involved.

John has taken a step back from his company James and Steel in recent years after suffering a stroke but he still likes to feel part of the international pet world.

“I’m part time now as I get Saturdays off,” said John. “It hasn’t been easy letting go but my children are good at what they do and have the same work ethic as me. They are the future.”

The business of James and Steel is a family-run affair involving wife Judy, sons Jason and Saul, daughter Emma, son-in-law Martin and daughter-in-law Miranda. In fact, the Steel part of the company name comes from Emma’s married name.

Despite his stroke John still gets about and enjoys visiting customers. He loves the industry and particularly the people. He doesn’t drive anymore, travelling everywhere by train and bus, taking his trusty suitcase with him. He is often asked ‘Going somewhere nice?’ He will always carry spare ‘Bam’ cat products with him and gives away samples to anyone with a cat carrier.

So how did it all begin?

John's first job, after being expelled from school for being a disruptive influence, was in the office of the Co-op in Slough. But his first business venture was at the ripe old age of 9 when he collected used newspapers on a Saturday morning on his trolley. After tying them in nice tidy bundles he sold them to local shops. This was at a time when everything you bought – from fish and chips to ironmongery – came wrapped in newspaper. John describes it as being a very early recycling business.

At the age of 19 he became the youngest salesman to work for Continental Tyres.  He went for an interview even though he had failed his driving test and was not re-taking it for another two weeks. The interviewer appreciated his bottle, applying as a sales rep for the South-West area when he hadn't got a licence, so he was employed on the proviso that he passed.

In 1973 he moved to Osmond and Osmond, a family wholesaler who sold pet products, as a sales agent. In the early 80s he left to start his own business, James Marketing. He and wife Judy have always had an abiding love of dogs and he had a belief that he could do a better job than other people that were selling in the industry.  So, with £3k savings and the help and support of Judy, they started selling collars and leads, which John would sell and Judy would pick, pack and ship from their garden shed, handwriting the invoices as she went, in addition to making their own range of knitted dog jumpers. This was no mean feat as they were also bringing up four young children.

They then started using a larger shed in son Jason’s garden, which also brought him into the business. Five months later they moved to their first industrial unit. Incidentally, Jason sold the shed but John says he’s never seen the money for it!

They started trading fat balls in their first warehouse but couldn't afford a pump truck, let alone a forklift so another of his sons, Saul, had to handball everything from the delivery trucks. This was after walking miles to the warehouse as he didn't have a car at the time.

John received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2018 PetQuip Awards.

The first James & Steel product was the Universal car lead, made in Taiwan and sourced by John and Judy when visiting the factory at the very start. The Taiwanese staff kept running up and down to the factory floor, adapting the product to John and Judy's specifications and their best-selling product was born.  It is still a major selling product today.

Their business took off straight away and John will say to anyone, it is testament to the strength and support of Judy plus everyone in the family working with him that makes their business the success it is today. They now have hundreds of bestselling lines and one of the most successful Christmas ranges for pets, available exclusively to the pet specialist sector.

His mantra would be: always try to be honest in everything you do. John can walk into any exhibition in the world and he has the respect of the local pet trade. He has no regrets, always looks forward, and doesn’t dwell on mistakes. He may wish they had done some things differently but that's life.

If he had any advice to any budding entrepreneurs it would be: “Keep your feet on the floor, remember where you’ve come from, don’t talk big and make sure you are thinking of the customer first. That way you will prosper.”

The final words are for Judy, the strength behind the partnership.  

“Without her I wouldn’t be where I am today, brilliant as I am,” said John. “My success has always been as a result of the love and support I’ve received from my wife and family.”

Visit the James & Steel stand (D64) at PATS Telford and congratulate John on his 50 years in the business.