Owners of Fife blacksmith firm set up during pandemic ‘blown away’ by its success

The owners of a Fife blacksmith firm set up during the Covid-19 pandemic have been blown away by its success.

All Seasons Outdoor Living is run by John McKenzie and his partner Deborah Wood.

John makes bespoke metal gates, railings and handrails, with Deborah looking after the customer service side of the business.

The couple set the firm up during the pandemic, but were inundated with work and decided to quit their jobs to focus on their venture full-time.

They have moved into new premises, and taken on a member of staff, as the orders continue to stack up.

Deborah said: “I don’t think we realised the business would take off as it did.

“We had no idea there was such demand for our work. We were blown away.

“At that time I wasn’t happy where I was working.

“I think everyone re-evaluated what they were doing, so I concentrated my efforts on getting the firm up and running with John.

“Business has been really good and it’s just going from strength to strength.

“We still have to pinch ourselves sometimes.”

All Seasons Outdoor Living’s plans for the future

The firm has moved into a unit at Avenue Industrial Estate in Lochgelly.

Even that, though, may only be a short-term solution.

“We started off at Thistle Industrial Estate, but we had no idea we were going to get as much work at first,” Deborah said.

“Even now, the premises we’ve moved into, we’re already thinking about how long we’re going to be here before it’s time to move on.”

The couple know there is potential to grow All Seasons Outdoor Living further.

But they are taking things one step at a time.

“This is all new to us – managing the business and managing family life,” Deborah said.

“There is so much potential.

“We want to continue to grow the business, but we don’t want to be overwhelmed and do too much.

“We’ll just need to see how it pans out.”

The business has also been awarded two grants – one for upskilling and another for net zero – as part of its support from Business Gateway Fife.

The money will allow John and Deborah to start their own training, and purchase new state of the art equipment which will help reduce emissions and purify the air.

Adviser Karen Cassells said: “We have been able to secure an upskilling grant for the business so John and Deborah can start training”.

She said the grant will bring benefits not only for the environment, but also for employees.