Frank Maurice Stevens

Francis Hugh Stevens in the centre, Frank Maurice Stevens is the first from the right.

Following the death of Francis Hugh Stevens, aged 84, Mr. Frank Maurice Stevens was elected Chairman in 1955. He was 52. Four years later in 1959, BCC and CMC were amalgamated. The combined company was re-named Fertilisers and Seeds Ltd. Once again it was time for a new generation to help manage the business and on the 19th December 1961, Michael (aged 28), Tony (aged 27) and David (aged 27) Stevens were elected Directors of the company.

Glue production

Following the resignation of Mr. Pegg, SCMC's Company Secretary, the Directors' seized this opportunity to make economies. The result was a binding trading agreement made between Fertilisers and Seeds Ltd. and Stevens Chemical Manure Co. Ltd. under which Fertilisers and Seeds Ltd. undertook the sales of both companies and Stevens Chemical Manure Co. Ltd. the purchasing. This trading agreement continues to work to the mutual satisfaction and benefit of both companies and fulfilled the wish of the anonymous writer of the report of 1887. In 1971 Peter John Stevens joined the Board, aged 28.

Frank Maurice Stevens, at the age of 74, realised in 1977 that it was time to prepare to hand over the reins of his Chairmanship. Thus, as a first step, he made his elder son, Michael John Carr Stevens, Managing Director and at the same time, due to his valuable service and experience, Richard Nightingale was elected a Director. With these two steps much of the management of the company could and was taken away from him as he wished it to be. His plan to pass over the Chair to Michael, now aged 47, was not realised until several months after his death in July 1980. In November 1980 at the Annual General Meeting, Martin Tasker, our Sales Manager for many years, was made a Director of the company.

Frank Maurice Stevens, like all his preceding Chairman, William Carr Stevens, John William Stevens and Francis Hugh Stevens, had nursed the business through bad times and good, had tried to build, unselfishly, the assets of the company for the next generation.

Bone Processing