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Company HistoryPaul Stevens welcomes you to the Stevens family history. The history has been compiled from historic records contained in the family archives. My father Michael Stevens has spent much time researching and collating the historic information which we hope you will find interesting and valuable. Company History Prior to 1887
This extract from Lambard’s "Perambulations of Kent" is the oldest known record of a chemical factory in Britain.
In 1843 he also became a Scavenger collecting horse manure. By 1847 he started to manufacture chemical fertilizers by producing Super-phosphate from bones at a factory on the Limehouse Canal. This becoming one of the early processes in the chemical fertilizer business.
William Carr Stevens joined the business in 1860 and in 1882 purchased the old factory at Queenborough started by Mr. Falconer, at this time known as "Queenborough Chemical and Copperas Works". Mr. Packard, a Sulphuric Acid Manufacturer from Ipswich inspected the site and production plant with William Carr Stevens prior to purchase. Some time later Mr. Edward Packard’s company joined with others to form the company Fisons Prentis and Packard, later to become known as Fisons Ltd. Old Acid Plant
Thus Sheppy Glue & Chemical Works Ltd. was formed on the first day of January, 1887. The beginning of Glue Production
At the age of 54, William Carr Stevens died in the year of 1890 and his oldest son, John William Stevens, aged only 26, became the Company’s new Chairman. Fine Bone ChinaIn 1891 a bone calcining plant was built and at a Board Meeting dated 11th August of that same year, it was reported that the Company had secured large orders from the potteries. However production ceased probably before the First World War and the Company thereafter supplied degelatinised bone to the calcining and milling companies situated in the potteries. New Marsh Works
The Company purchased several barges for the transportation of the various raw materials and minutes of Board Meetings show the names of two of them were "William Charles" and "Mary Sophia". Post First World War Boom
1920’s RECESSION
THE SECOND WORLD WAR
The glue lined the inside of the tank to form an impervious barrier against the petrol escaping and a water resistant lacquer was applied to the outside to prevent the rain from delaminating the glue. Post War PeriodGranular Fertilisers
On 4th April, 1955, Francis Hugh Stevens, Chairman of the Company died aged 84 and his eldest son, Frank Maurice Stevens became Chairman. He had for many years prior to the ageing Chairman’s death been Vice-Chairman and had in this position a large influence on the Company’s affairs since the war.
The Company’s reserves were built to the point where they could be invested in industrial buildings that would provide a rental income and from these small beginnings a new business in property was started. Acid and Glue manufacture was ceased thus enabling the Company to expand its Feeding Meal business and develop modern industrial adhesives. Fundamental lessons had been learnt operating our first granulation plant and as a result of this experience during the years 1958 and 59 using the Company’s engineering workforce, a new and larger granulation plant was built. The Company’s policy of replacing parts of the plant as new technology becomes available enables the installation to cope with modern quality requirements and expanding demand. 70's, 80's and 90'sFrank Maurice Stevens died on 6th July, 1980. His two sons, Michael and David Stevens are both Chairmen of the various Companies. Their sons, Paul and Charles, who joined the company in the mid 80's are the 6th generation of the family business since its foundation, recently became joint Managing Directors of the Group. The company’s main product in these years was Organic Based Fertilizer, marketed under the brand name of SHEPPY HumberPalmers, which sold to Agriculture and Amenity markets in both the UK and for Export. By a unique process which organically complexes the nutrients prior to application, the action of the fertilizer is more "natural" to plants giving a much higher uptake of applied nutrients and provides healthier plants. Phased release of the nutrients brought further environmental benefits.
The company todayThe sale to IAWS of a major part of the business, our Organic Based Fertilizer company, marketed under the brand name of SHEPPY Humber Palmers, took place in October 2002. The Company IAWS continues to manufacture inorganic compound fertilizers using our methods and formulations. The manufacturer of Super-phosphate at Queenborough ceased in August 2001 ending a very long history in fertilizer production for our company. Today the company’s activities are very diverse. Our large portfolio of industrial warehouses, units, shops and offices to-let are now the core of our business. Commercial and Industrial investment, undertaken by Sheppy Industries Ltd., is now an important profit centre. Sheppy Limited's (the holding company) primary operations are the manufacture of Adhesives for the industrial and retail markets ( see our website www.adhesives-sheppy.co.uk for more detailed explanation) and the processing of Waste Materials for recycling or for the manufacture of Fertilizer. Non family members of the Board of Directors, both past and present have made an invaluable contribution to its success. The company’s younger generation executives, including a member of the sixth generation of the Stevens’ are committed to its future prosperity. Website administrator: Paul Stevens. Address: Rushenden Road, Queenborough, Kent, ME11 5HH.
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"Being at Queenborough Castle in the year 1579 I found there one Mathias Falconer. 
In 1860 William Carr Stevens (his son) joined the flourishing organic and inorganic fertilizer business which continued to have its manufacturing base at the Limehouse and they opened offices at 33 Mark Lane and traded together under the name of Stevens Son & Co.
In the years prior to 1882, the factory was mainly engaged in the manufacture of Sulphuric Acid by a lead Chamber process using crushed pyrites, a convenient source of Sulphur found on the Island.
By the end of 1886, William had inherited the business and was manufacturing a range of organic manures, Super phosphate, Sulphate of Ammonia, Bone Glue, Tallow and Degelatinised bone at his factory at Queenborough.
In 1896 the business had expanded to the extent that it could no longer be operated within the confines of the town works. Therefore, some nineteen acres of land was purchased for the sum of £1,000.00 at Rushenden on the opposite side of Queenborough Creek to the Company’s existing Town Works. The owners at the time were the Royal Hospital of St. Katharine, a Royal Foundation of Nuns, whose original patron was Queen Matilda, wife of King Stephen. They had acquired the land in the year 1392 by grant from John of Gaunt. This is now the site of the Fertilizer Factory.
A wharf was built on this site, having a much deeper berth to handle the larger vessels required by the expanding Fertilizer Department.
Between the years 1917 to 1922, the Company’s activities were extremely profitable and as a result, the capital of the Company was more than doubled. At approximately this time a large addition was made to the main Fertilizer factory by the purchase of two balloon sheds of the R101 or Zeppelin type, which had been built at 
During the Second World War, the Company’s products were considered important to the War effort. In August, 1942, the Government formed a company known as Fabon Ltd. Sheppy Glue & Chemical Works Ltd., willingly became members of this government sponsored company for the duration of the war. The Company’s products of Fat, Glue and Degelatinised Bone were sold under the name of Fabon Ltd., to standards of quality set by Fabon. Each member factory supplied those customers closest to them. Thus considerable savings were made in sales and distribution costs. Similar arrangements were made with the raw material collection. One of our local customers for Glue was Bowaters of Sittingbourne who produced Spitfire jettison fuel tanks to enable our fighters to give cover to bombers during raids over Germany. These tanks were constructed by laminating craft paper with glue, making a very rigid construction.
The company’s agricultural merchanting business, Sheppy Fertilizers Ltd., offers these products to the UK market, together with our own Stevens brand of Seeds and Supagro Foliar Feed and other products used in Agriculture.
Its range of Adhesives meets the modern requirements of the paper converting, box covering and book binding industries.