Down but (hopefully) not out!
Valley Sea Kayaks, one of the longest-established brands in the industry, suffered a major blow to its business in the early hours of Sunday morning (30th March) when an arsonist targeted a trailer containing its demo fleet. The devastating incident happened outside the proprietor’s house, destroying the trailer, 18 sea kayaks, multiple vehicles, and the property.
Valley’s other co-owner, Peter Orton, commented, “This truly is devastating, not just as a business but also for Jason’s family, having this happen on their drive, with a genuine risk to those asleep in the house. We’re all shocked.” When asked what damage this does to the business, Peter continued, “It’s a blow; we’ve worked really hard over the winter, launching a new model recently at the NEC and really encouraging people to these early-season demo-events.
“Then we literally lose our whole demo fleet, trailer, promotional stuff, the lot! All on the night before the very first event of the year. It’s heartbreaking!” When asked, what now? Peter replied, “I don’t know. I guess we can scrabble! Insurance will be a while and a three-way fight between property, business and vehicle policies; I fully expect some will fall through the cracks, and yes, there will be a loss! But it’s the timing, rebuilding the demo fleet, replacing stuff, and getting back on our feet.
“We are a seasonal business, and the Spring period is really important. It couldn’t have happened at a worse time. I’m sure we will bounce back, but it’s not going to be easy”. Peter finished with a small positive, “What has been reassuring is the messages of support from the paddling community; it shows we are part of something special.”
There is an ongoing police investigation. The initial indication is that whilst the act was deliberate, it doesn’t appear to have been directly targeting Valley as a company. Hopefully, someone will eventually be brought to justice, as this could clearly have been more serious than it was. Valley thanks everyone who has shown their support and hopes to see them on the water again soon.
