People
Published: June 15, 2023 | Updated: 16th June 2023
Back in 2006, husband and wife duo Robert and Lisa Lemieux started their business with an aim to provide quality, comfortable bamboo saddle pads for both horse and rider.
Visit their website today, however, and you’ll see that LeMieux has a lot more to offer the equestrian world than just that – but still with the same passion for quality.
Dan Mahoney has been in the saddle as managing director for almost a year now, while Robert and Lisa continue to keep a watchful eye over the business.
He’s inherited ambitious plans for the company’s future based around an eye-catching USP.
Dan, pictured left, explained: “Our vision is to become the most exciting equestrian brand in the world.
“We want to make products that are innovative and best-in-class, worn by professional and Olympic riders all around the world.
“But we also want them to be accessible to the everyday rider.
“LeMieux has become famous for its ‘matchy matchy’ sets, where the horse and rider are both dressed in the same colour of our products.
“It’s a key part of what we’ve built here and really important to our brand identity.”
LeMieux typically releases three colour sets at a time, twice a year, covering their full range of tack and clothing.
These seasonal drops are always an exciting time for both the team and their customers, generating plenty of buzz on social media – including a popular TikTok account where they showcase horses and riders wearing the latest colours.
Clothing for the riders themselves is a relatively new addition to the range, having grown significantly over the past four years.
Another recent expansion for the brand has been a series of toy horses and accessories, which saw them strike up retail partnerships with John Lewis and Selfridges.
But before anything hits the shelves, digital or otherwise, it all passes through LeMieux’s headquarters near Romsey.
Dan explained: “We run all our operations ourselves. Our head office team is here but also our entire warehouse team.
“It’s exciting because we can see our product coming in – the warehouse is right behind my back.
“From here we’re shipping all over the world.”
After all, having won over equestrian enthusiasts across the UK, the natural next step for LeMieux is international.
Dan said: “One of the key markets we’re focused on is North America, and we’ve also got a business developing in Australia and New Zealand on top of that.
“Then in Europe we’ve got pockets where the brand is really well received – the Netherlands, Germany, France, Scandinavia.
“We’re trying to stay focused and make sure we don’t do everything at once.
“Because there’s a lot going on – we have new categories of products, and we manage multiple revenue channels.
“So we’ve had to grow and develop our team to support the changing nature of our business.”
LeMieux currently employs more than 100 staff, up from around 30 just two years ago – a level of growth which landed the company on the Sunday Times 100 for 2022.
Dan said: “We have a really passionate workforce full of equestrians.
“A lot of the team here will be out in the yard at six in the morning caring for their horses before they come to work, and then again at the end of the day.
“Many of them ride – some competitively, others for leisure, and some are just desperately trying to find a window to be able to ride more!
“And then we have that complemented by people who’ve got more external business skills and have worked for different companies and industries.”
Dan falls into the latter category, but by no means has it been an obstacle during his time at LeMieux.
He added: “It was really fascinating to me joining the company and not being an equestrian.
“It was almost like a new realm opened up that I didn’t know about.
“It’s wonderful to work in a sector where the customers and the people who work in the industry are very passionate about it.”
The equestrian calendar offers plenty of opportunities for the team to get out and meet them, while also boosting the LeMieux brand in the process.
Over recent weeks they’ve attended the Royal Windsor Horse Show and the international trials at Badminton and Bramham.
But it isn’t always necessary to head so far afield.
Dan said: “Being on the edge of the New Forest, we’re in a fantastic area for horses, and it’s a great place to have the company located.
“On a business level, we want to be more known in Hampshire – for being here and being a highly performing, growing, and passionate company.
“So get in touch with us and come and see who we are and what we do.”
