A passion for surfing and leftover astroturf: The story of Muk Mat founder Suzanne Horton

They say cleanliness is next to godliness, but for Muk Mat founder Suzanne Horton, a quest for cleanliness turned out to be a multi-million dollar venture.

Her astroturf-inspired mat for campers, surfers and outdoor enthusiasts helps keep sand and dirt out of cars, tents, campervans and homes. Within three years, Muk Mat generated more than $3 million in revenue and are now stocked in close to 100 retailers in Australia and New Zealand, including Anaconda. With more styles due for release later this year, Horton has her sights set on domestic growth and overseas expansion.

In a recent interview, Horton opened up about the “Tipping Point” for Muk Mat and how entrepreneurs can apply it to achieve rapid growth and success.

The sand-banishing concept

Like all good business ideas, Muk Mat was created from a genuine need. As part of a family of surfers and beachgoers living on the Gold Coast, Horton constantly battled sand in her car and home. But a leftover strip of astroturf near her garage changed everything.  

“When we came home from the beach, without thinking, we started wiping our feet on it,” explains Horton. “After a while, I tidied it up and put it in the back of our car. It became really handy to use after a surf, and that’s where it gained interest. People would see us using it and say, ‘That’s such a great idea — where did you get it?’ After a few months of people constantly commenting, I knew there was something in the idea.”

Horton on a surf with her family. Source: Supplied

Realising there were no similar products available in Australia, Horton began to test different varieties of astroturf, requesting feedback from friends and families on the types and shapes. When her prototype was confirmed, she engaged a local rugs and carpets manufacturer on the Gold Coast to make the mats. The business launched online in August 2018 with 500 Muk Mat ready for Father’s Day sales. They were completely sold out within three weeks.

Growing demand

When Horton launched Muk Mat, she envisioned most of her customers would be beach-dwellers and saw the product as a beach product. But as the brand’s popularity grew, she noticed it being tagged on social media by the camping community. After 12 months, Horton realised she had incidentally landed a foot in the $23 billion camping and caravanning industry and began to expand the Muk Mat range accordingly. It was the introduction of Muk Mat designed to fit caravan steps that proved to be a game-changer. This product continues to be her best seller and generated even more leads in the industry via word-of-mouth.

Source: Supplied

According to Horton, this word-of-mouth has generated almost all her wholesale customers. 

“Customers kept asking their local camping stores if they stocked Muk Mat, so those stores came to me and enquired about wholesale purchases. That’s how the brand grew.”

It took almost three years for wholesale orders to overtake her e-commerce customers. “It was really taking off in late 2019 and by March or April 2020, it was absolutely firing.” 

The pandemic then provided an unexpected boost to the camping and caravanning industry Muk Mat had cemented itself in. Between 2019 and 2022, Muk Mat generated more than $3 million. It was during that period that Anaconda came on board as a stockist.

The ‘Tipping Point’ concept

Horton read The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell early into her business venture and continues to recommend the well-known book. 

“The (book’s) concept really resonated with me, especially the power of word-of-mouth. So, I was very aware early on that I had to get my mats into the hands of the right communicators,” she says.

To help spread the word, Horton used brand ambassadors and an incentives program that encouraged customers to “share their Muk Mat experience with family, friends and in reviews and social media”. She also approached media outlets when launching to drive exposure and brand recognition. “I managed to get featured on the Today show, Sunrise, What’s up Downunder, news.com and the Weekend Australian.”

As the B2B section of the business grew, Horton evolved the marketing strategy to support stockists and ensure they were “driving business to their outlets”. 

“Brand collaborations and partnerships continue to be a very successful way to reach new audiences and offer our customer base an incentive,” Horton says.

The other key concept Horton took from The Tipping Point was the importance of having a memorable product. 

“Muk Mat are attention-grabbing and memorable,” she says. “And then the context of the Covid environment was just the kicker for me. I had a great product, and people were talking about it, and then the environment they were using it in suddenly altered too.”

The benefits of local thinking

Despite the higher costs associated with manufacturing in Australia, Horton wouldn’t want to make her Aussie mats anywhere else. 

“The ease of having your manufacturer around the corner is wonderful, and testament to that was during Covid when we were able to keep our supply chain running,” she says. 

Other benefits include flexibility for custom orders, the ability to oversee operations, and an ethical alignment with her customers. 

“Our target audience is the outdoor adventure and camping community, and the fact that our mats are Australian-made and use recycled materials resonates with them.”

That’s why Horton intends to continue making mats for the Australian market locally. But, when the brand expands internationally, “it wouldn’t make sense to send them from here because we’d be losing money,” she explains. “There will come a point where we must go offshore to service the international market.” 

And international expansion is close; Horton has Germany in her sights: “They’ve got the highest number of RVs and caravans on the road today.”

And back home, Horton will introduce a new colour of Muk Mat within months for the Australian market — a response to a growing demand for their use in caravans and at home. 

Source: Supplied

“We started out with green mats, but caravaners like their mobile homes to be quite matchy-matchy, so we kept getting asked about other colours,” Horton explains. “Grey is really hard to source so it took a while to find it in the same quality and also made from recycled materials like the green mats. But we did it and they sold out in 24 hours. It was nuts and very stressful, but it proves the value of listening to our customer’s needs. Our new colour should be out by June.”

Rapid growth challenges

Every entrepreneur hopes their brand will become a huge success, but the realities of managing dramatic growth can sometimes be a headache too.

The distribution also became a challenge that needed outsourcing. “Initially we packed and sent all orders from home,” Horton says. “I would pick up mats from the factory once or twice a day, and the whole family would pack them after dinner and load the car for the post office. The hours involved just became too much, so we sourced a distributor just around the corner from the manufacturer. And we’ve arranged it so we can continue to ship through my local post office.”

This local connection to community and the fact that she’s created a product that “makes day-to-day life easier, is the best reward I could ask for,” Horton says. And it makes the impossibility of switching off from work worthwhile.

Horton’s top tips for entrepreneurs

1. Be memorable

   Muk Mat are a memorable product, and being memorable is one of the key components to achieving Tipping Point success. Make sure your product stands out from the crowd.

2. Customer focus

   Understanding your customer is integral to success. You need to know what they need in their day-to-day and also exceed their expectations from the moment they hear about you and every purchase they make from then. It’s also critical that you listen to their feedback.

3. Don’t outsource too much too soon

   You need to feel the pain of running your own business for a while to learn all the ins and outs. Then eventually, outsourcing begins to look like bang for your buck. But, don’t feel that pain for too long, or it will start to affect you and your relationships.

4. Live your brand

   Muk Mat came from very humble beginnings because I lived and breathed a Muk Mat lifestyle. I was in the ocean every day and regularly camping. By living that lifestyle and retaining my local ties, we’ve stayed true to our brand story.