“Defying the odds”: Muk Mat founder on the brand’s $10 million journey in a male-dominated industry

As Queensland business Muk Mat sets its sights beyond Australian shores, founder Suzanne Horton has spoken out about the brand’s $10 million revenue journey, the remarkable women at the helm, and the next steps in its plan of action to further expand its footprint in Australia.

The Gold Coast-based business, which started from humble beginnings in the Burleigh Beach carpark, has also recently received the news that it is one of the finalists in the upcoming 2023 Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards in the Specialised Retail Small Business category.

Its muk mats, specifically designed to thoroughly clean feet so campers, regular caravanners, beachgoers or homeowners can return to a clean car, tent, caravan and home, are proudly Australian-owned, locally handcrafted, and made from water-resistant recycled materials.

Horton said when she first heard the good news, she couldn’t wait to let her team know, as Muk Mat’s success is now a team effort.

“Honestly, in all my business success I often think ‘who would have thought that my love for surfing and adventure would have uncovered a gap in the market? Look what I have created’,” she said.

“It truly is an honour to be recognised in such a prestigious and comprehensive programme that celebrates the growing number of Australia’s most inspiring and influential women in small business.”

Horton said being a successful business founder, female or male, is a constant roller coaster of highs and lows.  

“You need to be over all aspects of the business, so it is constantly on your mind, even at 2am in the morning,” she said.  

Women business owners ‘quietly working in the background’

“I think the importance of these types of awards, to champion female-owned businesses, is to acknowledge the hard work and contributions that are made by women who are quietly working away in the background creating something brilliant.  

“Generally, females have had to take a break or even leave their careers completely to have and raise children. This was the case for me and I loved every part of being at home with my boys.  It also gave me the clarity that I was going to need flexibility when it came to returning to paid work.  

“Juggling a family and your own business is equally rewarding as it is challenging. I know countless female business owners who are humbly building empires, whilst also running a household. 

“I see these awards as a reminder for all of us to let these women know how remarkable they are.”

The muk mat concept started with a DIY prototype that Horton’s family took with them when they went to the beach to get the sand off their feet and change out of their wetsuits.

Horton said every time she rolled out the mat, she had people approaching her saying what an amazing idea it was and asking where they could get one. 

“I soon realised that I wasn’t the only one needing a solution to keep the sand and grit outside — it seemed half of Australia was,” she said.  

“Like all successful products — muk mat was the solution to an unmet need.”

Muk Mat found its sales had increased steadily, month on month since 2017, however, it was in April 2020 that the business’s growth catapulted with the boom of the caravan industry. 

The brand now has over 100 retailers stocking muk mats, including Anaconda.

Horton said it was during the COVID boom that she hit a state of overwhelm, and shortly after welcomed a finance manager and a social media and communications manager onto the team.

“The business grew so quickly,” she said.  

“There was nothing like it on the market and word of mouth drove the demand and the product spread like wildfire.”

A team of like-minded mums

“At this point, the best decision I made was taking on a team, as well as joining a community of fellow female business owners.  

“The two women I welcomed with open arms to the muk mat journey are both mums and business owners themselves.  

“There are many things I am proud of along the way, but more recently is how a female-founded business, now with three women at the helm continues to thrive in a male-dominated industry. 

“Like all successful products, copies start to appear, often from massive corporations.  

“We live and breathe the muk mat values and as a result, three women, working from their dining room tables are building a specialised retail business and defying the odds.”

Horton said Muk Mat is a tight business model with minimal overheads — including no office.  

“This allows my team to work from home. Online conferencing has enabled us to regularly communicate, with the luxury of being available for our families,” she said.

Muk Mat’s future plans

“With the recent introduction of another colour muk mat to the range, indications show this will also be a winner for homes. 

“Our goal here is to branch into a new category of stockists. Temple & Webster, Mitre 10 and Bunnings are on our radar. A stylish doormat that actually works! We even have the girls at 3 Birds Renovations in sight.

“We are also introducing some new size step mats as we evolve and expand our production to fit the steps of Australia’s major caravan brands.  

“We are in the early stages of discussing the possibility of co-branding with Jayco caravans. We will also be launching a new size muk mat that we are confident will be the most popular yet.

“As muk mat continues to service the fast-growing industry we are setting our sights beyond Australia. Germany has the highest number of RV’s in the world and this presents a huge opportunity to offer Europeans, the little bit of luxury muk mat will give to their camping experience, that we Aussies have enjoyed over the last five years.  

“We have partnered with another Australian company and will be launching muk mat in Europe just in time for their summer camping season.”

Complete list of finalists for the 2023 Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards for the Specialised Retail Small Business category:

• B Eco Family
• Birdies
• Blossom Hair Body Face and Wig Boutique
• Harry and Kit
• HeyDoodle
• Milkbar Breastpumps
• Mini Murray and Me
• Moulton Galleries
• Muk Mat
• Ride Proud Clothing
• Silkflora
• The Spoonie Society
• The Store of Requirement