The business was founded in 1875 when the Firm of Geo. W Bennett & Co of St John’s, Antigua opened a branch in Basseterre, St. Kitts. Mr Samuel Lamartine Horsford who was at that time the Accountant at Geo. W Bennett & Co was appointed as Manager of the St. Kitts branch.
In February 1880 the business traded under the name “The Estates Agency Depot” and was a partnership between Messrs Geo. W Bennett & Co and Mr John Hardtman Berkeley, planter of Shadwell Estate, St. Kitts.
In 1885, Mr Samuel Lamartine Horsford purchased the business from its previous owners and started trading as S L Horsford and Co.
On the 31 day of January 1912, a Company Limited By Shares and named S L Horsford and Co. LTD was registered on the island of St Christopher under The Companies Act 1884 (No 20 of 1884) of the Leeward Islands.
In January 1929, Mr B Marshall purchased the shares owned by the late Mrs Alberta Augusta Horsford (widow of Mr S L Horsford Dec’d) and the four surviving offspring of Mr & Mrs Horsford.
The Company became a Public company on 30 July 1990 and on 24 September 1990 it issued a Prospectus which resulted in the issue of 5,500,000 Ordinary Shares of $1 per share. On 1 June 1993 the Company issued its second Prospectus which resulted in the further issue of 2,600,000 Ordinary Shares of $1 per share. In 1999 the Company issued 8,382,810 Bonus Shares on the basis of one share for every two ordinary shares held at the time of the issue. On 1 July 1999 the Company issued its third Prospectus which resulted in the further issue of 5,000,000 Ordinary Shares of $1 per share.
Today, the company is a highly diversified business establishment involved in multiple trading, service and manufacturing activities through its various departments and subsidiary companies. It has traded profitably since its incorporation.