Stebin Horne '93 - The Business of Bringing People Together

The last decade has been a period of great change for Stebin Horne ’93. After making some significant life changes in 2008, he literally ventured into the wilderness to gain clarity and focus for his future. After this time of reflection, he put to rest his 12-year career of real estate law, local politics, and healthcare advocacy and was reborn as a career entrepreneur.

It was 2008, and the real estate market had stagnated, so Stebin moved to Atlanta to serve as Executive Vice President at CareSouth Homecare Professionals. A few years later, he met Roos-Maryn Opperman. Roos was a native of South Africa and when she returned home in 2014, he followed.

“I had the opportunity to live in South Africa for six months getting to know her family and taking a break from work,” said Stebin. “Spending time away and not getting caught up in the daily grind, lets you see the world differently.”

It was in South Africa that Stebin conceived two business ideas – Kudu Grills and Classic Overland. Both were inspired by his time in that country as well as the lifestyle that South Africans embrace. Kudu Grills is an open-fire grill cooking system and Classic Overland rebuilds Land Rover Defenders in safari-style for resale in the U.S.  

“Having been through the recession, I was committed to finding an income stream that I was passionate about,” explains Stebin. “I have always been on the more adventurous side and I would go out on my own in South Africa. My mother-in-law was an entrepreneur and lived on a farm two hours away from any town. She started selling leftovers from the farm and grew it to the largest confectionary business in that country. She encouraged me and said that every day I must be willing to ‘chew gravel and spit blood’ for this to be successful. That’s what helped make this possible over last three years.”

Stebin realized that his ideas were more about people sharing experiences than the actual products. Like the first humans, with Kudu Grill’s open-fire culinary experience, people cook over open fire and suddenly that act of community makes the world a smaller, more intimate place. Classic Overland not only sells vehicles, but part of the experience is the Drive Africa campaign. Clients design their Land Rover with Stebin and then can fly to South Africa to drive the vehicle in its originally intended terrain before it is shipped to America.

It was not long before Stebin’s entrepreneurial endeavors gained national recognition and people bought into the outdoor lifestyle that his companies sell. “Since the dawn of time, there’s nothing that brings people together more than fire and food – we want people to put down their differences and come together to enjoy that experience,” he says.

Even though his ideas seem quite natural and accepted by today’s experiential culture, the evolution of Stebin’s businesses has not come without challenges. Admittedly, Stebin sees himself as more of a creative person, who constantly thinks about the company’s vision for its brand and how it can connect to people. He realized that ideas do not hold much value if the business side does not exist. That is where fellow alumnus, Stewart Vernon ’98, came into the picture. Stewart was interested in partnering with Stebin to see these ideas come to fruition. “It was through Stewart’s own entrepreneurial spirit and expertise that Kudu Grills and Classic Overland were put on a path to becoming a successful business,” says Stebin. “That has been as critical as the ideas themselves. I realized that it was important to have someone like that believe in me.”

Another critical piece to Stebin’s business success came in 2016, when Kudu Grills was selected by Mercer University’s Innovation Center as one of the two businesses to receive an inaugural fellowship. There are millions of start-ups today available to consumers through social media, but Kudu Grills wanted to be more. They were one of 50 applicants for the Innovation Center’s first class of fellows and for that year had access to the Mercer University business school, engineering school, alumni, and entire university’s reach. “That experience really helped to propel our growth and it was growth that could be managed with those resources,” says Stebin. “Being an Innovation Center Fellow gave us creditability, and we were able to successfully leverage the kickstart they provided us.”

Two years ago, Kudu Grill was a fledgling start-up and last year alone they were featured in the New York Times, Garden and Gun, Bon Appetit, Esquire, and Food and Wine. Now they are gaining international attention and Stebin spends a great deal of time thinking about the future. “My guess is that by the time that Kudu and Overland reach their pinnacles, that I’ll be off on my next adventure,” he laughs. “I’m always thinking of new things for others to enjoy. I love bringing people together and these businesses allow me to share new experiences with people. I want to grow a brand that is bigger than a grill or vehicle – I want to create a lifestyle company that creates something more meaningful for others.”

Some ideas that Stebin is exploring are foodie spas where people work with his chefs, who are called Kudu Braaimasters, and learn how to cook on their grills and then enjoy the communal experience of cooking and eating. There is also the idea for South African expeditions where guests can go on game drives to learn the history, culture, and food of that region.

“All of these ideas are experiences that have been life changing for me and I want other families to have the same opportunities,” shares Stebin. Like their company mission statement, he wants to help people “be present”, stop living distracted, and take time to enjoy each other’s company.

Currently, he is investing in his own continuing education by participating in a year-long Level 1 field guide certification in South Africa. He will spend 45 days as apprentice with professional field guides learning the biomes, flora, fauna, animals, weather, and seasons of that region. “One of the most rewarding aspects of my training so far has been sharing the knowledge that I’ve learned with wife’s family who has lived there forever,” he says.

There are times that Stebin lives half a world away from Macon, but there are still Stratford experiences he carries with him. “Through all my educational experiences – college and law school – Stratford was the most challenging and it prepared me to navigate the waters in and out of school,” he says. “Soccer was also a huge part of my Stratford days. Grant Serafy and I started together – I was an eighth grader and he was a first-year teacher and coach. I had a front row seat to watch Grant Serafy build a soccer empire. By time I graduated, we’d played in three state championship games and won two.” For Stebin, watching Serafy build a program with a lasting legacy made a permanent impression on him. He was taught that even if something had not been done before, it could still be his for the taking – an approach that he still takes in business today.