Harbro expands its feed operations in Scotland

Scottish feed manufacturer and rural supplier Harbro has acquired specialist feed merchant Almins, strengthening its operations across the country.

Almins is a family run business that was established in Scotland more than 30 years ago, focused on providing mineral nutrition for beef, dairy, and sheep.

The acquisition should allow a broader choice of products to be made available to farmers through both enterprises, with Harbro customers gaining access to Almins’ specialist range.

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Almins will retain its own brand identity and operate as a separate limited company within the Harbro Group.

Archie Leitch, managing director at Almins, will also remain within the business.

Mr Leitch said: “This partnership allows us to continue supporting our loyal customers while expanding our reach and investing further in the technologies and programmes that deliver real results on farm.”

Harbro chief executive Chris Baxter said he was delighted to welcome Almins into the Harbro Group.

He said: “Their technical expertise, innovative approach and strong customer relationships make them an excellent fit for our business.

“By combining the strengths of both teams, we are excited to accelerate the development of Almins’ unique product technologies and deliver even greater value and performance for farmers across the UK and Ireland.”

Harbro partnership

Harbro also entered into a partnership last year with Netherlands-based Convent Capital, with regulatory filings to Companies House published last month showing the private equity firm now own 100% of the share capital of Harbro’s holding company.

However, Harbro assert that a significant percentage of the business is still retained by its original shareholders.

A spokesperson for Harbro said: “The partnership with Convent Capital has been put in place to ensure the future growth of the business moving forward.”

The Scottish-based firm has a manufacturing capacity of 270,000t a year, producing feeds for beef, sheep, dairy, pig and poultry sectors.