SCATS buys BDR to go national
By FWi staff
SCATS – the Southern Counties Agricultural Trading Society – has bought BDR, the Lincolnshire-based agricultural merchant.
The purchase, for an undisclosed sum from US multi-national ConAgra, will double SCATSs grain-trading activities, said Tim Pollock, group managing director.
Based at Bourne, BDR operates throughout Lincolnshire, the Midlands and East Anglia, specialising in grain trading, seed, and fertiliser.
BDR made pre-tax profits of £535,000 on a turnover of £77 million for the year to May 1998.
Mr Pollock said buying the company would mean SCATS could achieve its strategy of becoming a national rather than a regional business.
“Together, the two businesses will handle about 1.5 million tonnes of grain,” he said.
“As a major player, SCATS will be better positioned to meet the needs of our farmer suppliers and grain customers in todays very competitive marketplace.”
BDRs fertiliser and seed business will be merged with the existing SCATS Agri Products-UAP joint venture after the current harvest.
SCATS joined forces with United Agri Products (UAP) to supply arable seed to growers in the south of England, the West Country and the South Midlands in January of this year.
In April, SCATS purchased Continentals UK grain export business, acquiring its deep-water grain export silos and animal feed and fertiliser import facilities.
- SCATS to buy Continentals UK arm, FWi, 01 April, 1999
- Top seed venture (SCATS and UAP), Farmers Weekly, 15 January, 1999
- SCATS all set to be a shipper, FWi 11 December, 1998