Openfield

Openfield is a British agricultural cooperative headquartered at the former RAF North Witham site in Lincolnshire. Its principal activities are the marketing of grain produced by farmers, the operation and use of grain-storage facilities, and the supply and coordination of arable inputs such as fertiliser. The organisation serves farmers and agricultural businesses across the United Kingdom and supplies grain into food, drink and other downstream markets. The business was created in November 2008 through the merger of Centaur Grain and Grainfarmers. That combination brought together two established grain-marketing organisations and created what is described as the largest UK farmer-owned grain-marketing cooperative. Openfield is also identified as one of the larger agricultural companies in Britain and one of the significant businesses in Lincolnshire when measured by turnover. The cooperative model gives the organisation a role different from that of a conventional branded food producer: it aggregates farmer production, manages market access and logistics, and negotiates with customers and suppliers on behalf of its agricultural membership. Openfield markets grain for individual farmers and grain stores. Its customer base includes prominent British food and drink companies, while its supplier relationships cover major fertiliser businesses including CF, Glasson, ICL, Nitrasol, Omex, Origin, Timac and Yara. The company is a member of the Fertiliser Industry Assurance Scheme and the Agricultural Industries Confederation, reflecting its participation in UK agricultural supply-chain and assurance structures. The cooperative's historical roots extend beyond the 2008 merger. Centaur Grain was formed in 2001 when Group Cereal Services of south-east England joined Lingrain of the east of England. Grainfarmers originated in the Southern Counties Agricultural Trading Society, established in 1907, and adopted the Grainfarmers Group name in 2003. Before the merger, Grainfarmers represented more than 4,000 farmers and marketed a substantial share of UK grain. The Colsterworth site, another location associated with the organisation's history, opened in 1980. Openfield's public identity is therefore centred on farmer ownership, national-scale grain aggregation and agricultural supply-chain services rather than consumer-facing packaged products. Available reference material describes annual turnover as exceeding £550 million, although the figure is not assigned here to a specific reporting period. Openfield's importance lies in connecting British arable farmers with large commercial buyers while supporting the procurement of inputs needed for crop production.

Openfield was established in November 2008 through the merger of Centaur Grain and Grainfarmers. The transaction combined two established agricultural grain-marketing organisations and produced a national farmer-owned cooperative serving the UK arable sector. The resulting business was based at the former RAF North Witham site in Lincolnshire and became one of the country's largest agricultural companies by turnover. The history of Centaur Grain began in 2001, when Group Cereal Services, a south-east England organisation, joined Lingrain, which operated in the east of England. The combination created Centaur Grain, based at Goodworth Clatford in Hampshire. Centaur's formation reflected the consolidation of regional grain-marketing capacity within the UK agricultural sector. Grainfarmers had an older lineage. Its origins lay in the Southern Counties Agricultural Trading Society, founded in 1907. The organisation later expanded its regional presence and operated offices in locations including Aberdeen, Walton near Wetherby, Bressingham, Bourne, Lincolnshire, Compton Abdale, Cannington and Micheldever. It adopted the Grainfarmers Group Ltd name in 2003. Before its combination with Centaur, Grainfarmers represented more than 4,000 farmers and marketed more than 17 percent of UK grain, according to the cited historical account. The proposed merger was announced in 2008 and was considered by the Office of Fair Trading. Following the combination, Openfield became the UK's largest farmer-owned grain-marketing cooperative. Its activities encompass the marketing of grain for farmers and grain stores, relationships with major food and drink customers, and the provision or coordination of arable inputs, particularly fertiliser. The Colsterworth site, which opened in 1980, is another historical facility associated with the organisation's operating footprint. Openfield's business model is cooperative and supply-chain oriented. Rather than selling a consumer product under a supermarket-facing label, it pools agricultural production, helps farmers reach commercial buyers and works with input suppliers supporting crop production. Its membership of the Fertiliser Industry Assurance Scheme and the Agricultural Industries Confederation places it within recognised UK agricultural assurance and trade structures. The organisation's customers include prominent British food and drink brands, making it an intermediary between primary producers and large downstream purchasers. The available material describes Openfield as active and nationally significant within British grain marketing. It also reports turnover of more than £550 million, but does not provide a sufficiently specific financial period for that figure to be treated as a dated financial metric here. No reliable source material supplied for this entry identifies current or former executives, a consumer advertising history, or major scandals.

• 2008

  Openfield is created through merger

  [1]Openfielden.wikipedia.org

  Centaur Grain and Grainfarmers combined in November 2008 to create Openfield, a national farmer-owned grain-marketing cooperative.

• 2003

  Grainfarmers Group name adopted

  [1]Openfielden.wikipedia.org

  The Southern Counties Agricultural Trading Society lineage adopted the Grainfarmers Group Ltd name.

• 2001

  Centaur Grain is formed

  [1]Openfielden.wikipedia.org

  Group Cereal Services of south-east England joined Lingrain of the east of England to form Centaur Grain.

• 1980

  Colsterworth site opens

  [1]Openfielden.wikipedia.org

  The Colsterworth site opened and later formed part of the historical operating network associated with the grain-marketing business.

• 1907

  Southern Counties Agricultural Trading Society is established

  [1]Openfielden.wikipedia.org

  The organisation that later became part of the Grainfarmers lineage was founded as the Southern Counties Agricultural Trading Society.

A national, farmer-owned UK agricultural cooperative that aggregates grain supply, supports arable production and connects farmers with major food and drink customers.

• Agricultural marketing service · 2008

  Grain marketing

  Openfield's core activity is the aggregation and marketing of grain produced by farmers and grain stores. The cooperative connects arable producers with commercial buyers, including major British food and drink companies, and provides a national route to market for member production.

• Agricultural logistics

  Grain storage and handling

  The business markets grain held by farmers and grain stores and operates within a network of agricultural storage and handling locations. This service supports the movement, aggregation and commercial sale of harvested grain across the UK supply chain.

• Agricultural inputs

  Arable inputs and fertiliser services

  Openfield supports arable production through fertiliser and related input supply relationships. It works with suppliers including CF, Glasson, ICL, Nitrasol, Omex, Origin, Timac and Yara, and participates in the Fertiliser Industry Assurance Scheme.

• 2008

  Merger of Grainfarmers and Centaur GrainM&A

  Background

  The UK grain-marketing sector contained regional organisations with overlapping farmer and grain-supply activities. Grainfarmers and Centaur Grain proposed combining their operations to create a larger national cooperative.

  Action taken

  The organisations pursued a merger, which was reviewed by the Office of Fair Trading and completed in November 2008 under the Openfield name.

  Aftermath

  The transaction created the largest UK farmer-owned grain-marketing cooperative and expanded the combined organisation's national reach.

  Source

1. 1Openfielden.wikipedia.org
2. 2Anticipated merger between Grainfarmers Group and Centaur Grain Groupwebarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk