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Company CV

PROFESSIONAL CAPABILITY STATEMENT

Background to the Company

Laurence Gould Partnership is a leading UK agricultural and horticultural consultancy company, providing specific advice to farmers, growers, producer organisation, the agricultural supply chain and governmental organisations on an ongoing basis since 1960.

The company is expanding its services to organisations involved in the supply chain. We provide business and grant aid services to producer organisations and processing companies and have developed a strong record with the grant awarding bodies and UK Clearing Banks.

The company operates from five offices located in Edinburgh, Newmarket, Worcester, Yeovil and Burgess Hill.

Projects and Studies

• Delivery of ‘Bio-fuel and Biomass Feasibility Study’ for a County Council in the South East
• Recent review of a County Council's public service vehicle fleet and renewable fuel needs in the South East to assist with the formulation of a county wide strategy
• Development of renewable energy supply chain for South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) incorporating County, Borough, District and City Councils
• Coordinators of business start-up initiative being rolled out through all counties in the South East region for SEEDA
• Planning application reviews, including on-going role with Falkirk, Stirling & Highlands Councils
• Carbon baseline survey of 200 farms for Natural England
• Consultancy advice to an emerging renewable electricity supply company
• Finance for Farming in Scotland study for SEERAD (2001)
• Scottish Rural Development Programme baseline review as part of a consultancy team (2002) (DTZ Pieda/LGP/University of Edinburgh/John Clegg Consulting)
• Scottish Rural Development Programme European Union Mid Term Evaluation as part of a consultancy team (2003) (DTZ Pieda/LGP/University of Edinburgh/John Clegg Consulting)
• Evaluation of the Reasons for Farmers Leaving the Organic Aid Scheme in Scotland (2003) (DTZ Pieda/LGP)
• Review of the Cornish Agricultural Sector led by DTZ Pieda
• Study into the Likely Effects of CAP Reform in Scotland (2004) – Northridge Finance
• Study into the Economics of Hill Cattle & Sheep Production in Scotland (SEERAD) (2004-2006)
• Countywide coordination of the DEFRA funded Farm Business Advice Service in Surrey
• Delivery of advice for the East Sussex Economic Partnership to Rural Businesses in East Sussex
• Completion of the Mapping and Assistance Module of the Regional Farm Demonstration Programme for DEFRA (Ongoing)
• Delivery of advice for Sussex Enterprise in West Sussex under the Rural Business Advice Service (RBAS)
• Advisors to Business Links nationally and all Business Links in the South East region
• Delivery of Catchment Sensitive Farming for Natural England
• Delivery of the Carbon baseline survey for 200 farmers in England
• Delivery of Options for Change project to farmers in East Midlands Region
• Delivery of Mapping and Assistance projects in EEDA and Advantage West Midlands Regions
• Delivery of Water Efficiency Project to Dairy, intensive arable and horticultural sectors for Natural England (EMDA Region)
• Surveying (119) farmers and interested parties (telephone and face to face) on the Milk Bench Benchmarking service for dairy farmers for the Milk Development Council
• Evaluation of the impact of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones on farmers’ businesses for the Department of Environment, Transport and The Regions
• Viability report of cheese processing operation for 12 local dairy farmers
• Research study on the horticultural markets in Holland, Belgium, Germany and France for a leading UK horticultural company looking to export new products to these markets
• Publications for Lloyds TSB Bank on the Trends in UK consumers spending, and developments covering horizontal and vertical integration in the UK industry to meet the demands of the market place
• Report on the worldwide second hand tractor market for the Czech Owned Tractor business Motokov
• Carried out a marketing study for English Hops Limited and its processing arm, English Hop Products Limited, covering the UK and world market for hops
• Prepared a feasibility/marketing study on setting up a vining pea co-operative in Yorkshire. The co-operative had over 30 members by the second year of operation
• Cost benefit analysis for the British Potato Council on the use of high quality seed potatoes
• Study into the Economics of low ground beef production in Scotland for SEERAD, completed in 1997
• Over 40 applications for grant funding, including 5-year business plans, under the EU Fruit and Vegetable regime for UK grower co-operatives
• Assessment of SEEDA, EEDA and Advantage West Midlands regional grant schemes for clients’ projects.

Robin Hobson, one of LGP Directors, is the chairman of the Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) policy committee formed recently by leading supermarkets and processors and producers in the supply chain.

ERDP Projects

The company is expanding its services to organisations involved in the supply chain. We provide business and grant aid services to producer organisations and processing companies and have developed a strong record with the grant awarding bodies and UK Clearing Banks.

PMGS Projects

1. New storage, grading and distribution centre fruit and vegetables – West Midlands
2. New onion topping, grading and storage facility – East Midlands
3. New storage, grading, processing and distribution centre vegetables – East Midlands
4. New vegetable washing, grading, processing and packing operation – East Anglia
5. Top fruit juice processing and bottling operation – East Anglia
6. Conventional and organic carrot grading line and expansion of packhouse – Yorkshire
7. New soft fruit packhouse – South East
8. Soft fruit pack house extension – South East
9. New potato grading line equipment and cold store – South East
10. New vegetable storage, grading, distribution and processing factory – South East
11. Apple and Pear Juice processing and marketing – South East
12. Four top fruit packhouse expansion business plans – South East
13. New top fruit packhouse for local sourcing of fruit and delivery to ASDA supermarket

Rural Enterprise Scheme – England

1. Redevelopment of a historic barn
2. Fruit juice bottling operations in East Anglia and South East
3. National Marketing and promotional campaign for industry body
4. Soft fruit growers – Packhouse and reservoir combined PMGS and RES project
5. Development of parkland to events area/holiday lodges for tourism
6. Development of farm buildings, house and gardens to wedding and events business
7. South East and Eastern Region – Reservoir applications to support production and local environment and tourism development
8. Water bottling operation
9. Development of alternative business in farm buildings
10. New glasshouse operation for herb production
11. Field herb production and processing
12. Farm shops
13. Camping and caravanning park
14. Organic free range chicken production
15. IT pig breeding project
16. New venison supply chain initiative
17. Development of marketing for Turkey organisation
18. New pig meat supply chain development
19. River Nene Organic Vegetables franchise box scheme development

Vocational Training Scheme – England

• Arable agronomy group – Arable technical training
• LEAF Regionalisation of services to industry
• Large Farming Company – Management, environmental technical training
• Salad growers and marketing company – training of staff at all levels in three member organisations to improve supply chain service levels to customers