PROFILE Lincolnshire Machinery Ring Ltd
LMR celebrates special 30th anniversary Farmers continue to benefi t from the LMR cooperative working for members
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farmer-owned cooperative is celebrating its 30th anniversary of suppling the agricultural sector with labour, machinery and farm inputs. Originally formed by three farmers as the Lincolnshire Machinery Ring in 1991, today the cooperative trades as LMR under the slogan Labour, Machinery, Resources – reflecting the additional services it offers. The original idea was that LMR members would make their equipment available to other farmers when it was not being used. But it soon became clear that specialist services were needed as well – and well beyond their Lincolnshire roots. These days, LMR serves 550 farmers across the counties of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire – as well as South Yorkshire, east Derbyshire and north Cambridgeshire. They are well looked after by two ring managers: Andrew Beckingham, who covers the western part of the region, while colleague Jayne Hunt looks after members in the eastern part of the region.
Dynamic business “We wish to sincerely thank all past and present members, directors and managers for their contribution to this achievement,” says Andrew. “They have all played their part in moulding our co-operative into the successful and dynamic business that it is today.” All agricultural activities are covered across the full range of enterprises. And all 550 members have access to a back-up supply of machinery and labour to cover unforeseen circumstances. “All our members have access to a big inventory of machinery, equipment and resources,” says Andrew. “It gives them peace of mind – and we can usually get hold of a specific piece of equipment if somebody needs it – we link people up.” This is an increasingly popular and important service at a time when tight margins and rising machinery costs make owning equipment without fully utilising it an expensive and sometimes unaffordable choice. “There is a lot of equipment out there looking for work,” says Andrew. “Although we are a machinery ring, the bulk of our activity and turnover comes from the buying group side of the co-operative.” Other inputs Inputs supplied to members include fuel, gas and lubricants. Significant
Andrew Beckingham
growth is also being seen in supplying concrete and in hiring tractors, trailers and plant. The group is also successful with deals on electricity, telecoms, wearing parts and tyres. In terms of labour, the group has specialist Gangmaster Licensing Authority licensed members who deal with the high volume of bookings via LMR. This is a popular service – especially as permanent farm staff have reduced in numbers over recent years. The supply of gangs to pull black grass and weed beet have proved to be particularly popular – especially as farmers have reduced labour levels in recent years to optimise margins, resulting in little spare capacity. >>
MAY 2021 • MIDLAND FARMER 23
