Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight!

Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

Ripon Farm Services will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of its New Year Show this month.

The event, which is one of the UK’s leading agricultural machinery displays, will be held in the Yorkshire Event Centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate on Wednesday, January 24 and Thursday, January 25, from 10 till 5pm. Entry is free.

Product specialists from Ripon Farm Services, Ripon Ground Care and Ripon Technology will be on hand to provide advice on machine choice, set-up, optimisation and job management. Visitors will be able to explore the latest innovations, speak to experts and see the products up close.

The star of the show is expected to be the new John Deere 300M self-propelled sprayer.

Richard Simpson, commercial director of Ripon Farm Services, said:

“We are delighted to be showcasing the new John Deere 300M self-propelled sprayer, it was first introduced at Agritechnica in November last year so it’s great for it to be taking centre stage at our show in January.

“We can’t wait to welcome our customers and guests for what promises to be a very busy 20th anniversary event.”

A vast range of ground care machinery will be on display, from ride-on mowers through to pressure-washers and hedge-trimmers, as well as parts, tools and store items from brands including Milwaukee, Draper and Portek.

Mr Simpson added:

“Apart from the stand-out John Deere machines, we will be showcasing our high-quality machinery, ground care and parts brands that are including Kramer, Bailey Trailers, Kuhn, Sumo, Dalbo, Ifor Williams, Stihl, Husqvarna and Spearhead.

“This really is the very best opportunity to see all that Ripon Farm Services has to offer in agriculture and turf technology, new and used machinery, parts and services in one single location. We’ll also have some special show offers and a wide range of used equipment deals.

“Our specialists across all sectors will be on hand to answer any questions during the two days, so the event is truly a one-stop shop for farmers and ground care professionals across the north of England.”

Ripon employer grows

Wolseley, the national plumbing supplies firm that employs around 250 people in Ripon, continued to grow organically last year, according to figures published in its latest annual report.

Over the 12 months to July 31, 2023, the company increased revenues by £140 million (8%) to £1.87 billion. This caused a jump in operating profit to £75 million, from £65 million in 2022.

However, profits before tax fell to £73 million, from £146 million in 2022, and the directors have not yet declared a final dividend to shareholders.

The company also increased its number of branches by one to 544, and its employee headcount rose by 234 to 4,720.

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Ripon Farm Services has recorded a significant increase in turnover and profit in its accounts for the year ending January 31, 2023.

The report, published on the Companies House website this week, reveals revenue increased by 22% from £132.5 million to £161.1 million.

Gross profit rose by 23% from £15 million to £18.5 million and operating profit went up from £2.4 million to £3.1 million.

The Ripon-based company, which was established in 1982, services and sells agricultural machinery from brands including John Deere, Kuhn, Bailey, Kramer and Stihl across 15 regional branches.

It is one of the district’s largest and most visible companies, with a major presence at the Great Yorkshire Show each year.

Exhibiting at the Great Yorkshire Show.

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Ripon Farm Services, which employs 285 staff, also completed the construction of a 22,000 sq ft depot in Malton during the financial period, which was financed by an HSBC loan.

Directors attributed the company’s success to outperforming the market and, subsequently, increasing market share, as well promoting “premium products with industry-leading customer service” and a “prestigious” brand portfolio.

The report added:

“The directors are pleased with the results in what has been a record year for the group.

“Turnover and profitability have both improved significantly and investments have been made in our infrastructure and capabilities to ensure we are well placed to meet the ongoing needs of our customers.

“We are known as the dependable and trusted, market leading agricultural and ground care machinery partner. Our customers rely on us to help them prosper, innovate and grow.”

Ripon Farm Services also acquired FG Adamson & Son, a garden and ground-care machinery company, in March this year for around £2.4m.

A Harrogate man has been knighted in the King’s Birthday Honours List.

Dr Richard John Mantle, general director of Leeds-based Opera North, has been recognised for his services to opera.

He was made an OBE 10 years ago in the late Queen’s Birthday Honours, for services to music, and has served as a deputy lord lieutenant in West Yorkshire since 2012.

Dr Mantle sits on the board of the National Opera Studio, as well as being a member of the advisory council of the music department of York University, a fellow of Leeds College of Music and a fellow of the Royal College of Arts.

He announced last year that he intends to retire from his role with Opera North at the end of 2023, after being involved with it since 1994.

At the time, Dr Mantle – now Sir Richard Mantle – said:

“I have led Opera North for almost 30 years, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have held one of the best opera jobs in the UK and further afield, and to have worked with so many talented, valued and inspiring colleagues.

“It has been a hugely fulfilling experience.”

Opera North’s chair of trustees Paul Lee said:

“All of us who have worked with Richard over the years will feel a profound sense of gratitude for his immense service to the company’s staff and the countless guest artists whose careers Opera North has done so much to nurture and develop, and, above all, audiences and communities throughout the North and beyond.”

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• Five Harrogate district recipients on King’s first honours list
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Also on the first birthday honours list of King Charles III is Ripon man Dr Peter Liddle, who is made an OBE for services to heritage and public understanding of the world wars.

A military historian, Dr Liddle founded the University of Leeds’s Liddle Collection, an archive of first-hand accounts of people who lived through either of the world wars.

He is also patron of the Halifax Great War Heritage Society and life president of the Second World War Experience Centre.

Harrogate resident Susan Soroczan is also made an OBE for public service in her role as group director at the Department for Work and Pensions.

The leader of Northern Star Academies Trust, which includes Harrogate High School, has been made an OBE for services to education.

Jennifer Spencer-Plews is chief executive of the trust, which also includes Hookstone Chase, New Park, Starbeck and Willow Tree primary schools in Harrogate among its members.

Ripon Farm Services managing director Geoff Brown, pictured above, is made an MBE for services to the rural economy in the list, published this evening.

There is also one recipient of the British Empire Medal from the Harrogate district.

Sgt Paul Cording of North Yorkshire Police has been recognised for his service as a police officer as well as his charity work.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, he described the recognition as “bonkers”, as well as “humbling”.

See the Stray Ferret tomorrow morning for a full interview with Sgt Cording.

Now is your time to shine with the Stray Ferret Business Awards. We are encouraging businesses of all sizes from right across the Harrogate district to enter for our awards and get recognition from our top panel of judges. Entries close on January 16.

There are only a few days left to send in entries for the Stray Ferret Business Awards as the closing date approaches. 

The Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis, is on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate and will celebrate success and excellence in the business community across the district. 

The closing date for entries for the 10 categories is on Monday 16th. 

The judging panel will meet a week today so submissions cannot be accepted after the closing date.

The event promises to be a celebration of local business – the key note speaker is the Chief Executive of the new North Yorkshire Council, Richard Flinton.

New forager to be showcases at Ripon Farm Services show

Ripon Farm Services is set to showcase its new forager at its new year show next week.

The John Deare 9700 will be unveiled at the event at the Great Yorkshire Showground on Wednesday, January 18.

The show will be held over two-days and showcases leading agricultural machinery.

Geoff Brown, managing director of Ripon Farm Services, said: 

“We can’t wait to welcome our customers and guests for what promises to be a very busy event, for the first time since the global pandemic hit three years ago, our show is back to normal, without any covid-related restrictions. 

“We are absolutely delighted to be showcasing John Deere’s pioneering self-propelled 9700 forager harvester model. We are confident this new machine, following on from the success of John Deere’s 8000 Series, will prove a very popular attraction.

“In addition, we are featuring the latest innovations from our Technology Team to help our customers reduce input costs and improve profitability through more efficient production.” 

For more information on the Ripon Farm Services new year show, visit the company website here.

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Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Ripon Farm Services has opened a new branch near Malton.

The company, which supplies agricultural machinery, has moved into a depot at the 30-acre Eden Business Park.

It becomes the firm’s twelfth branch it has opened in the UK.

RFS has taken possession of a high-quality 22,000 sq ft building at the multi-million pound business park, which is located immediately off the A64 by the Pickering Road (A169) junction by Eden Camp.

Richard Simpson, commercial director of RFS, said: 

“The opening of our new Malton depot is a major milestone for Ripon Farm Services and signals our intention to ramp up the investment in our long-term future.

“This new building reflects the importance we place on serving the North and East Yorkshire farming, equestrian and ground care communities. We will be providing the full range of services that you would expect from a John Deere main dealer and will also be moving our Ifor Williams trailer dealership into our new depot.

“In addition, we will have a huge range of ground care equipment for both Groundscare professionals and homeowners alike. We can’t wait to get going.”

RFS has now started trading from the Malton depot and are organising an open day for all their customers on Thursday, October 27, between 12pm and 8pm.

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Harrogate businesses set for Digital Festival dates

Harrogate law firm Berwins will host four events as part of Leeds Digital Festival later this month.

Its experts in digital and business law will speak about Giving Data Proper Respect on September 19, realising the Value of Your Intellectual Property on September 22, and Recognising and Recovering Revenue on September 26.

All three talks take place at Platform on New Station Street in Leeds.

Harrogate’s Co-Lab is also hosting an event at its base in Harrogate Convention Centre on September 28. It will focus on ways of raising funds for a tech start-up.

The final Berwins event is completely different: the law firm’s runners will lead a 6km route around the city centre, in partnership with Harrogate-based Up & Running, on September 30.

Tickets for all five events, plus the rest of the 12-day programme, are available from the Leeds Digital Festival website.

Thousands of people lined the streets of Ripon to watch the return of the historic St Wilfrid’s Procession.

It was a party atmosphere as the crowds clapped and cheered as the parade made its way around the city, which is celebrating its 1,350th anniversary.

Led by an actor on horseback playing the role of St Wilfrid, the parade was accompanied by the award-winning Ripon City Band.

An actor on horseback playing the role of St Wilfrid.

It featured a colourful assortment of decorated floats, with designs created by businesses and organisations, including Bishopton Vets, Ripon Farm Services and Winksley cum Grantley Young Farmers Club.

You can watch a video of the procession on the Stray Ferret Facebook page here.

The parade was unable to go ahead in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

Bishopton Vets’ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory float.

But it was back in force today, with a total of 16 floats taking part.

Antony Prince, chairman of the St Wilfrid’s Procession Committee, said:

“It has been a huge success. It’s fantastic that it is able to take place again.

“The community and public have really got behind it. There is no procession without all the people who put it together. They are all volunteers and all the money raised goes back into keeping it going.

“The weather has held off and it is just fabulous to get the community back together again.”

Ripon Farm Services’ Top Gun float.

Agricultural machinery supplier Ripon Farm Services has appointed Sophie Allanby (pictured) as marketing manager.

Ms Allanby, who grew up on an arable farm just outside Malton, has a first class business honours degree from York St John University and has been in the marketing world for the past ten years in varying roles.

She was communications executive at the Castle Howard Estate from 2018-2021.

She said:

“It will be my responsibility to develop and implement a dynamic marketing strategy that builds upon the substantial progress that Ripon Farm Services have made over the past two years.”

Mother Shipton’s wins Small Visitor Attraction of the Year award

Harrogate-based manufacturer celebrates 70 years by planting 1,200 trees

To mark the 70th anniversary of Belzona, staff at its European headquarters in Harrogate got together with family members to plant 1,200 trees in the Royal Forest of Knaresborough.

Belzona designs and manufactures composite materials and industrial protective coatings.

This initiative is part of a three-year partnership with the White Rose Forest, the community forest for north and west Yorkshire. The company plans to plant seven-million trees throughout Yorkshire by 2025.

“We were absolutely thrilled to see so many colleagues getting involved in our first tree planting project. Working alongside the Bilton Conservation Society, 25 Belzona volunteers, including employees and family members, worked together to plant 1,200 trees in the local area. This is an incredible achievement – thank you to everyone who got involved!”

The Belzona team dig deep to plant 1,200 trees in the Royal Forest of Knaresborough.

Send your business news to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

(from left) Cardale Asset Management’s Peter Heckingbottom, Andrew Tod and Mark Puleikis

Cardale Asset Management has agreed a deal to be acquired by London firm Titan Wealth Holdings.

The company, which is based at Cardale Park, provides portfolio management, stockbroking and financial planning services.

Cardale was launched in 2003 and now has £1.5bn in assets under management, which it manages for approximately 3,500 clients. The company employs about 70 people.

The firm reported a turnover of £16m for the 2021 financial year.

James Kaberry and Andrew Fearon, joint chief executives of Titan Wealth, said in a statement:

“We are delighted to welcome the team at Cardale to Titan Wealth. Cardale is a highly profitable and well-respected business with a focused and proven investment process that consistently delivers outperformance to its client portfolios.”

LHL Group promotes Daniel Bower to director

Daniel Bower

Yorkshire property consultants LHL Group, which has an office in Harrogate, has appointed building surveyor Daniel Bower as a director.

Mr Bower joined LHL Group in 2014 and became an associate director in 2019. His work includes project management, employer’s agent and contract administration for new build and refurbishment schemes as well as traditional commercial and residential property building surveys and dilapidations work.

He said:

“After almost eight years with LHL Group, I’m delighted to be joining managing director, Richard Hampshire and director, Shaun Bennett, on the board and supporting the wider management and development of the business in a highly competitive climate.”

Dealer award for Ripon Farm Services

(Left to right) Mike Pickering, area sales manager at Ripon Farm Services with the dealer’s commercial director, Richard Simpson, Mazzotti’s export manager Vincenzo Gasperi, Ripon’s technology specialist, Jack Forman and Mark James, John Deere crop care specialist.

Ripon Farm Services has been awarded the UK Dealer of the Year Award for 2021 by Italian sprayer manufacturer Mazzotti. The award recognises overall performance and dedication to the brand.

Vincenzo Gasperi, export manager for Mazzotti, gave the award during a recent visit to the farm machinery company, which is based in Ripon and has 12 branches in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Teesside.

Richard Simpson, commercial director of Ripon Farm Services, said: “We’ve put a lot of effort into launching the sprayers, not only to demonstrate the benefits of these machines, but also to support the customers with what is, after all, a new brand in the UK market.”

Do you have any business news for the Harrogate district? We want to hear about your senior appointments, awards and acquisitions, and anything else business-related. Email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.