Profile: Lincolnshire Machinery Ring Ltd

LMR celebrates special 30th anniversary

Farmers continue to benefi t from the LMR cooperative working for members

Afarmer-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 – refl ecting 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 specifi c 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. Signifi cant

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. >>

The decline of mixed farming has resulted in many general farm workers having little or no experience of livestock and the specialist skills of stockmen mean they can’t easily be supplemented at short notice.

Matching farmers

About 10% of members are ‘pure’ suppliers, but most still offer services as well as buying in facilities. The tendency of most farmers to ensure they are equipped a little beyond their actual needs can often mean there is an excess of supply.

“In a normal year, this means there is little diffi culty in fi nding spare combine capacity at harvest, for example, but that can be to the benefi t of members needing such support,” explains Jayne.

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“LMR has certainly stood the test of time”

Jayne Hunt

This busy operation is run on a daily basis by three team members with the support of 12 board members. Offi ce manager Vivienne Yates joined LMR in 2014 and effi ciently manages the entire accounts operation of the business.

“LMR has certainly stood the test of time”, says Jayne. “We are extremely proud to be celebrating our 30th year anniversary. Over the years we have also evolved adding the buying group side to the business.

“Our success is based on delivering a high level of service to farmers and saving them money. We always aim to deliver an effi cient and timely supply of machinery, labour and inputs to the LMR members.” >>

Trophy winners for four years running

Jayne Hunt and Andrew Beckingham with the Omex Challenge Cup, awarded for the best overall stand in the Small Allied Agricultural trade section at the 2018 Lincolnshire Show.

LMR won this trophy four years running, starting in 2016 and winning it again in 2017, 2018 and 2019. LMR would have celebrated their 30th anniversary at this year’s Lincolnshire Show which has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are looking forward to seeing many of our hundreds of members on the LMR stand at the Lincolnshire Show in 2022,” says Jayne.

Congratulations on your 30th anniversary from your specialist parts partner Pan Anglia. We look forward to continuing our successful partnership for the next 30 years.

New opportunities

Three decades on, farmers are more open to new opportunities – and more willing to consider collaborative approaches to cutting costs. “By working together, we fi nd new opportunities to develop our businesses and grow stronger.

“The aim is to procure the inputs that the members need in their businesses at preferential rates by utilising the buying power of our membership. Agriculture and rural businesses operate in a dynamic business environment.

“We are looking for new ways to bring members benefi ts as the challenges occur. The diversity of the enterprises within our membership, mean that we have satisfi ed or can develop solutions to a wide range of requests.”

The overall goal is to help farmers realise the benefi t that much larger organisations can bring to members, adds Andrew. “The more people who are in on a deal, the better that deal is likely to be for all of them, which is what being in a group like this is all about.”

How to join

To join LMR – or for more information – please call Andrew Beckingham (07977 519942), Jayne Hunt (07903 323212) or the LMR offi ce (01507 600888). Alternatively, visit www.lmr.org.uk

Looking to the next 30 years – and beyond

LMR has helped hundreds of businesses over the past years – and delivered millions of litres of fuel to homes, driers and farms across the region.

This has been possible due to the competitive pricing and high service levels of LMR suppliers. The same can be said of the suppliers of lubricants, fi lters, wearing parts, plant and tractor hire, concrete and aggregates, seed, fertiliser and sprays.

“We are similarly proud of the many consultants, brokers and advisors that have helped our members,” says Jayne Hunt. “Those 30 years of trading have enabled us to fi ne-tune the services and suppliers to match our members’ requests.

“Much of the time we are facilitators, “Much of the time we are facilitators, matching up the services and machines that one member provides, with a request from another. So much of our success is down to the skills and cost-effective solutions our members offer to each other.”

It is important that members remember that the best solution for their business may well come from the services offered by another LMR member, says Andrew Beckingham. “The idea is to support each other and grow together,” he adds.

Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, LMR is already looking to the next 30 years. “Just as agriculture has changed since 1991, it will surely make transformational changes in the next three decades,” says Andrew.

“One can foresee robotics becoming mainstream in arable and livestock enterprises and the use of artifi cial intelligence in agronomy and plant breeding. The industry will be decarbonizing and growing new crops for food and environmental enhancement.

“There will no doubt also be innovations that we cannot even imagine at this time. Farms will continue to increase in size, but perhaps machinery will be owned and operated in different ways by third party specialists.”

LMR will change too – adapting to meet new demands from members – and matching their contracting requirements, input needs and services. “Together we will fi nd better solutions and make your businesses easier to manage and more profi table.”

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