Member Article

Agricultural intelligence experts open new office in Newcastle

AN industry-leading source in agricultural market intelligence has opened a Tyneside office.

AgbioInvestor was established in 2017 to provide data and analysis of the global crop protection and seeds industries. Since then the Midlothian-based company has rapidly become the leading source of global crop protection market information and analysis, enjoying double and even triple digit growth.

The company has five founding partners - Fraser McDougall, Allister Phillip, Derek Oliphant, Garry Mabon and Jack Hopper – who between them have a considerable number of years of experience in senior analytical, managerial and sales roles.

Now AgbioInvestor has opened a new office in Hoults Yard, Byker, the company’s first UK office outside of Scotland, and is already looking to recruit to the new Tyneside team.

Fraser explained: “We’ve been looking for a new base outside of Scotland for a while and Tyneside and Hoults Yard fitted the bill perfectly.

“It’s not too far away from our Pathhead HQ ten miles south of Edinburgh and Tyneside’s ferry and airport provide great links into our European market.

“Also, our Business Development Director James Henderson is from Morpeth so knows the area very well. We’re currently recruiting for two sales positions – they’ll be based in Hoults Yard with James.”

Fraser began his career in Edinburgh’s financial institutions before running the Kleffmann Group’s Australian business. He joined the family firm of crop protection and seed industry analysts Phillips McDougall in 2006 as a senior crop protection analyst, and then moved to business intelligence analysts Informa as an associate director.

Allister was also part of Phillips McDougall; having started his career at a biotechnology firm He also joined Informa after leaving the family firm. Both Derek and Garry also worked at Phillips McDougall.

AgbioInvestor provides news and valuable analysis to the crop protection and agricultural biotechnology sectors, covering crop protection, seeds and traits, digital agriculture, biological crop protection, commodities and related industries. The company works in markets around the world, including Europe, the US, Japan, Brazil, the Far East and China, where it has a sales team.

Earlier this year, AgbioInvestor was awarded a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. The award recognised and rewarded the company’s excellence in international trade and the positive outcomes of its work in the global agricultural and agrochemical markets across Europe, the Americas and Asia.

The company’s growth strategy incorporates expanding the Newcastle team and expanding its offering to its global customer base.

Fraser explained: “We have big plans for the next five to ten years – we started in consultancy, but we see growth in moving into market research, and moving into the food and pharma sectors. We’re currently looking at a joint venture with an Indian pharma company, which is really exciting – through the work we’re known for we have access to markets around the world.

“That’s something our new Newcastle team will be helping us with.

“We’re also planning to open new offices. I know the Australian market well and I’m confident there is plenty of opportunity for us there, so we’d like to open an office there.”

Hoults Yard is owned and operated by HyHubs, who also owns Haylofts in Haymarket, Newcastle and Hypoint on Saltmeadows Road, Gateshead.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Hoults Yard .