Mole Valley Farmers
Encyclopedia
Mole Valley Farmers was started in 1960 by a small group of farmers in Devon
who were concerned by the discriminatory practices and the large margins being taken by many of their input suppliers. They decided to treat all members equally, subject only to quantity allowance and that the company would operate on the minimum margin to allow continuity and growth. This popular model was followed by many in the British co-operative movement. Today Mole Valley Farmers is one of a few true agricultural cooperatives in the supply industry and one of the largest in the UK. Despite this, customers do not need to be either farmers or members of the cooperative to shop there.
Mole Valley Farmers owns nine branches in South West England
, their own feed mills (for animal feeds, at Dorchester, Huntworth
and Lifton), fertiliser blending plants (at Teignmouth
), a specialist mineral plant (at Bridgwater
), a farm building division (at Witheridge
) and a commercial / informational website. The range of goods supplied by Mole Valley Farmers has grown since the company's early beginnings and now includes lifestyle products such as clothing, footwear, garden supplies, pet food, white goods and power tools.
In 2002, Mole Valley Farmers acquired SCATS Countrystores, which has 19 stores across the south of England.
The company's closest competitors include NWF Agriculture, the Wynnstay Group and Countrywide. The Wynnstay group (a Welsh agricultural cooperative) has made the fastest growth in recent years, but Mole Valley Farmers's annual turnover was double that of NWF Agriculture and £50 million more than Countrywide in 2009 (2009 Wynnstay turnover figure currently unavailable). Mole Valley Farmers had a record year in 2009, with turnover reaching £257.6m.
Locations of branches:
Confusion sometimes arises over any potential connection with Mole Valley
, a district in Surrey
in South East England
. Mole Valley Farmers takes its name from an area in North Devon, between the towns of North Molton and South Molton. The River Mole
runs through this area but is again distinct from the River Mole that runs between Dorking and Leatherhead in Surrey.
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
who were concerned by the discriminatory practices and the large margins being taken by many of their input suppliers. They decided to treat all members equally, subject only to quantity allowance and that the company would operate on the minimum margin to allow continuity and growth. This popular model was followed by many in the British co-operative movement. Today Mole Valley Farmers is one of a few true agricultural cooperatives in the supply industry and one of the largest in the UK. Despite this, customers do not need to be either farmers or members of the cooperative to shop there.
Mole Valley Farmers owns nine branches in South West England
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
, their own feed mills (for animal feeds, at Dorchester, Huntworth
Huntworth
Huntworth is a small hamlet and farming community , within the civil parish of North Petherton east of the M5 motorway from Bridgwater, Somerset, England....
and Lifton), fertiliser blending plants (at Teignmouth
Teignmouth
Teignmouth is a town and civil parish in Teignbridge in the English county of Devon, situated on the north bank of the estuary mouth of the River Teign about 14 miles south of Exeter. It has a population of 14,413. In 1690, it was the last place in England to be invaded by a foreign power...
), a specialist mineral plant (at Bridgwater
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
), a farm building division (at Witheridge
Witheridge
Witheridge is a village and civil parish in the North Devon district of Devon, England. In 2001 the population of the parish was 1162. Its name is derived from the Old English for "Weather Ridge", probably as a result of its exposed location on the top of a hill, which means it and surrounding...
) and a commercial / informational website. The range of goods supplied by Mole Valley Farmers has grown since the company's early beginnings and now includes lifestyle products such as clothing, footwear, garden supplies, pet food, white goods and power tools.
In 2002, Mole Valley Farmers acquired SCATS Countrystores, which has 19 stores across the south of England.
The company's closest competitors include NWF Agriculture, the Wynnstay Group and Countrywide. The Wynnstay group (a Welsh agricultural cooperative) has made the fastest growth in recent years, but Mole Valley Farmers's annual turnover was double that of NWF Agriculture and £50 million more than Countrywide in 2009 (2009 Wynnstay turnover figure currently unavailable). Mole Valley Farmers had a record year in 2009, with turnover reaching £257.6m.
Locations of branches:
- BridgwaterBridgwaterBridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
- CullomptonCullomptonCullompton is a civil parish and town in Devon, England, locally known as Cully. It is miles north-north-east of Exeter and lies on the River Culm. In 2010 it had a population of 8,639 and is growing rapidly....
- FromeFromeFrome is a town and civil parish in northeast Somerset, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome. The town is approximately south of Bath, east of the county town, Taunton and west of London. In the 2001...
- HolsworthyHolsworthy, DevonHolsworthy is a market town in the north west of Devon, England. It is situated near the county border with Cornwall, and is 9 miles from the coastal resort of Bude. It is on the intersection of the A388 and A3072 roads, and lies on the River Deer, a tributary of the Tamar...
- LiskeardLiskeardLiskeard is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Liskeard is situated approximately 20 miles west of Plymouth, west of the River Tamar and the border with Devon, and 12 miles east of Bodmin...
- Newton AbbotNewton AbbotNewton Abbot is a market town and civil parish in the Teignbridge District of Devon, England on the River Teign, with a population of 23,580....
- South MoltonSouth Molton"Molton" redirects here. Or see Molten or Moulton.South Molton is a small town in Devon, England. It is part of the North Devon local government district. The town is on the River Mole. According to the 2001 census the civil parish of South Molton had a population of 4,093.The town was one of...
- St Columb MajorSt Columb MajorSt Columb Major is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Often referred to locally as St Columb, it is situated approximately seven miles southwest of Wadebridge and six miles east of Newquay...
- YeovilYeovilYeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
Confusion sometimes arises over any potential connection with Mole Valley
Mole Valley
Mole Valley is a local government district in Surrey, England. Its council is based in Dorking.The district, named after the River Mole, was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by a merger of the urban districts of Dorking and Leatherhead and most of the Dorking and Horley...
, a district in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
in South East England
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
. Mole Valley Farmers takes its name from an area in North Devon, between the towns of North Molton and South Molton. The River Mole
River Mole, Devon
The River Mole a tributary of the River Taw in Devon which rises on the southwestern border of Exmoor. The river takes its name from the market towns of North and South Molton. The river was previously known as the Nymet....
runs through this area but is again distinct from the River Mole that runs between Dorking and Leatherhead in Surrey.