AB Agri, the Agriculture division of Associated British Foods, has acquired the dairy consultancy business Kite Consulting and its associated company Advance Sourcing.
Kite Consulting, established in 2005, specialises on the dairy food supply chain, from farm through milk processors to retail level. Based near Stafford, it provides technical and business consultancy services, including cost benchmarking, to support UK dairy farmers in improving the efficiency of their businesses and herds. The company aims to build business resilience across the agri-food supply chain and help it become more sustainable, through work on reducing the carbon footprint of dairy production.
Advance Sourcing provides specialist dairy requisites such as feed products, milk replacers, forage additives and seeds that can lift a herd’s performance.
AB Agri says the addition of Kite Consulting and Advance Sourcing will complement its existing dairy business. The two businesses will continue to operate on a standalone basis, offering independent advice, with no change to their management.
“Kite Consulting’s vision fits in with our ambition of putting our customers at the heart of everything we do,” says AB Agri chief executive José Nobre. “We are very pleased to welcome the Kite and Advance teams into the AB Agri network, bringing knowledge and technology together to create value for customers, as we look to support the UK dairy industry with our services and products.”
For Kite, managing partner John Allen adds: “We are delighted to be part of the AB Agri network, which will enable us to further grow and develop the business, creating additional value for our clients.
“Both businesses are fully committed to the dairy sector and have a united vision for the future – one that sees the dairy industry continue to meet the nutritional needs of consumers in a responsible way. As such, this next step will be a catalyst for Kite and Advance to embark on a new chapter, resulting in accelerated growth of our business and even stronger support for the dairy industry.”