Farmer-owned Brandsby Agricultural Trading Association (BATA) has a new board of directors, after members failed to support the previous board’s proposal to convert the business from co-operative to privately owned status.
The Malton-based feed manufacturing to rural retailing company put the demutualisation proposal to a members meeting last week, but the motion failed to gain the 75% majority needed to pass.
A board statement issued after the meeting said the 66% of members favouring the proposal indicated clear support for the board’s strategy. But directors at the meeting had conceded that the issue had not been handled well, or sufficient justification for the change made to members.
Following the meeting, chairman John Sherwood with 20 years as a BATA director, David Lumley (36 years) and Tony Farmer resigned from the board. Previous directors Robert Rook and Diane Flint offered to stay on as members of the new board for continuity.
There are three new directors. Stephen Greenfield, chief executive of the Sledmere Estate and a former chairman of the First Venison co-operative; Richard Butterworth, chair of the Scotlean Pigs c0o-operative, and former BATA chair Charles Brader. The new board has elected Mr Greenfield as chair. The new board will serve until the next BATA Annual General Meeting, when they will offer themselves for election together with any other candidates.
Andrew Richardson remains chief executive of BATA but has stepped down from his role as company secretary.
“In light of recent disruptive moves to demutualise the Society, and the call by a large number of members for a substantive change in its leadership and governance, we are pleased to have assembled an experienced new board of directors whose clear aims will be to drive the business forward, respect and value our staff and engage with, and serve the needs of all our members and customers,” says a statement from the new board after its first meeting.
“The co-operative ethos will be at the heart of everything we do. A thorough review of many aspects of the business and governance of the Society will now take place. We will undertake wide-ranging consultation with staff, members and customers and, if it is found necessary, significant changes will be made.
“We look forward to receiving ideas and input from all existing members and to reaching out to former members and highlighting the benefits of membership to the wider rural community.”