The Harbro Group
The Harbro Group is a privately-held UK animal feed manufacturer producing 270,000 tonnes of compound feeds, mineral supplements and proprietary products (Maxammon, RumiTech) for beef, sheep, dairy, pig and poultry farmers across Scotland, northern England and international markets, supported by a country-store retail network and a UK-wide mobile mill-and-mix service.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersTurriff, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The Harbro Group does
The Harbro Group is a privately-held UK animal nutrition manufacturer founded in 1977 and headquartered in Turriff, Aberdeenshire. Through its principal operating entity Harbro Limited and subsidiaries Strathclyde Nutrition Ltd and Transpan Ltd, the group manufactures and sells compound feeds, blends, mineral buckets/blocks and feed supplements for beef cattle, sheep, dairy, pig and poultry farmers across Scotland, northern England and select international markets. Manufacturing capacity stands at 270,000 tonnes from Scottish production sites, and the group operates a UK-wide Mobile Mill & Mix fleet providing NAAC-approved on-farm grain processing, ruminant mixing and pig/poultry milling services. Distribution is hybrid: regional ruminant specialists serving farm customers directly, complemented by a chain of specialist Country Stores (with co-branded Murray Stores) selling animal feed, animal health products, hardware and rural essentials.
The product portfolio is anchored by proprietary formulations including Maxammon (a soya-free grain treatment claimed to lift diet digestibility by 5% and reduce acidosis risk), RumiTech (a rumen-microbe modulating additive), Sel-Plex organic selenium, and Cu-Tek/Zn-Tek protected minerals. The group extends its technical credentials through the appointment of Professor Nick Jonsson as Technical Head of Ruminant (February 2025) and a documented R&D pipeline of mineral boluses, dry-cow nuts and pre-lambing concentrates. Go-to-market is sales-led via regional beef, sheep and dairy specialists providing on-farm nutritional advice, supported by content marketing, agricultural shows and a tiered loyalty Reward Card programme. Recent strategic activity includes a partnership with Convent Capital (February 2025), a ~$10M growth facility from OakNorth (June 2025), and acquisitions of Almins Ltd (2025) and J&W Tait's Orkney feed and fertiliser business (effective March 2026), indicating an active UK roll-up strategy in ruminant and rural-feed distribution.
The Harbro Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Harbro Group
- Legal name
- Harbro Limited
- Website
- https://harbro.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- The Harbro Group is a privately-held UK animal feed manufacturer producing 270,000 tonnes of compound feeds, mineral supplements and proprietary products (Maxammon, RumiTech) for beef, sheep, dairy, pig and poultry farmers across Scotland, northern England and international markets, supported by a country-store retail network and a UK-wide mobile mill-and-mix service.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Harbro Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Animal Feed Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Animal Food Manufacturing (3111)
- SIC
- Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- TMR/Complete Rations & Pelleted Ruminant Feeds (AFADAAAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Energy & Grain-Based Ruminant Feeds (Corn, Barley, High-Energy Blends) (AFADAAAH), Livestock Complete Feed Milling & Blending (Cattle/Swine/Poultry) (AFADAIAA), Bagged Retail Commodity Feeds (Small Pack Formats) (AFADAIAJ)
Keywords
Where The Harbro Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Turriff
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
The Harbro Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Animal Feed Manufacturing and Sales: Manufactures and sells high quality livestock feeds for beef, sheep, dairy, pig and poultry. Products include compound feeds, blends, mineral buckets and blocks, and feed supplements sold through country stores and direct to farms.
- Mobile Mill and Mix Services: On-farm mobile milling, mixing and processing services using a fleet of vehicles. NAAC approved service that allows farmers to utilise home-grown cereals to reduce bought-in feed costs. Services include grain processing, ruminant mixing, and pig and poultry mill and mix.
- Country Store Retail: Network of specialist retail stores supplying the farming and wider rural community with animal feed, animal health products, farming supplies, horse feed, pet food, wild bird feed, garden essentials and hardware.
- Fertiliser Sales: Sales of fertiliser products, expanded through the acquisition of J&W Tait's feed and fertiliser business.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard animal feed products |
| Hybrid | Pay-as-you-go | Harbro & Murray Reward Card |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Harbro Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Harbro Group manufactures and sells high-quality livestock feeds for beef, sheep, dairy, pig and poultry, including proprietary Maxammon grain treatment and RumiTech feed additives. It operates a network of specialist country stores throughout Scotland and northern England, and provides on-farm mobile mill and mix services that process home-grown cereals into livestock rations. The company also sells pet, equestrian and wild bird feed, animal health products, fertilisers and rural supplies.
Product overview
The Harbro Group is a UK-based animal feed manufacturer and rural supplies company operating primarily in Scotland and northern England. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of livestock nutrition products including compound feeds, blends, mineral buckets and blocks (Super Suckler, Triple Mag, Nutrilick ranges), powdered minerals, concentrate feeds (Champion RumiTech 35 Pellets), and the proprietary Maxammon grain treatment technology. Services include Mobile Mill & Mix operations and a network of Country Stores retail outlets. The product portfolio is supported by nutritional additives like Sel-Plex (organic selenium), RumiTech (rumen microbe optimisation), and Yea-Sacc. The company also operates a loyalty rewards program and has subsidiaries including Strathclyde Nutrition Ltd. Recent acquisitions include J&W Tait's feed business (Orkney) and Almins Ltd.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Maxammon: Market leading grain treatment designed to improve livestock performance through a tried and tested soya free grain treatment process.
- RumiTech
- Sel-Plex
Products and services
- Animal Feed (Livestock) Manufactures high quality, innovative livestock compound feeds, blends and supplements for beef, sheep, dairy, pig and poultry producers to improve livestock performance and efficiency.
- Maxammon Grain Treatment Soya-free grain treatment process that improves cereal protein, reduces bought-in protein costs, improves daily liveweight gain, increases total diet digestibility by 5%, and reduces acidosis risk.
- RumiTech Feed additive that alters rumen microbial populations to improve fibre digestion, allowing more energy to be extracted from feed.
- Super Suckler SEC Mineral Bucket Molassed cow mineral lick proven to support strong bulling activity and get calves off to the best start.
- Super Suckler SEC Powdered Mineral Powdered cow mineral supplement to support calving and bulling activity in suckler cows.
- Ruminant GreenGold High protein concentrate designed for on-farm mixing, packed with rumen degradable and bypass protein sources, Omega 3, plant extracts and seaweed.
- Triple Mag Mineral Bucket Mineral supplement with three sources of magnesium to minimise grass staggers risk in spring and autumn.
- Super Suckler Rolls Highly palatable rolls with quality protein and 3% magnesium to minimise grass staggers risk and prepare cows for calving.
- Champion RumiTech 35 Pellets Most popular 35% protein, mineralised soya-free concentrate pellet incorporating RumiTech.
- Tore Ewe Rolls Pre-lambing concentrate feed with high protein levels for ewes in late pregnancy, including triplet and quad-bearing ewes.
- Bull Booster Quality mineral and additive pack containing Sel-Plex, vitamin E, RumiTech, protected zinc and omega 3 to support bull fertility ahead of bulling season.
- UF Country Cattle Bolus Sustained-release bolus delivering six essential trace elements and three vitamins for up to 240 days for cattle.
- UF Country Sheep Bolus Sustained-release bolus providing five key trace elements for up to 180 days for grazing and forage-fed sheep.
- Dry Cow Prestige Nuts High-spec, fully mineralised semi-DCAB dry cow nut with 24% protein and RumiTech to support cows through dry period and calving.
- Mobile Mill & Mix Service NAAC approved on-farm mobile milling, mixing and processing service using a fleet of vehicles that processes, treats or mixes superior rations from home-grown cereals for beef, dairy, sheep, pig and poultry farms across the UK.
- Country Stores Retail Network of specialist retail stores throughout Scotland and northern England supplying the farming and rural community with animal feed, animal health products, farming supplies, horse feed, pet food, wild bird feed and garden essentials.
- Pet, Equestrian and Wild Bird Feed Range of dog food, horse feed, hen feed, wild bird feed and small animal feed sold through country stores.
- Garden Products Seasonal garden products including compost, fertilizers, plant food, weedkillers, lawn care products and plants/bulbs sold through country stores.
- Sel-Plex Organic form of selenium used in Harbro formulations to promote health, immunity and fertility in livestock.
- Fertiliser Products Fertiliser products sold alongside feed, expanded through the acquisition of J&W Tait's feed and fertiliser sales operations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Improved total diet digestibility by 5%
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use The Harbro Group
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Harbro Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
The Harbro Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- J&W TaitstrategicJ&W Tait was a distributor of Harbro products in Orkney. Harbro acquired J&W Tait's feed and fertiliser sales operations effective 1st March 2026, integrating the Kirkwall team into Harbro.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Harbro Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ForFarmers UK: ForFarmers is one of the largest European compound feed producers with significant UK operations. It directly competes with Harbro in livestock compound feeds, blends, and nutritional solutions for beef, dairy, pig, and poultry farmers across the UK.
- Mole Valley Farmers: Mole Valley Farmers is a UK farmer-owned agricultural supply business operating country stores and feed manufacturing similar to Harbro's model. It serves beef, sheep, and dairy farmers with compound feeds, minerals, and rural supplies, with strong presence in southwest England and Wales.
- Wynnstay Group: Wynnstay is a UK agricultural supplies group manufacturing livestock feeds and operating country stores across Wales, the Midlands, and northern England. It is a directly comparable feed manufacturer-retailer with overlapping customer base in ruminant and poultry sectors.
- Carrs Billington: Carrs Billington is a joint venture between Carr's Milling and Billington Agriculture, manufacturing compound animal feeds and operating country stores primarily in northern England and Scotland—the same geography as Harbro. It is a close direct peer in ruminant feed manufacturing and rural retail.
- NWF Group: NWF Group's Agriculture division manufactures and distributes compound feeds and blends for ruminant and other livestock farmers across the UK. It is a directly comparable mid-sized UK feed manufacturer competing in similar agricultural supply channels.
- Volac International: Volac is a UK-based animal nutrition company specializing in young animal nutrition and feed ingredients, including whey-based milk replacers and feed additives. It overlaps with Harbro in livestock nutrition additives and ruminant feed technologies.
Broad incumbents
- AB Agri: AB Agri is the agriculture division of Associated British Foods and operates multiple feed brands and ingredient businesses globally. It competes with Harbro in compound feed manufacturing and animal nutrition while also serving adjacent categories like sugar beet feed and premixes.
- Cargill Animal Nutrition (UK): Cargill operates a global animal nutrition business with UK presence, offering compound feeds, premixes, and proprietary additives. It is a broad incumbent competitor with much larger scale and R&D resources than Harbro.
- Glanbia Ireland / Glanbia plc: Glanbia is a global nutrition group with significant Irish and UK animal feed operations (through Glanbia Ireland and joint ventures), competing in compound feeds and dairy/beef nutrition. It is a broader incumbent peer serving similar ruminant farmers with premium nutritional solutions.
Emerging players
- Devenish Nutrition: Devenish is an animal nutrition company focused on premixes, specialty feed additives, and on-farm technical services for ruminants and pigs. It overlaps with Harbro's proprietary additive range (e.g., RumiTech, Sel-Plex equivalents) and technical advisory model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Harbro Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Harbro Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Harbro Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
The Harbro Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
The Harbro Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Harbro Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Harbro Group
What does The Harbro Group do?
The Harbro Group manufactures and sells high-quality livestock feeds for beef, sheep, dairy, pig and poultry, including proprietary Maxammon grain treatment and RumiTech feed additives. It operates a network of specialist country stores throughout Scotland and northern England, and provides on-farm mobile mill and mix services that process home-grown cereals into livestock rations. The company also sells pet, equestrian and wild bird feed, animal health products, fertilisers and rural supplies.
Is The Harbro Group a public or private company?
The Harbro Group is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was The Harbro Group founded?
The Harbro Group was founded in 1977. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is The Harbro Group based?
The Harbro Group is headquartered in Turriff, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Harbro Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Animal Feed Manufacturing and Sales are the primary driver. The others are mobile Mill and Mix Services, country Store Retail and fertiliser Sales.
Who are The Harbro Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ForFarmers UK, Mole Valley Farmers, Wynnstay Group, Carrs Billington, NWF Group and Volac International. Broad incumbents are AB Agri, Cargill Animal Nutrition (UK) and Glanbia Ireland / Glanbia plc. Devenish Nutrition is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Harbro Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Harbro Group.
What industry is The Harbro Group in?
The Harbro Group's product category is Animal Feed Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFADAAAI, TMR/Complete Rations & Pelleted Ruminant Feeds, with a secondary code of AFADAAAH, Energy & Grain-Based Ruminant Feeds (Corn, Barley, High-Energy Blends). Its NAICS code is 3111 and its SIC code is 200.