During the last 12 months, we have seen an unprecedented increase the demand for our services, which has been a challenge at times, given the new ways of working that we have all been required to adopt. That said, the team picked up their laptops, retreated homewards and are now working remotely via the cloud. We will gradually modify the arrangements and anticipate that this will be a mixture of office and home to suit individuals.
As you may know, Nick Francis has been working closely with the Hub team for the last year or so. He graduated from Newcastle university in 2004 with a BSc (Hons) degree in Farm Business Management. After a sound practical grounding, he started his consulting career with Andersons East, then Bidwells Agribusiness where he rose to Associate level. In 2011 he joined KinnAgri Limited, an international management and consulting business working in Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe as well as the UK. During 2015, he became a Key Account Manager for Openfield Agriculture and within this role, was seconded to be the Managing Director of Lingrain storage Limited, which is where we first started working together, in my role as Non-Exec Chairman of the business. His activity for Hub clients typically includes, farm management administration; CFA tenders, negotiation, set up and management; share farming agreements, budgets, cashflows & management accounts, and BPS applications and Ag policy.
Nick and I have been in discussion for a while now regarding how to respond to the growing client base and also how to give Hub Rural greater depth, breadth and underwrite continuity. This has culminated in him becoming a joint owner and Director of Hub Rural, with effect from 1st April 2021. To facilitate this, we have set up a new company, still called Hub Rural Ltd, that will service our client base, in exactly the same way the original company did.
To mark these changes, you will see that we have updated the Hub Rural logo; we are also developing our website and some other exciting digital projects, which we will talk to you about later in the year.
As a business that is just 14 years old, we have grown to become a recognised part of the rural economy in the areas that we operate, and we hope that the changes mentioned above will only help to sustain our growth. I acknowledge that there are some uncertainties around our industry at the moment, but I also recognise that a typical Hub Rural client will see these as an opportunity, more than a threat. It goes without saying, we will of course be ready to help as the changes start to bite.