New home for farm technology

A South Holland company looking to double its turnover to £25m a year is looking to expand into new premises.

Horizon Agricultural Machinery, (now G Sly Holdings Ltd) was formed in 2006 and started manufacturing hi-tech equipment in 2018.
In 2010 the company had seven employees and now it has 52 with plans to increase exports by 75 per cent.
A planning application has been submitted to create a new agricultural and research training facility at Holbeach Drove.
Permission had already been given for a centre at the family farm at Langary Gate Road, Gedney Hill.
“Since the grant of that planning permission, the growth of the company has been rapid and by late 2022, the company was at maximum capacity at the current site at Sutton St James,” says a document withe the current application.
“The company spends approximately £3.5m within the local area.
“Brexit has been a major issue for the company and although they have worked through it, it is difficult to justify the presence of a manufacturing site in the UK when the company expects 75-80 per cent of production volume will be for the EU mainland by 2026.
“However, the company is proud to be a British producer is a member of the Made in Britain campaign, regularly attending Department for International Trade meetings,” says the document.
A research and development building will house and trial equipment in development. An assembly building with offices and staff facilities will also be part of site along with parking.
The company has ties with Reading, Cranfield and Lincoln universities which will conduct long-term trials
An array of photovoltaic panels will help provide energy for the new development.
Land surrounding the centre will be used year-round for research for sustainable and conservation-orientated agricultural practices.
“The R&D building will also have a greenhouse attached to it, along with the permanent trial areas between the rows of trees, will enable the company to demonstrate the long-term improvement in soils, soil drainage and on-farm profitability and yields,” says the supporting document.
It will ‘further develop’ existing links with the Food Enterprise Zone in Holbeach.
The rural location with easy access to field trials will enable the company to continue to grow.
The site at Holbeach Drove has a better road than that at Langary Gate Road which would not be suitable for the traffic generated.
If customers want to see machinery that’s not in the field, they can attend the manufacturing base at Sutton St James.