Animal feed maker BOCM Pauls entered a new era today as its Dutch parent officially re-branded it.

The UK arm of ForFarmers, as it will now be known, can trace its roots back to R & W Paul, which was founded in the early 19th Century, initially to trade in malt and barley for the brewing industry.

It remained in Paul family hands for many years.

Since its takeover in 2012 by ForFarmers, the UK headquarters of the firm has remained in Ipswich.

Following the purchase of BOCM Pauls, an EADT Top 100 firm, the group became the largest feed firm in Europe, operating across the Netherlands and the UK, as well as in Germany and Belgium.

Chief executive Yoram Knoop, who unveiled the new look at a briefing in London yesterday, set out a far-reaching vision for the company.

“What we are announcing today forms part of our ‘One ForFarmers’ strategy, which aims to intensify co-operation within the group, realise a more uniform way of working and focus products and innovations on the markets in which we operate,” he said.

“ForFarmers will become the name for our entire organisation, but it is more than just a change of brand name.

“It concerns all aspects of the organisation and has one objective: to optimise the potential of all the ForFarmers businesses and create one international, strong company and brand.

“Re-branding our activities in the United Kingdom as ForFarmers is a part of this process.”

The expansion of the UK business, which has 1,100 employees spread across its feed mills and plants and enjoys a turnover of around £600million, will continue, he said.

Chief operating officer Iain Gardner, who is responsible for the UK business, said the firm was looking to the future with the rebrand.

“Whilst some may regard the rebranding of BOCM Pauls as the end of an era, in reality it simply represents the next step in the history of a company which has evolved continuously for more than 100 years in reponse to changing market conditions and customer requirements.”

He pointed out that the consolidation of the food and farming sectors was accelerating rapidly.

Since July 2012, ForFarmers has acquired Dairy Direct HST Feeds and Wheyfeed as it continues to expand across the UK.

For more on the BOCM Pauls rebrand, and how its owners see the firm developing, see the County Life farming pages in next Saturday’s EADT.