Lord Curry of Kirkharle to Chair Cawood Scientific Group

Lord Curry of Kirkharle, the new chairman of Cawood Scientific Limited
Lord Curry of Kirkharle, the new chairman of Cawood Scientific Limited

Cawood Scientific Limited, the holding company for NRM Laboratories, Sciantec Analytical Services and Sci-Tech Laboratories, is pleased to announce the appointment of Lord Curry of Kirkharle as chairman.

Together NRM, Sciantec and Sci-Tech form the UK’s largest truly independent provider of accredited analytical laboratory testing services for the land-based sector.

Lord Curry has been an integral part of the British farming establishment for many years. He led the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food, better known as the Curry Commission. This identified the need for reconnection –farmers with their markets and the rest of the food chain, the food chain with a healthy and attractive countryside and consumers with what they eat and where it has come from. He went on to chair the Implementation Group of the Government's Sustainable Food and Farming Strategy.

For many years he was chairman of NFU Mutual and the Meat & Livestock Commission. In 2010 he became chairman of the Government’s Better Regulation Executive, a position which he continues to hold. In 2012 Lord Curry was appointed Chair of the Council of the Royal Veterinary College. He was appointed to the House of Lords in October 2011, where he sits as a cross bencher and continues to farm a 440 acre farm in Northumberland.

Commenting on the appointment, which takes effect on 1 July 2014, Managing Director Nigel Patrick said: “My fellow director, Linda Radnor and I are both delighted that Lord Curry has agreed to join the Board as chairman. He will bring an enormous amount of business and management expertise, as well as practical farming experience. His skills as a strategic thinker and leader will be a significant asset to our business going forward.”

Lord Curry said: “Food, farming and the other land-based sectors have proved they can adapt to change and change will continue to have a major impact on these sectors. This makes accurate, independent and fully accredited analytical laboratory services essential tools, providing the information on which to make sound business judgements. And, whilst many land-based businesses are benefitting from evidence-based decision making there are many more that could benefit in future. I am looking forward to helping the Cawood Scientific business grow and develop its business to meet this latent demand.”

Lord Curry takes up the position which became vacant on the untimely death in May of his long-time friend, Sir Ben Gill.

Cawood Scientific operates from three main facilities, NRM in Berkshire, Sciantec Analytical near Selby, North Yorkshire and Sci-Tech laboratories in Craven Arms, Shropshire. Together they provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ of testing services for businesses in agriculture and other land-based sectors.

NRM, specialises in the provision of a range of testing services for customers in the agriculture, horticulture, amenity, environmental and renewables (such as composted waste and anaerobic digestate) sectors. Sciantec provides a complete range of analytical services encompassing all aspects of animal nutrition and health as well as combinable crops, whilst Sci-Tech is particularly well-known for its fast, efficient and accurate testing service for the UK poultry sector.