Respected, influential leader passes the baton
After the best part of 30 years, one of the driving forces behind a unique ag servicing business group is stepping back this month, handing the reins to a well-known industry leader who in turn is looking forward to a new chapter in his career.
Both Stewart Craig and Richard Brenton-Rule say the collaborative model behind Independent Cropcare Distributors (ICD) remains as valuable to the domestic primary sector today as when the group started in 1989.
Stewart Craig joined ICD as chief executive in 1994 after five years as country manager with Rhone Poulenc, drawn by what he could see as real potential for growth akin to what was then IHD Group in Australia (now AgLink).
“ICD was taking products to market with a very high technical service business model that I was very comfortable with. I liked the people, and their way of doing business. That has never changed, and arguably has been the greatest reward from being inside the ICD tent.”
First founded by Crawford Ag, Grierson Chemicals, AB Annand, Kiwi Seed, Peter Cates and Wards Hort, ICD now has 10 members with 20 branches across the country, and more than 80 field agronomists on-farm every day. Essentially it provides a platform for independent rural retailers to collaborate, share knowledge, and offer a comprehensive range of products and services to farmers and growers with a strong emphasis on cropping and pastoral agronomy.
Tellingly, Craig says, no member has ever left the group except as a result of company mergers. And together they have helped set a high standard in technical sales and service for both suppliers and farmers.
“The value and worth of plant protection products to the NZ economy and our farmer customers in particular is grossly under-estimated,” Craig says. “ICD and its members are an integral part of that value.”
In an industry which is now highly complex and requires a high degree of stewardship in store and on the ground, the group’s technical focus is even more relevant today than ever before, he says. But there’s another major in-house benefit associated with the way it is organised and run – professional collegiality and networking between members who share a common business philosophy in a sector which can be highly competitive.
“We have a very strong culture of values, and ethics.”
Richard Brenton-Rule comes to the group from several years with Corteva Agriscience and its legacy companies, having most recently headed the NZ Corteva team. He’s excited about taking on a new challenge within a very different organisational structure to his previous roles, and says several attributes drew him to the position.
“I like the group’s high standards, and how it engages with all its stakeholders. Members share a high level of competency; they’re keen to learn and innovate, and they’re focused on delivering market leading service to their customers. There’s also an opportunity here to further strengthen collaboration with our group suppliers for the benefit of farmers and growers.”
Stewart Craig says Brenton-Rule brings to the role solid industry experience and knowledge, with a high degree of personal relationship and communication skills.
“Having Richard join heralds the beginning of a new era of ICD initiatives and achievements to come, and he will be the driver to implement these.”
ICD chairman Howard Clarke says Brenton-Rule is a fitting successor for Craig, a respected, influential leader without whom the group would not have achieved what it has thus far.
“Stewart has contributed so much to ICD’s success – we’ve all benefited from his commitment over the past three decades. I know there was a lot of interest in the industry about who would take over from him, and we are delighted to have attracted someone of Richard’s calibre.”
In another important change, Clarke says, ICD has forged a closer relationship with AgLink Australia, and become a member of AgLink International, further enhancing the group’s strength.