The ethos of More Than a Mart sums up the team at J36, which has become much more than just a place to sell livestock. Although it has only been operating on the current site since 2013, J36 Rural Auction Centre has a long history. It is operated by North West Auctions (NWA) whose parent company, the L&K Group, was founded in 2005 when Lancaster Farmers Auction Co merged with Kendal and District Auction Mart, a business started in 1818 by the Hodgson family.
NWA also still operates Lancaster mart along with 1818 Auctioneers, fine art and antiques auctioneers and valuers; NWA Professional; NWA Property, its rural surveyors and land agency division; and NWA Architectural, which are all on the mart premises.
Purpose-built on a greenfield site, the mart is based just off the M6 at Crooklands, which is halfway between Land's End and John O'Groats, making it accessible from all parts of the UK and drawing both buyers and sellers from far and wide.
The size and scale of the site means it can also accommodate other businesses, with agricultural merchants, vets, a tyre company and a tractor dealership based there as well as several other independent local businesses.
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Multi-purpose
The value of this is twofold, as James Dixon, L&K group director and chairman, says: "When we first came here, I think some people queried why we needed such a big site and wanted other businesses here, but as time has gone by and the site has evolved, they can now see why.
"Not only do they provide other income streams for the company, making it profitable and sustainable in the long-term, but they contribute to making this a real hub for farmers where they can come to not only trade livestock but where they can visit other professionals and businesses, making it a one-stop shop. This is as well as meeting up with other like-minded people, which is vitally important.
"It is not just about doing business; we have a chaplain [who visits] the mart and nurses offering health checks, and the cafe is a great place to socialise.
"Many farmers live very isolated lives but often do not seek help when needed. Offering these kind of services in an environment which is familiar and at a convenient time encourages them to make use of them."
Continued expansion means that the site now has additional facilities which can be used by the wider community. A purpose-built exhibition space and meeting rooms are available to hire and can be used for conferences, meetings and events.
Dan Weston joined L&K as group operations manager earlier in the year.
He says: "Agriculture is changing and it is important that we recognise that and that our own business evolves to meet the needs of our customers.
"We are constantly looking at offering different types and timing of sales. Many farmers now have other jobs and often evening or weekend sales suit them better.
"We have also incorporated new technologies such as live streaming and online bidding, as well as a deadweight service.
"We have an excellent team of auctioneers, along with the yard and office, and we are always looking to encourage new talent.
"And although livestock is still at the very heart of what we do, we must also continue to develop other aspects of the business and ensure that our facilities are fully utilised, and not just by the farmers but by the whole community."
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Charity
Supporting charities is also at the heart of business, and fundraising events are often organised or held at the mart, including Christmas carol services, Young Farmers events and rallies, social events and charity auctions.
Following a major fire in Kirkby Lonsdale just before Christmas a few years ago, the mart opened its doors to local businesses for a late night shopping event so they had a place to trade.
Katie Black, L&K company secretary, says: "Because we have developed a wider business and have a number of income streams giving it stability, it means that we can give back to the local community and charities by supporting them and allowing them to use our facilities, often free of charge."
For L&K, it is not just about J36 – Lancaster Mart is still a key part of the business.
Mr Dixon says: "We are continuing to invest in Lancaster and recently upgraded some areas, but longer-term we hope to move the mart out of the town on to a greenfield site where we plan to build a facility similar to J36 which will enable us to offer our services across an even wider area."
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