International Track Record

Agriculture Sector Strategy: 2000: USAID: BMC provided an agribusiness management specialist on a team assessing the future opportunities to restart the agriculture sector of the economy.

Apple Production and Processing: 2002: International Trade Centre: BMC provided a horticulture production and marketing specialist to undertake a feasibility study on export led poverty reduction.

Business Planning Assignment: 2000: EU: BMC provided specialists in agricultural machinery manufacture, marketing, business planning, human resources and accountancy to work with a manufacturing company. A strategy was prepared to consolidate production on one site together with a business plan to increase their market share in Egypt.

Business Planning Assignment: 1999: EU: BMC provided a business planning specialist and accountant to work with a food commodity trading company. A marketing strategy was developed together with a business plan to increase the geographic spread of customers and suppliers in Europe.

Agricultural Technology and Transfer Project: 1998: USAID: BMC provided expertise in horticultural production and marketing for the preparation of a business plan to establish an Egyptian owned fresh produce export marketing company in Holland to develop a brand image and reputation for reliability and quality. The business plan was presented to shareholders at a workshop.

Horticulture Markets: 2003: International Trade Centre: BMC provided a production and marketing specialist as market guide to escort a group of eleven exporters from Tanzania to visit importers, wholesale markets and supermarkets in the UK and France.

Horticulture Markets: 2002: International Trade Centre: BMC provided a production and marketing specialist as market guide to escort a group of eighteen exporters from Ghana , Kenya and Uganda to visit importers, wholesale markets and supermarkets in Germany and the UK. The visit also included packers and certification agencies. Understanding and meeting the necessary food standards emerged as the main constraint for SME exporters and a follow up study in Kenya was proposed to look at how the small-scale producer might benefit from this certification trend.

Horticulture Markets: 2002: International Trade Centre: BMC provided a production and marketing specialists as market guides to escort a group of exporters the Gambia to visit importers, wholesale markets and supermarkets in Holland, Belgium and the UK. The visit included the fresh produce and fisheries sectors.

Disposal / Privatisation: 2001/02: DFID: BMC provided expertise in project management, business planning, marketing, human resources and finance to privatise the Trussed Rafter Development Unit and to provide commercial training to existing staff. Income & Expenditure documentation was prepared together with an asset register for the formal transfer of TRDU to the National Housing Corporation. The Business Plan was updated to provide NHC with a five year strategy for developing the business.

Business Restructuring: 2000/02: Private Sector: BMC provided industry and business planning expertise to assist a manufacturing company in the construction sector to develop plans to improve the profitability of the business, with strategic options for future growth. Follow-up by the industry specialist was supplemented by a human resource development expert to develop a new organisation structure, job descriptions and define responsibilities. A further input was undertaken in January 2002 to advise on the options for a joint venture involving a foreign investor.

Project Design: 2000: DFID: BMC provided expertise in business planning, marketing, human resources development and finance. The contract was to prepare a business plans for the commercialisation and privatisation of the Trussed Rafter Development Unit and the creation of the Plantation Grown Timber Promotion Centre as a non-profit organisation.

Evaluation of Structural Timber Project: 2000: DFID: BMC provided experts in management and business planning to evaluate the Plantation Grown Timber Promotion Centre and concluded that commercial opportunities did exist. Options for future funding were examined and privatisation recommended. Click here to view some photographs.

Export Development Programme: 1999: EU: BMC provided expertise to individual firms: packaging and marketing of speciality teas for sale in Europe; improved flower production and marketing; market diversification into mainland Europe for fruit and vegetable exporter.

Export Development Programme: 1998 / 99: EU: BMC provided expertise in agribusiness, horticulture production and marketing, floriculture production and marketing and packaging for a study to raise the quality and effectiveness of fresh produce exports to Europe. Three industry seminars were held in Nairobi to present the findings of the study and to introduce a post harvest code of practice to improve handling and cold chain management. This was accepted by the industry and firm level audits were carried out.

External Audit of the National Grain Reserve: 2003: DFID: BMC provided an international grain trading expert to join a multi-disciplinary team.

Privatisation of Textile Factory: 2002-03: Privatisation Commission: BMC provided a textile industry specialist and an engineer as apart of a team to prepare an Information Memorandum and Instructions to Tenderers. Interest in participation was enhanced by visits to potential investors in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Six interested parties were identified. Bidders were visited in India as part of the due diligence process. BAFO negotiations were held with the two top scoring bidders.

Desk Study: 2002: Private Sector: BMC provided expertise in rubber processing to assess the opportunities to add value to locally produced latex. Bicycle tyres and dipped products were considered.

Technical Assistance: 2001: USAID / GBTI: BMC provided international marketing, production management and quality control expertise to the Garment and Textile Manufacturers Association of Malawi. The objectives are to help GTMA members to take advantage of the opening-up of the United States apparel market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Privatisation of Textile Factory: 2001: Government: BMC provided engineering and international marketing expertise for the first phase study to establish the needs for rehabilitation and the options for investment.

Commercialisation and Privatisation of ADMARC: 1999: World Bank: BMC provided the agricultural marketing specialist on the core team of this study. He reviewed the proposals to liberalise crop marketing and the implications for ADMARC. He reviewed the deports and marketing networks to assess the impact on grain and other, non cereal activities , of the contemplated privatisation. Advice was provided on post- privatisation agricultural marketing policies.

Farm & Tourism Development: 2007: Private Sector: BMC developed a business plan for horticultural production, food processing and tourism.

Monitoring & Evaluation: 2005-06: Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Rural Development: BMC together with LTS International developed and implemented a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan for the World Bank funded Forestry Development Project.

Export Consultancy: 2004: Private Sector: BMC organised and provided a guided visit to Romania for a British company seeking to enter this new market. Business appointments, translation, transport and accommodation was arranged. All business objectives were fully met and the outcome well above client expectations. Follow-up visits are now being planned.

Honey Production and Marketing: 2004: Private Sector: BMC provided honey and agribusiness specialists to evaluate the opportunity to improve the efficiency of production and export of polyflora honey from the medieval hay meadows of Transylvania

Agricultural Development and Environmental Protection in Transylvania (ADEPT) Project: 2002-04: Private Sector (TNP) / IFC (GEF): BMC provided expertise in food processing, plant propagation, finance and agribusiness for the development of business plans and raised the core equity for organic farming, food processing and marketing.

BMC prepared a biodiversity management plan to fully address the triple bottom line concept: conservation of biodiversity; sustainable use of natural resources; equitable sharing of benefits.

BMC also provided project management for the development of organic research, extension capabilities and farmer networks in the project area.

BMC contributed to the preparation of the application to the Global Environment Facility for a US$3 million grant to help combine commercial agriculture with protecting the unique biodiversity of the medieval landscape.

BMC provided finance and agribusiness expertise for the preparation of an Information Memorandum to raise seed capital.

BMC provided the UK office for Transylvanian Management Services (UK) Limited, whose wholly owned subsidiary, Transylvanian Natural Products srl (TNP) was the private sector partner of the ADEPT project.

Soybean Processing Plant: 2003: Private Sector: BMC provided marketing, financial analysis, processing and agribusiness expertise to update the business plan prepared in 2001.

Preparation of Business Plan for Soybean Processing Plant: 2001: Private Sector: BMC provided expertise in international marketing, financial analysis and agribusiness to assist the client in the preparation of a feasibility study to be presented to potential financiers.

Review of SoybeanProcessing Plant: 2000: Private Sector: BMC provided expertise in civil engineering, oilseed processing, marketing, business planning, economics and financial analysis for a review of a proposed processing plant and storage facility on the Black Sea.

Support to the Agriculture Sector: 1999-00: USAID: BMC provided livestock, processing, marketing and finance specialists to assist team objectives of enhancing internal production and marketing chains that promote broad based economic growth.

Preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment and Agricultural Development: 2006: Private: BMC provided environmental and agribusiness specialists to scope an EIA required as part of the concession for iron ore mine and also to establish for developing economic activity in the area.

Marketing Strategy for Toy Manufacturer: 1998-99: EU: BMC provided a marketing specialist to assist the management to develop a brand image and export strategy. Visits were made to toy fairs in the UK and Germany.

Textile Production: 1999: EU: BMC provided the Syrian-European Business Centre with a textile engineer to improve process and quality control at a large acrylic spinning factory that had severe production problems.

Preparation of Tender Documents: 1999: EU Stabex Fund: BMC provided a procurement specialist to prepare tender documents for the supply of equipment to rehabilitate two cotton research stations.

Cotton Sector Strategy: 1998: Dutch Government: BMC provided the cotton agronomist and seed multiplication specialist on a five person team that identified the constraints and opportunities in the sector. The findings were presented to the industry stakeholders and from this workshop, a strategy was developed and timetable prepared.

Sugar Production & Processing: 2004: Private Sector: BMC provided a financial specialist to work with a team of local consultants preparing a business plan to rehabilitate a sugar estate and factory.

Forest Sector Policy & Strategy Project: 1999: DFID: BMC found the team leader for this two year project. An alternative approach was proposed to provide an experienced project manager rather than a sector specialist.

Due Diligence on Two Cotton Ginneries: 1998: Private Sector: BMC provided a cotton processing specialist to work with the clients financial analystto prepare a paper to enable the board to make an investment decision and confirm terms and conditions.

External Information Service Provider for the Industry InfoNet: 2001: International Finance Corporation: BMC prepared eight sub sector reports for the Food and Beverage Sector covering:

• Food: processed and canned; powdered; ready meals (both chilled and frozen); ingredients production and dairy products.
• Beverages: low alcoholic (beer and wine); soft (carbonated, juices and water) and hot (tea, coffee and chocolate)

The team, who undertook the work in the UK as a desk exercise, included: John Taylor, food technologist; Brian Goshawk, marketing specialist and Jim Turnbull, agri-business specialist. The objective of the IIN is to capture and share practical and application-orientated knowledge on the key issues encountered in the course of appraising, implementing and supervising investment projects across the world.

To request further details click JWTurnbull@bmc-ltd.com