De Lacy Executive Recruitment: Celebrating 25 years

De Lacy Executive Recruitment was founded in 2000 by John Davies, initially trading under the name Finest People. The company soon adopted the De Lacy name to reflect its Herefordshire roots.

At a pivotal moment in his career, John chose voluntary redundancy when his employer relocated its head office, rather than move with the company. With extensive experience in the feed sector—including roles in sales, technical, nutrition, commercial, and general management—he saw an opportunity to leverage his knowledge and network to create a successful agricultural recruitment business.

Starting out alone, John worked from a spare bedroom in his house, armed with just a computer and a phone. This modest beginning laid the foundation for what would become a respected name in the industry.

Early Challenges

One of John’s first obstacles was his lack of formal recruitment experience, aside from recruiting staff in his previous managerial roles. Recruitment is a complex process that requires the ability to identify, engage, and assess candidates, while ensuring they align with a company’s culture and values. John had to learn every aspect of recruitment on the job, relying on perseverance and hands-on experience.

Another challenge was establishing credibility. While John had an extensive network, it was built on his feed industry connections rather than recruitment. Convincing businesses to trust De Lacy as their recruitment partner took time and effort.

In those early days, John spent much of his time travelling, meeting clients and candidates face-to-face to build relationships and earn trust. Unlike today, where much of recruitment is conducted remotely, he believed that personal interactions were crucial for forming lasting business relationships.

Financial constraints also posed a challenge. With limited capital, John relied on hard work, determination, and sheer persistence to get the business off the ground.

Just weeks after its founding, De Lacy secured its first clients seeking management staff —Morning Foods and BOCM Pauls.

Growing the Business and Building a Trusted Brand

Over the following years, De Lacy continued to expand its client base and, crucially, successfully fill vacancies. The brand's reputation grew through excellent results. De Lacy quickly became known as a trusted consultancy that operated with integrity and put people first.

In 2005, De Lacy welcomed its second Recruitment Consultant, Margaret—a former colleague of John’s. Like him, she didn’t come from a recruitment background, she was a nutritionist by trade and an arable farmers’ wife with strong industry connections. With two consultants on board, the business gained momentum.

As the company grew, so did the need for dedicated office space, and De Lacy secured its first formal premises in Ledbury then shortly after in Handley Swan near Malvern plus appointing a third team member to help with recruitment and the increasing administrative tasks and also to meet the quality of service required by the expanding group of clients and candidates.

In 2011, Grace Nugent joined the team in an administrative role, initially for the summer, little did she know she would still be working for De lacy 14 years later in a senior position.

Steadily additional staff joined the team. John took a hands-on approach to training, ensuring every team member understood the values and standards of the business. However, one requirement remained: every team member needed a strong agricultural background and a genuine passion for the sector—a principle that remains as vital to De Lacy today.

Farms.com Era

In 2017, De Lacy Executive Recruitment entered a new era with its acquisition by Canadian company Farms.com. John Davies retired, and Stuart Goodinson became Managing Director.

Despite the change in ownership, De Lacy continued to operate independently under UK management, with minimal day-to-day involvement from Canada. The acquisition created new opportunities, allowing the company to expand its global approach—working with international companies seeking staff for roles abroad and in establishing a presence in this country. Additionally, the De Lacy model expanded overseas with the launch of De Lacy North America.

In 2019, we moved to new offices in Worcester to support our continued growth.

Looking Ahead

 As De Lacy celebrates 25 years in business, we embark on an exciting new chapter under the leadership of Grace Nugent, appointed Managing Director in 2024. With a clear vision for the future, Grace is guiding De Lacy forward. Core values remain unchanged: working with the best people in the industry and delivering a premium consultancy service.

Since 2000, De Lacy has transformed, growing its expertise in all segments of agriculture and agri-food. Working with clients and candidates worldwide, recruitment services are offered across livestock, arable, machinery, fruit, ag-tech, equestrian, bioenergy, food production, and sustainability etc.

Looking ahead, De Lacy is confident in the future and in its ability to meet the challenges and evolving needs of the agricultural industry.