History

Simon Mounsey Ltd was formed in December 2003 following the division of animal feed publisher HGM Publications into two separate companies.

HGM Publications was founded in 1980 in the Thames Valley village of Wargrave by Howard Grahame Mounsey, from whose initials it took its name.

Drawing on a background in publishing and editing, and ten years’ experience as Feed Executive Director of The United Kingdom Agricultural Supply Trade Association (UKASTA), Howard launched the first UK monthly journal exclusively for the animal feed industry, The Feed Compounder, the first issue of which appeared in January 1981.

The magazine gained rapid acceptance by British feed compounders and within a short time was seen and talked about by most people working within the industry — a situation which happily remains the case today.

Feed Compounder, was soon joined by two annual publications. The Digest of Feed Facts & Figures was launched in October 1981 and The Handbook of Medicinal Feed Additives in 1982. Both are still published, although both are now much broader in scope and are now Feed Statistics and Feed Additives.

HGM Publications became a partnership when Howard’s wife Jane joined the business full-time in 1983. Jane brought her experience in journalism to bear and is remembered by many readers of Feed Compounder for a series of over 100 articles based on visits to feed companies and their suppliers. Out & About was one of the most popular features of the journal and appeared in nearly every issue from April 1981 until April 1994.

After re-locating to the Peak District village of Baslow, the business became a family concern when Howard and Jane were joined by sons Simon in 1986, and Andrew the following year. Following a Physics degree at Manchester University, Simon had embarked on a career in sales and joined as Sales and Advertisement Manager from the pharmaceutical company Leo Laboratories. Andrew took an Honours degree in Agriculture at Edinburgh University and, following two years working for WCF in West Yorkshire selling feed and other agricultural supplies, joined HGM Publications as Assistant Editor.

Howard and Jane retired in 1997 and moved to a village near Malvern in Worcestershire. They returned to Derbyshire ten years later and lived together in Darley Dale until Howard’s death in November 2017.

HGM Publications continued to operate until November 2003 when it separated into two businesses. Feed Compounder, and the associated Pet Food Supplement are now produced by Andrew Mounsey in his new business – Pentlands Publishing Ltd. Simon Mounsey Ltd produces all the other feed-related titles (Feed Additives, Feed Businesses, Feed StatisticsFeed Industry Review and Feed Legislation) and also provides data, analysis and consultancy related to the European animal feed industry.

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