OUR STORY
Where it all began
Larchfield was founded in 1987 by Gerald Pitcher and Philip Murray in Tonbridge, a historic market town in the South East of England. The company supplied industrial chemicals and raw materials to the former Soviet Union.
In spite of the volatile and rapidly changing market of the dissolving USSR, Larchfield thrived, branching out into two new areas alongside the existing industrial chemical activity: aerospace, and the distribution of coriander and other essential oils and seeds to the flavour and fragrance industries.Together with the company's growth, a geographical expansion also took place. A representative office opened in Moscow in 1991, followed shortly afterwards by warehouse and logistics facilities.
The Group today
Today, the Larchfield Group is a diverse business comprising of five companies located in the UK, three wholly owned subsidiaries in Eastern Europe and two joint ventures in Eastern Europe, all linked through shared ownership and ethos. The Group has a solid reputation for reliability and consistency.
We have partnership agreements with many trusted principals, including PPG, Synthomer, Trinseo, United Initiators, Aquaspersions, AOC and Arkema. We are also one of the major suppliers of food and beverage ingredients to Eastern Europe, and are a trusted supplier of coriander seed oil to the global flavour and fragrance industry.
The aerospace part of our business has been involved in many high-profile projects, including Gulf Air's 50th aircraft liveries, Formula 1 planes, and the branding of aircraft for Robbie Williams and the likes of Big Brother and X-Men 3.
Our team
We employ a broad cultural team across all our offices and joint ventures in the UK and Eastern Europe. Since the appointment of our first overseas staff member in 2000, we now have Tonbridge-based employees from Eastern European countries who are key members in finance, business development, logistics and purchasing teams.
Professional, friendly, dynamic and open-minded, it is our staff who make Larchfield what it is today, with each individual contributing to the success and development of the Group. The company's high retention levels stand as testimony to the value we place on our employees, and the satisfaction they have in working for us.
Reliability at core
With ISO accreditation and a 35-year track record of reliability and innovation, the Larchfield Group continues to expand as a leading specialist supplier and distributor across the chemical, aerospace, cosmetics and food & beverage industries.
Tonbridge in the UK continues to be the Group's HQ, its financial and logistical centre, and the main point of contact for suppliers and partners across the globe.
If you are looking for a reliable partner in the UK and Eastern Europe, Larchfield Group has the right experience, skills, presence and people to help you expand into these markets.
Larchfield is also perfectly positioned to explore market potential in the UK and European markets for a variety of application areas and industries.