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Opportunities at Cocogreen

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Building stronger finance functions in Manchester

Marks Sattin worked exclusively with Cocogreen on an opportunity within their growing finance team. This engagement involved supporting a successful and fast-paced business, where the appointed candidate played a key role, took ownership of their work, and contributed to the company’s continued growth. The successful individual brought strong SAGE and Excel skills, along with solid accounting knowledge and experience operating effectively within a dynamic SME environment.


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About Cocogreen

Cocogreen is a global leader in plant-growth substrates, renowned worldwide for its extensive range of environmentally-friendly, high- tech alternatives to traditional and heavy carbon emitters: peat-based growth mediums for the horticulture, agriculture and pharmaceutical markets. The company has worked hard to set the global benchmark in quality, investing in proprietary products and technologies that elevate its offer far beyond that of its competitors. As part of the company’s continued growth and track record as a n innovator and first-mover, it has secured a number of reputable certifications and industry awards that further validate its commitment to excellence.

Cocogreen is the first and only growing media and substrate producer that has been externally recognised for its quality, social, ecological and environmental assurance – delivering traceability from beginning to end.

  • Company Background

    • Cocogreen was established in 2010 by Dr. Sudesh Fernando and Thomas Ogden. It now boasts nine production facilities located across Sri Lanka employing over 650 team members, this is the beating heart of the business. The company’s UK headquarters is located in Manchester and also plays a vital role in Cocogreen’s global business footprint, the business is expanding its international footprint with subsidiaries and distributors in 5 of the 6 continents of the world; and has a pilot manufacturing plant in the UK.

    Growth & Investment 

    • Thanks to extensive long-term investment in product development, state-of-the-art facilities, a talented team and a capable distributor network globally, Cocogreen has built a strong, loyal customer base in key geographies around the world. The performance of the company’s products speak for themselves, while customer – and distributor – feedback is hugely positive.

      Cocogreen’s ambition is to accelerate its impressive growth trajectory, expand into new markets and product application; and build its presence in core geographies, harnessing and expanding marketing and communications strategies to further develop external profile, build trust with prospect customers and work towards achieving its commercial objectives.

    Sustainability

    • Cocogreen has been widely recognised both in the food industry and wider afield, including in finance as an internationally recognised pioneer of ESG business practices and traceability, which extend out from its core mission and values as a hugely exciting example of a proven and successful Circular Economy Business.

      Cocogreen’s commitment is simple – “From the shake of a hand to the bond of our word, we will deliver better than we sell.” The brand is based on trust, honesty and a commitment to excellence; as well as having an unrivalled positive environmental and social impact whilst consistently growing revenue and profitability.

Some of their awards and certifications include: 

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The Queen's Award For Enterprise

We were honoured to receive the “Queen’s Award for Enterprise” for Outstanding International Trade (over multiple years) in the United Kingdom in 2018. The most prestigious business award.

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ISO9001:2015

We were certified the international quality assurance standard ISO9001:2015, for a strict and professional quality management system (QMS). This certification not just applies to the compression factory at the end of the production process, but also to the steps where our raw materials are involved.

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Northern Powerhouse

In 2018, Cocogreen® became partners of the Northern Powerhouse programme. Recognised for our leading position in export, social mobility, and sustainability, we have influence over other businesses’ practices in these areas.

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Certified across social environmental, quality and organic - end-to-end.  

Cocogreen® is continuing to set the standards in the coco coir substrate industry. It is the only player within the market to achieve full certifications in all steps of its production process. Read more information below about our different independent certifications, prestigious honours and awards, which are internationally recognised.

In 2014, Cocogreen received the social certification standards for corporate social responsibility, based on the conventions of the United Nations and the International Labour Organization (ILO). They were the first company with commercial interests in Sri Lanka to obtain this accreditation. 

Cocogreen's product offering...

Through its nine production plants in Sri Lanka, Cocogreen processes harvested coconut husks to produce loose coir substrate. This substrate is then manufactured into three key product types:

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Berryfusion

A product designed specifically for the commercial production of soft fruit and berries. Available as growbags, pop up bags, pot and trough refill substrates, loose substrate, pots, bulk raw and specialist mixes

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Saladfusion

A product designed specifically for the commercial production of salad crops. Available as growbags, pop up bags, pellets and discs, loose substrate, pots, grow cubes and specialist mixes

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Treefusion

A product designed specifically for the commercial production of tree crops ; notably avocados and citrus. Available as pop up bags, pellets and discs, loose substrate, bulk raw and specialist mixes

Each of these key product lines are distributed worldwide through Cocogreen’s well-established and proven supply chains, ensuring a reliable source of high-quality sustainable products, each highly valued by professional growers.

Proprietary Technology

Setting the company apart from its competitors, Cocogreen has developed a number of proprietary technologies (which are incorporated into its product lines) to support early crop growth, improve yields and protect the environment. These include:

  • Safeguard®

    • Described as the next generation of crop protection within substrates, Safeguard® and Safeguard+TM use both advanced biotechnology and chemistry to add an extra layer of defence against root and airborne pathogens, as well as enabling an inert medium suitable for even the most delicate crops.

      Benefits – Safeguard® provides assurance on crop performance. Treatment options can be tailored to suit all crop stages and budgets, offering growers and propagators cost-benefit options to suit their specific requirements.

    Moisture Control Technology® (MCT)

    • MCT® provides consistent moisture content from the top to the bottom of the substrate, enabling establishment of finer roots, less run-off (waste of water and fertilisers) and higher yield and crop quality across large areas. Water is redistributed in-between irrigation cycles. From the bottom of the substrate all the way through to the top, providing a balanced growing substrate. Benefits – The visual uniformity and health of crops grown in Cocogreen® MCT®; gives growers more time and money to focus on other areas of their farm management. For every litre of substrate used, the output is significantly improved versus any other type of substrate. This means that growers can use 20%+ less substrate per kg of produce than a competitor product, with more reliable results. MCT® is available in all Cocogreen® Growbags, Pop UpTM and refill substrates.
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The Leadership Team

Cocogreen was founded by Dr. Sudesh Fernando (Founder & CEO) and Thomas Ogden (Co-Founder & CCO) in 2010 with the ambition of becoming the world’s first sustainable growing substrate for the cultivation of agricultural and horticultural crops. 

Since then this goal has been achieved and the business forms an essential part of the critical food supply chain. You will join the team at a very exciting period of growth and change, where Cocogreen is gaining increasing attention for its innovative products and technologies, sustainable and positive social business practices and standards internationally; which is underpinned by growth of territories, sales and operations , but also creates many new facets to the business operation which serves the market. 

Sudesh and Thomas are supported by David Mowat (Director) on the Board, Founding Partner of Circularity Capital, with an incumbent CFO.

Contact Tany Yunos or Laura Halloran to apply

Tany Yunos

I am a Senior Recruiter in the Manchester office, specialising in everything from transactional finance staff through to finalist level (Accountancy and Finance) on a permanent basis.

Apply now
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Laura Halloran

I am a highly experienced accounting and finance consultant with over 15 years specialist experience across part qualified and qualified accountancy roles (ACA/ACCA/CIMA), as well as transactional finance.

Apply now

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