The outgoing chief executive of leading Cumbrian business H&H Group says the company is well prepared for its next challenge – Brexit.

Brian Richardson, who last week announced he was standing down after 10 years at the helm of the Carlisle-headquartered company, said the team were ready to work with customers to deal with the impact of Britain leaving the European Union in March next year.

He also revealed that he will be moving to a new role when he leaves the company in the summer, although it remained “business as usual” until he hands over the baton to his successor.

H&H Group is probably best known across the north of England and Scottish Borders for its nationally recognised livestock auctioneering business, Harrison & Hetherington, along with H&H Land and Property its rural land agency business.

During the last decade both of the group’s agricultural businesses have seen both their geographical reach and turnover increase, with Harrison & Hetherington now trading £150 million of livestock annually, making it the largest auction operation in the UK.

It boasts nine auction mark sites in the region, including its base in Carlisle.

Mr Richardson said: “I have always been involved in agribusiness, and it has been a great privilege to lead H&H during the last 10 years.

"Farming is an incredibly challenging business and just as farmers must keep adapting to change, so do the businesses around it.

“Brexit will be the next challenge and H&H is well prepared for this. The group will look to work with its customers on the inevitable changes that will come to all farming sectors.

"The team here are ready for the future.”

Mr Richardson includes the opening of the Show Hall and extension to the mart in Rosehill in 2011 as one of the stand-out investment milestones during his tenure, which paved the way for the expansion of the Borderway Agri-Expo and Dairy Expo events.

He also highlighted the £8.2 million takeover of the John Swan & Son auction business in 2016, taking over its marts at Wooler, Northumberland and Newtown St Boswells in Roxburghshire, with the latter set for a major redevelopment.

H&H Group also has businesses operating in the estate agency, farm insurance and print sectors.

H&H Land and Property now has five office bases to help “meet the ever-changing needs of the farming and rural sector”, Mr Richardson added.

But Mr Richardson said one of his crowing achievements had been developing the H&H Group team, which has adopted principles and practices that have allowed to take a long-term view.

He said: “For me personally it is a great pleasure to see young staff coming through whose careers have been developed within each business and mentored by more experienced staff, in the livestock, the land agency, and our other companies.

"Growing our own is very much a key philosophy at H&H.”

Mr Richardson said he was unable to reveal his next move after what he described a “good innings” and will provide support to the new chief executive when they are appointed before he moves on.

A nationwide search for his successor is under way.

“At 57 I feel I have another challenge in me, so with a first-class team at H&H Group in place, and a solid financial base, it’s an appropriate time to pass on the baton to someone else,” he said.

“New ideas are always good, and a new pair of eyes supported by an excellent management team will oversee the next phase of development.

“Yes, I have a new challenge to undertake, however over the next few months my focus is very much on H&H Group.

"I am not at liberty to announce my new role, which I am very much looking forward to, until the summer.

"In the meantime, it is very much business as usual for me at H&H.”