Background
Rattlerow Farms is one of the UK’s longest-established pig breeding businesses, with a deep heritage in genetics, farming, and innovation. As a family-run company, it prides itself on values-driven leadership and long-term staff loyalty.
- Established over 70 years ago by Philip Lawson, the company has grown from a small pedigree breeding operation to one of the largest independent pig genetics businesses in Europe.
- Multi‑division structure: In addition to its core pig genetics focus, Rattlerow has diversified into arable farming, feed milling, transport, construction, property—and more recently, renewable energy
- People‑centric ethos: As a family-run business, Rattlerow promotes from within, encourages ongoing qualifications and training, and maintains long‑serving staff—with multiple team members serving decades in the organisation.
- Scale & Reach: Operates across more than 60 pig breeding sites throughout the UK.
- Genetic innovation: Early adopters of artificial insemination in the 1960s; advanced into DNA-marker programmes in the early 2000s and built a £1 million, climate-controlled boar stud.
The Challenge
Rattlerow recognised it needed to modernise its employee engagement strategy—not only to retain talent, but to compete with corporations offering more sophisticated benefit packages. The agricultural setting, coupled with a varied workforce in terms of age and tech literacy, presented unique hurdles.
The Challenges
- Retention Pressure: Certain business units were facing unprecedented staff turnover, prompting a leadership push to explore new engagement methods.
- Disjointed Communication: With staff spread across dozens of farms and sites, information flow was inconsistent. Communication depended heavily on physical distribution methods—including pigeonholes and mail-outs.
- Digital Barriers: Rattlerow faced a challenge as many employees, particularly older staff, avoided using email. This made communication difficult and highlighted the need for a simple, email-free solution to enhance engagement.
- Lack of Visibility into Benefits Usage: The team found it difficult to accurately measure benefit uptake or engagement accurately. “I wouldn’t have a Scooby [clue],” said one leader, referring to tracking voucher usage.
- Outdated Perception of Modern Tools: Initial internal resistance to digital tools like “the wall” gave way over time, but early adoption required cultural change and strong leadership advocacy.
“I thought it was too modern… but I realised we’re just being a bit old-fashioned if we don’t engage with everything. At first, I didn’t think my company would deal with the wall at all. But now, the wall is a big part of how we communicate as a company.”
The Solution
Rattlerow selected Terryberry as a flexible, scalable partner able to support both its digital transformation and its cultural values. The implementation was phased, starting with essential recognition tools in Be Recognised and evolving to include Be Saving, a solution including benefits, wellbeing tools, and more.
- Mobile-First Platform: Since 90% of staff primarily access the internet via mobile phones, the mobile accessibility of the Terryberry app was a crucial factor in selecting the platform.
- Phased Implementation Plan: A gradual rollout allowed Rattlerow to build awareness and avoid overwhelming the workforce. Marketing ran for eight weeks pre-launch, supported by Teams briefings and printed materials sent to all sites.
- Employee Wellbeing Integration: Rattlerow has introduced a comprehensive mental health programme that includes director-level training, six mental health first aiders, and guidance to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
- Recognition Tools and Internal Currency: To celebrate employee loyalty and reinforce its values-led culture, the company rolled out long-service awards and GEM points.
- Customisation and Responsiveness: Terryberry’s capacity to listen, adapt, and create a system tailored to its organisation, particularly by modifying the rollout of “the wall” and app features.
“I liked what Terryberry was able to offer that I wasn’t able to get anywhere else. You guys were able to offer this flexible solution… your developer was able to listen to me.”
Why Terryberry?
Rattlerow Farms sought a better way to connect and retain staff across its 65 sites. With a multi-generational workforce hesitant to use digital tools, they turned to Terryberry for a mobile-first solution to improve engagement, streamline recognition, and enhance retention.
Flexible, Customisable Platform
Rattlerow needed a provider who could adapt to their phased rollout strategy and tailor the platform to match their evolving needs—including building out features like “the wall” and app access.
Mobile-First Access for On-the-Go Staff
With 90% of employees relying on smartphones for internet access, having an app-based platform was essential—not a bonus. “It needs to be in your pocket… if it’s in your pocket, you can get there immediately.”
Depth and Scalability
They valued the platform’s ability to evolve—starting small and adding features without overwhelming staff from the start. “To do it in phases… I felt it really was quite a benefit to us to just keep bolting things on.”
Professional Look and Feel
Visual appeal and user experience played a role, especially when comparing options.
“Price, versatility, and overall image—and I suppose the depth of what it could lead to—were the most important things.”
The Impact
The platform is still in development but is already improving how Rattlerow engages and motivates its employees. By increasing visibility across locations and incorporating daily recognition, the solution is evolving with the business.
Adoption Growing Across Departments
Engagement is strongest among production managers and internal teams, where usage is often tied to budget responsibilities and team leadership. Some farms have become model users, driven by motivated managers.
“The wall lets them see what other parts of the business are doing… I actually get huge positive feedback on that.”
Recognition Wall Enhancing Culture
The wall is now widely used for GEM Awards, employee highlights and business updates—creating cross-site visibility in a way that didn’t exist before.
Improved Communication Speed and Reach
The app offers a quick way to reach employees with limited email access. Previously, GDPR made email broadcasting challenging, but the platform addresses this by enabling opt-in communications.
Wellbeing and Mental Health Improvements
Staff have shared personal stories of positive experiences with the EAP and mental health support.
Onboarding and Retention Tracking in Progress
Although the platform isn’t integrated into the day-one induction due to payroll timing, Rattlerow has started tracking retention KPIs on a monthly basis—something they were unable to do before.
