The Allied Marketing Group has started off the decade with a fresh start. All five members are busy as can be with their own personal ventures as well as their group collaboration through AMG.

The Allied Marketing Group has started off the decade with a fresh start. All five members are busy as can be with their own personal ventures as well as their group collaboration through AMG.

The dynamic group of feedlot owners are pleased to announce that its formal group of five has now grown to six. With the addition of John Lawton of Titan Livestock, AMG significantly boosts its highly knowledgeable cattle buying, selling and feedlot experience.

Lawton is no stranger to the group though. Already involved with four AMG members through a different feedlot venture in southern Saskatchewan, Lawton has known all the members for at least four years. Now solidified within the AMG ranks, he is pleased to be the newest member of the group.

“I definitely think they have value as a group, and I’m excited to be part of it,” says Lawton, whose Titan Livestock operation is near Niton Junction is west-central Alberta. “AMG saw some traits in what we do and thought it would be a good fit. What Titan Livestock brings to the table is different ideas, procurement strategies, marketing and risk management.”

With more than 30 years experience both in Canada and with international customers, AMG was attracted to the skillset Lawton brings to the table.

“We just thought he was a natural fit to join our group,” says Ryan Kasko, an AMG member and owner of Kasko Cattle Company. “We do a lot of business within our group, so it was a natural fit that he was a part of our discussions. It just made sense.”

Lawton has a special interest in procurement and in making sure producers get the best deal for their needs. To that end, he created Linus 7 in 2008, a proprietary inventory and risk management software for the cattle industry.

“We’ve helped develop programs that are win-win for buyer and seller,” says Lawton. “I take pride in doing that and like to be involved in mutually beneficial programs as much as possible. It is a lot of what AMG is built on.”

In addition to Lawton, the group recently brought Paul Erickson on board as its new procurement manager. Responsible to purchase 40,000 tonnes of grain per month for the group, Erickson brings more than 30 years of grain trading experience, both in Canada and internationally, to AMG.

“With Paul’s experience in the grain brokering business, we knew that he would fit right in at AMG,” says Kasko.

With the additional experience at newly expanded AMG, the group is looking at new marketing opportunities and partnerships.

The group members continue to stay on top of the latest industry news and events, with many still heavily involved in producer associations, including the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association, the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and the Alberta Beef Producers.