ANM Group Members Update Chairman’S Introduction

July 2017 ANM Group Members Update Chairman’s Introduction

As this is my first report as Chairman, I would like to say how honoured and proud I am to serve the group.

— Peter Watson aim to sustain and expand – and Pat retires as a Director in Chairman something of which I am very August, and I would like to proud. record my appreciation and Since taking on the role, I gratitude for all he has done have enjoyed catching up with However, there are several for the group. you on sales days around the divisions of equal importance, rings and have welcomed all and the scale, strength He will leave the business in a constructive feedback. and diversity of the whole strong position, and his drive, business will help ensure our determination, foresight and Having served on the board for sustainability in the future. support have benefited us all four years now, I have come to The recent approval of our significantly. realise the important role our plans for the commercial co-operative plays, delivering We have a solid and diverse development at Thainstone a vital service to our members board, excellent staff, and Business Park is due in no small a strong executive team led and customers and supporting measure to the diligence and the Scottish agricultural perseverance of our Chief by Grant. I look forward to industry in a variety of ways. Executive Grant Rogerson working with them all as we deliver for you, our members At the heart of ANM is our and his team, as well as past livestock marketing service, it’s Chairman and Chief Executive and customers. our core business – which we Pat Machray.

Call for Director

Due to forthcoming members future direction of the group. 5XZ by Friday 4th August 2017, retiring from the board, we This also includes attending enclosing details of experience are currently recruiting a new twelve board meetings per year, and background and supporting Director. We would urge members typically lasting half a day. Aside information, along with a letter who are interested in joining from this, Directors may have of support from two members. the board to represent one of other obligations in which they Selected applicants will be invited Scotland’s leading farming, food represent the group. to attend a panel interview. and finance businesses to apply. All applications will, of course, Interested members should apply be treated in the strictest of Board membership involves a in writing to myself addressed to confidence. commitment of up to six years of ANM Group, Thainstone Centre, service to assist with setting the Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, AB51

pg. 2 ANM ¬ Newsletter Chief Executive’s Update

business forward on a positive basis – the increases in numbers of customers served hard work continues. – well done to Graham, Victor and the team. In addition to the business park, the work on all of our property assets moves ahead, We continue to invest in and look for adding further value to our already strong opportunities in all areas of the group, balance sheet. Demonstrating members’ as we seek efficiencies and adapt confidence in the group, our loan the business to meet the changing scheme currently has a waiting list and requirements of our members and we continue to see strong investment in customers. We are embracing new shares, with an additional £300,000 being technologies and systems to improve our invested so far this year. Thank you for IT functions and the way we communicate your continued support as we work hard – hopefully, you’ve seen our increased use to deliver value to you and your business. of social media? Its impact has been truly amazing, raising our profile and that of Our livestock and specialist auctions our industry. divisions have had a good six-month period. Our young auctioneers are I am immensely proud of our strong progressing well under the strong history and respectful of the traditions of — Grant Rogerson guidance of Alan, ‘Jake’ and Colin, with our business, but it’s important that we livestock numbers ahead year on year. The continually evolve. There is a great deal Chief Executive positive trade for both sheep and cattle of productive work taking place across year to date has been a good return for the whole group, as you will read in this We are operating in extraordinary times everyone’s hard work. update. With our board strategy, strength with challenging market conditions, in diversity and professional, experienced many outwith our control, and political The specialist auctions division has carried and knowledgeable people, we are in a uncertainty affecting everyone. We face on from last year with excellent results strong position to ensure that the business other challenges too, particularly with from our Saturday machinery sales, and and industry are fit for the future. another substantial increase of 28% in strong numbers of vehicles selling at our our business rates which will be appealed. weekly auctions – it’s encouraging to see the good progress being made. That said however, we’ve had a very Since January, share good first six months of the year and I’m Our Estates team continues to work hard capital has increased by proud of all our staff, managers and the and remains ahead of the competition more than £300,000 executive team for creating a positive with its excellent local market knowledge momentum throughout the business and professionalism. Well done to in this trading environment. Thanks to Annabelle who has achieved a key everyone at ANM for your professionalism milestone in her professional career by The group’s share and commitment. successfully completing her Assessment of capital is currently at Professional Competence examination and £5.83 million I’m delighted to share with you that has qualified as a Chartered Surveyor. our hard work has at last paid off, and the Scottish Government Reporter has The Thainstone Events and Porterhouse upheld our appeal and granted Planning divisions’ “field to fork” strategy, focusing We have more than Permission in Principle for the commercial on locally-sourced produce, is paying development at Thainstone Business Park. dividends with three recent accolades 4,800 members This is tremendous news for the group achieved at some of the industry’s top and ensures we can continue to move the award ceremonies, and significant

— Computer generated image of the proposed Thainstone Business Park extension

pg. 3 ANM ¬ Newsletter Aberdeen & Northern Marts

and we have witnessed improvements key milestone with a special charity dance across all store and breeding stock. on Saturday 26th August and anniversary show and sale on Monday 4th September. Store cattle have benefited from As part of the event, we will also hold a several factors which contributed to special retirement presentation for John creating favourable trading conditions, Bremner who is stepping down as Centre such as demand for domestic cattle Manager after 46 years of service. As increasing due to the weakening of the previously reported, Stuart Slesser has sterling currency, effectively decreasing taken over as Centre Manager and has import activity and raising deadweight settled in well – here’s to the next 25 prices. Trade turnaround time has also years! Everyone is welcome to attend the decreased as producers are meeting event and tickets can be purchased from the lighter carcass specifications set by the Caithness office or by calling 01955 slaughterhouses. 621363. Despite a tough start to the year, sheep

trade has seen a positive turnaround So far this year, we have sold since Easter, which should continue — John Gregor, further into 2017. Executive Director Breeding ewes with lambs at foot traded & We had a great start to the year, with particularly well, as a result of an early livestock numbers increasing throughout spring, giving farmers increased access 41,000 156,000 the spring season and steady trade to grass supplies. The weakening of continuing across all classes. We are sterling helped drive trade including the CATTLE SHEEP pleased to report that cattle numbers prime sheep section, which saw increased with more than have increased by nearly 3% and sheep demand for hoggs. throughput rose by more than 4.5% In August this year, our Caithness £53 million ahead of last year. Livestock Centre at Quoybrae will be worth of stock throughput th Cattle trade has been buoyant, celebrating its 25 anniversary, and we generated to date. particularly with prime and OTM cattle, are delighted to be commemorating this

to grass earlier this year, and although • Quality silage has been targeted to the better weather helped, the other reduce winter costs with four farms factor was an early application of cutting it in May. fertiliser in late March, generally Six of our eight focus groups have also a month ahead of normal. come together to discuss challenges and share expertise. Key themes • Getting ewes and lambs on to a have included grazing management, rotation on clean grazing has mainly vaccination protocols and the annual driven performance with one of Our six focus farms are making great costs of keeping cattle. the project farmers being more progress so far six months in. Here are than six weeks ahead with lamb If you would like to get involved in a some of their key learnings and successes: growth this year, compared to the last focus group, please get in touch with • More than £2,000 has been saved on few years. one of our team members before the feed and bedding with rotational end of the year by emailing [email protected]. grazing and early turnout, with some • Early silage has been a partial success cattle out six weeks earlier than usual. with a good quality coming off. For weekly updates on farmers However, the yields were disappointing, participating in the programme, • For every week the cows are outside, driven by the dry weather. Second cuts please visit www.farmersjournal.co.uk farmers can save nearly £10 per cow. are bulking up now, and some will be and find out more about their key Most of the project farmers got cattle getting cut in two to three weeks’ time. learnings, successes and challenges.

COME SAY HELLO... 2017 Summer Shows We will be at the following summer shows – it would be great to see you there too! • CAITHNESS SHOW:14-15 July • NEW DEER SHOW: 15-16 July • NAIRN SHOW: 29 July • TURRIFF SHOW: 30-31 July • BLACK ISLE SHOW: 2-3 August • KEITH SHOW: 6-7 August • GRANTOWN SHOW: 10 August • ORKNEY SHOW: 12 August pg. 4 ANM ¬ Newsletter Thainstone Specialist Auctions

2017 is off to a busy start, so far the team has valued:

Assets worth more than £10 million

From 48 diverse businesses

Throughout the whole of the UK

Bringing buyers and sellers been purchased by international The sale continues to go from strength together at Scotland’s buyers from a range of countries to strength, with a fantastic range of largest auction of plant, such as Austria, Estonia, Holland, cars direct from the local motor trade machinery and equipment: Poland, Romania, Saudi Arabia and available to all buyers. Switzerland. Our May sale attracted more than... Members Vehicle Purchase The competitive price discovery Scheme mechanism of an auction ensures 700 we achieve the true value of goods Members should take different sellers and for our customers, which remains advantage of our our main priority. Demand continues for plant and machinery, so if you VEHICLE 850 wish to realise any of your equipment, different buyers PURCHASE please contact one of our team with more than members. SCHEME which offers substantial discounts on cars from major 3,700 Valuations and Sales lots entered manufacturers. Our valuations and sales team has also and an average been extremely busy. We have valued selling rate of 82% £10 million of assets throughout the UK for 48 different business types, Saturday Sales with our services provided as far afield as Baku, Azerbaijan. These have The success of our Saturday sales included large, complex and high- continues with fantastic turnouts, profile valuations in the oil and gas, For more information, please and a high average of 82% of all lots hospitality and engineering sectors, get in touch with John Roy on consistently selling at each sale. This is including several insolvencies. due to our premier auction attracting 01467 623863 an extensive and varied range of entries and the hard work of our Vehicle Sales New Office experienced team of professionals. Demand for our vehicle sales continues We are moving to a new office on the ground floor at Thainstone Centre to Heavy commercials and the tractor to grow, with a 9.5% increase in be more accessible to our members and plant categories have been numbers sold during January to May and customers, so please feel free to particularly successful this year, with compared to the same period last year. stop by and meet the team. international buyers still looking In addition to the increased activity at for good quality, second-hand For more information, regular news our weekly Monday and Thursday car equipment. and Saturday sales dates, visit our sales, our popular trade night provides website at www.tsaauctions.co.uk or Through our online bidding an ideal opportunity for dealers to sell contact us on 01467 623770 to find system i-Bidder, equipment has trade-in vehicles up to ten years old. out more.

pg. 5 ANM ¬ Newsletter Aberdeen & Northern Estates

Despite the continued political uncertainties of Brexit, a potential Indyref2 and a snap general election, 2017 is off to a productive start for the Estates team. We have had a very good start to the year and continue to be extremely busy, with almost 20 sales conducted and a large number of properties and parcels of land on the market, yet to complete. Our valuation services remain in high demand and instructions are being received from a wide range of sources and for a variety of requirements, from financial planning and taxation matters to bank lending purposes. Despite the economic and industry drone technology which provides pressures, two recent closing dates exceptionally high-quality photography On the sales front, land prices have held saw the number of offers received to fully showcase our clients’ properties remained strong with a number of reach double figures, which highlights in a competitive market. competitive closing dates for both the true benefit of exposing a property Providing our members and clients with equipped farms and bare land. These to the open market to maximise the the best possible service remains our strong prices have resulted in good vendor’s sale proceeds. premium offers above the asking main priority as we continue to grow Given our successful start to the year the business. prices. We continue to see the benefit and the positive impact this has had of setting realistic asking prices in a on the business, the team continues To discuss your requirements, please market predominantly driven by local to bring new properties and land call 01467 623800 or find out more by demand, with larger units drawing to the market. We have also seen visiting www.anestates.co.uk. nationwide interest. further growth in the utilisation of Thainstone Events and Porterhouse

It has been a successful first half of the who joins us with a wealth of year for the Thainstone Events and experience in hospitality management From January Porterhouse teams. and will continue to develop the team to June 2017, and drive the highest standard of we have served Porterhouse Steakhouse & service that our customers have come to more than Coffee Bar expect. Stuart Sproat also recently completed Porterhouse had a strong start to the his SVQ in Hospitality Supervision & 34,000 year by receiving three awards for the Leadership at SCQF Level 3. We are excellent service and dining experience particularly delighted for Stuart as he MEALS they provide. is a key member of the team working at both our Gallery and In May, we welcomed our new in both the Porterhouse and Events Restaurant Manager, Caroline Williams, businesses. Porterhouse restaurants.

OUR ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE JANUARY:

‘Taste Our Best’ award Finalist of the Trend Magazine Runner-up in the ‘North East from Visit Scotland for Life with Style Awards in the of Scotland – Restaurant serving high-quality locally- ‘Best Place to Eat of the Year’ section at the sourced produce. Local Flavours’ category. Hospitality Training Awards.

pg. 6 ANM ¬ Newsletter

Thainstone Events and Porterhouse continued

We are pleased that more than 400 people from 11 bus tours have visited our renowned Porterhouse Steakhouse & Coffee Bar, resulting from tourists travelling North to explore the Highlands and all the best that the North and North East have to offer.

Thainstone Events

We have hosted several successful — Stuart, Caroline, Victor and Graham events at the Thainstone Exchange facility so far this year, including Harbro’s 40th anniversary ball, the Inverurie Locos spring ball, and the boilersuit ball. Additionally, our Irish country music 10% nights have been hugely successful, with numbers doubling from 250 to Members 500 over the last six months compared to the same period last year. Discount We are also investing in our external catering service and are delighted to have several wedding bookings over the summer. — To pre-book your evening meal or corporate event, please call 01467 623899 and have your member number to hand.

Thainstone Centre – home of Taste of Grampian for the 18th year In June, we welcomed the Taste of Grampian food and drink festival back to Thainstone Centre with a record 16,000 visitors. The event was thoroughly enjoyed by the local community and remains a key date in the diary for the region’s food and celebrity chef who entertained the whisky, bringing a new dimension drink producers, with Thainstone crowds throughout the day. For the to the festival with live music from Centre serving as the hub for the first time, the event was extended Sandi Thom and the Red Hot Chilli local community and the North East. into the evening with the Mart Fest. Pipers. We were delighted to once again This new addition was a great success welcome James Martin as our celebrating local craft beers, gins and

Rates Burnside five-bedroom property November to March £850 p/w April and October £1,000 p/w May to September £1,200 p/w ANM members receive 10% discount on their stay.

pg. 7 ANM ¬ Newsletter IT

System Upgrades Live Facebook Saturday sale Below are some of the recent upgrades • Increased social media activity, video statistics: we have implemented to modernise and with Facebook live videos drive efficiencies across the business: reaching more than 70,000 157,786 PEOPLE REACHED during major events, including • Regular website updates with 19,037 VIDEO VIEWS positive results achieved with paid current information on upcoming sales and news articles. recruitment advertising. 420 REACTIONS/ • New online registration forms We are sure these upgrades and SHARES to speed up the entry process of enhancements will prove beneficial to livestock, plant and machinery lots. everyone as we continue to invest in our IT infrastructure. Statistics from 15th April 2017 Saturday sale. • Substantial investment into easily accessible Wi-Fi connectivity, which We welcome your feedback – is now available across our entire get in touch with us by emailing FREE Wi-Fi Thainstone site. [email protected]. at Thainstone Centre

Supporting farmers and the agricultural industry

We offer simple and flexible finance to help farmers with livestock enterprises and livestock purchases.

Our financial support and advice, backed by decades of industry experience, helps members looking to start out in the agricultural industry.

For more information, please contact any ANM auctioneer or fieldsman.

Livestock marketing Rural and commercial Auction, appraisal and Maverston Events and catering Porterhouse Aberdeen & property valuation services Estate & Golf Course Thainstone Events Steakhouse & Northern Marts Aberdeen & Thainstone Specialist Coffee Bar Northern Estates Auctions

ANM Group Thainstone Centre, Inverurie Aberdeenshire, AB51 5XZ T: 01467 623752 E: [email protected] To find out more about group activities, or to access members’ benefits contact Alan Donald or Avril McLeod on 01467 623752