Familiar face at ANM Group to join board

A well-known face at ANM Group is set to join the board just months after retiring from the company.

Alan Hutcheon, who worked for the northeast farmers’ cooperative for 40 years before retiring in December, will attend his first board meeting at Thainstone, Inverurie, on March 13.

Group chairman Pete Watson, who farms at Darnford near Banchory, welcomed the appointment.

“Alan has had an impressive career and is well known to, and thoroughly respected by, members and customers alike,” said Mr Watson.

“To have an auctioneer on board with almost 40 years’ experience is an obvious advantage, adding to our already incredibly diverse capabilities that reflect the strength and depth of our organisation from the core marts businesses, catering, and property, to vehicle and equipment sales, events and leisure.”

He said Mr Hutcheon’s contribution, drawing on experience gleaned from decades spent in the thick of the auction business, would be invaluable in informing the co-op’s future strategy.

Over the years, Mr Hutcheon’s roles at ANM have included selling prime cattle and canvassing livestock, together with the development of the Saturday plant, machinery and equipment sales.

He came to Thainstone in 1990 and was promoted to the ANM management team two years later, working his way through the ranks to become auction operations manager in 2015.

Mr Hutcheon, who hails from a farming background and still lives on the family farm at Greenden, near Balmedie, said he was honoured to be joining the board.