Garry Edwards, managing director of AAM Investment Group which now manages seven saleyard facilities along the Australian east coast, wants to add to that portfolio during the next five years.
“There is a continuing desire to invest in further strategic locations over the next five years, whether they be brownfield redevelopments of existing centres or the construction of brand new facilities,” he said.
The group’s Regional Livestock Exchange (RLX) portfolio now consists of CQLX Rockhampton, IRLX Inverell, TRLX Tamworth, CTLX Carcoar, NVLX Wodonga, CVLX Ballarat and CRLX Camperdown.
“The IRLX (Inverell) facility in northern NSW will receive a multi-million dollar redevelopment program over the next 12 months that will see selling areas converted to be undercover soft floor modular pens, expanded holding and feeding areas and the installation of a drive-through truck wash and improvements to transport and operator amenities,” Mr Edwards said.
He was in Carcoar last Friday for the 10th anniversary sale at the Central Tablelands Livestock Exchange and further celebrations at Blayney later that evening where CTLX, agents and clients raised $30,000 during a charity auction with proceeds to Aussie Helpers for drought relief in the Central Tablelands.
Mr Edwards said the original aim of the CTLX initiative was to increase livestock throughput to lead to a subsequent improvement in market competition by creating a marketplace that delivered economic scale, substantial operational efficiencies and improvements in operator safety and enhanced animal welfare outcomes.
CTLX was created by the closure of smaller saleyards at nearby Orange, Bathurst and Blayney.
“The amalgamation of smaller selling centres into larger regional livestock exchanges is now being progressively adopted on a national basis, ensuring vendors get the most competitive market access than any other form of livestock marketing available to them.”
Mr Edwards said the RLX group wasn’t resting on its laurels when it came to the introduction of new technologies and other innovations.
“There are a number of new initiatives that are progressively being rolled out across the RLX portfolio including digital pre-sale marketing, livestreaming and online bidding interfaces, a suite of pre-sale and post-sale services aimed at delivering improved outcomes for vendors and buyers.
“These include, feeding and weaning services, full feedlot induction programs, heifer programs and a value added member benefits program that will be available through the RLX website, promoting and providing access to benefits offered by RLX partner companies.”
