CLIVE, Iowa – Peoples Co., an integrated farmland management, brokerage, appraisal and energy solutions firm in Clive, Iowa, recently announced it has acquired Oswego, Ill.-based Land Pro, LLC, which became effective Jan. 1.

Land Pro, LLC, its owner Ray Brownfield, and members of the Land Pro, LLC, staff officially became an affiliate of Peoples Co., while continuing to operate under the Land Pro, LLC, name.

“Having worked in the land management and brokerage business for more than 20 years, I have gotten to know Ray Brownfield during my trips into Illinois and at various industry conferences,” Steve Bruere, Peoples Co., president, told Farm World. “Ray was always gracious with his time, quick to offer insight into the latest trends in Illinois farmland, and I’ve admired the team he built at Land Pro.

“As Ray began contemplating succession and future retirement, he wanted to ensure his clients would be well taken care of for generations to come,” he added. “After visiting more, we realized that our companies shared a similar ethos in terms of operating with the utmost integrity, embracing technology to maximize farm production, and helping clients achieve success year after year.”

Brownfield said, “As my wife Patty and I carefully thought about succession planning, we agreed our goal was to find a partnering firm that could continue to offer high-quality service to our clients, would keep integrity and honesty at the forefront of any counsel provided, and was positioned on the cutting edge of farm management technology.

“Anyone who has spent any time with Steve Bruere and the Peoples Co., team knows that those objectives have been met and exceeded with this transition,” he added. “I look forward to continuing to work in a job that provides me great satisfaction for years to come, offering the same exceptional service, but now with even more tools to help clients meet their growth objectives.”

When asked what goals Peoples Co., had with the acquisition, Bruere said, “Over the past few years, Peoples Co. has been aggressive in expanding our full suite of services and our footprint. We’re now operating in every agricultural region across the country. We see our value proposition in the marketplace as offering a complete, integrated transaction in any region. By that, I mean we can broker a deal, manage the land, connect with capital markets, leverage energy solutions, among other services.”

He said the acquisition grows Peoples Co.’s presence in Illinois, with the company having acquired The Atkins Group’s farmland management business and opening an Urbana, Ill., office in March 2024.

“We’ve been licensed in Illinois for some time, and have been managing farms there for years,” he said. “Then, last spring, we acquired Urbana-based Atkins Group’s farmland management business. In doing so, we recognized even more potential for growth in the state, especially because we believe our fully-integrated land transaction approach is unique to the state. The addition of Ray Brownfield and his team expands our team and reach even further into Illinois, allowing us to scale more effectively.”