Landus names EVP of Sales, Sam Caton, Interim CEO

Landus announces Sam Caton as its interim CEO on April 8, 2025. Caton will maintain his responsibilities as executive vice president of sales while stepping in to lead the cooperative as interim CEO.

"We have full confidence in Sam's abilities to guide Landus forward as the interim CEO. His sincere appreciation for the farmer-owners we serve has quickly built trust within the organization and helped him develop a deep understanding of our operations and vision," says Chairman of the Board Matt Chambers. "We have full faith in his leadership as we start the next chapter at Landus and implement the search to identify our next CEO."

Caton brings more than two decades of agricultural industry experience to the interim CEO role. Previously, as the business unit director of the Northern Region at Simplot, Caton demonstrated exceptional leadership in managing complex business integrations. He is an established forward-thinking leader in agricultural business and technology adoption but doesn't shy away from his roots. Before moving into sales, Caton owned and operated an 8,000-acre family farm and cattle ranch, an experience that equipped him with an authentic understanding of agricultural operations from the ground up.

Caton's first order of business will be leading the search for Landus' next CEO, which will start with listening to the farmer-owners within the cooperative.

"I'm honored, and frankly humbled, to be trusted with the exciting task of leading Landus forward, and I know the best way to do so is with the guidance of our farmers," Caton says. "I'll be establishing an open line of communication with our farmer-owners to hear directly from them on what they want to see from the next CEO of the cooperative, and I look forward to working with our board to identify the next leader of Landus."

During this transition, Landus remains steadfast in its commitment to its farmer-owners, employees, business partners and the future of agriculture.