Ellington Peek is a livestock marketer whose honesty and integrity have molded him into the successful businessman he is today. His motto for his business dealings is simple: Keep your word, even though it may cost you some money in the long run. It is clear that Ellington’s ethics and “handshake” way of operating have paid off, leading to the establishment and operation of several successful cattle industry enterprises, along with numerous industry honors. Of course, it all happened with a lot of grit too. As Ellington told WLJ, one of his main pieces of advice for new entrants to the industry is: “You can’t be afraid to work.”
Ellington’s humility and friendly manner precede him, and as Holly Foster, Western Video Market (WVM) operations manager, described to WLJ, “It doesn’t matter how big the operation or how small. He makes that customer feel important, and he’s doing the best job possible for them.”
California roots
Ellington was born in Stockton, CA, and grew up in the cattle business, but he really made his first big move in the industry when he founded the Shasta Livestock Auction Yard in 1961 in Anderson, CA, before moving to the new Cottonwood, CA, facility in 1966. Although Shasta Livestock held its last regular weekly sale in February 2021, the yard continues to market cattle and sheep through video and country sales and is the largest representative market in WVM sales. WVM works with affiliate auction yard companies and individual representatives to consign and market cattle from the western states.
Shasta Livestock and the Stockman’s Market of Visalia, CA, were truly ahead of their time, as they were some of the first auction yards to move into the digital side of things, hosting their first video sale using satellite TV in 1989. From there, Ellington—with help from his son, Andy, and by partnering with fellow livestock marketing man John Rodgers of the Stockman’s Market—founded WVM, which is now one of the most well-known video cattle auction companies in the nation.
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The video service has been one of the biggest changes that Ellington has seen in his time in the industry, he said, along with all of the new technology. However, one thing has remained a constant: the value of your word being your bond.
“I tell our field reps, ‘If you make a mistake but you said you’re going to do it, do it, even if it costs you $10,000.’ I had a few of those too—more than that,” Ellington said with a laugh.
Ellington recalled a story that took place about 40-50 years ago when the father of Red Emmerson, the largest landowner in the U.S. and a good friend of his, had a truckload of cattle available, and Ellington went out to look at them. After looking at the cattle—and then after perhaps one drink too many that night, Ellington added slyly—Ellington gave him 30 cents a pound for the load and headed home. He couldn’t sell them, he said, and he only got 27 cents a pound, but he made sure to do right by the Emmersons. Plus, Ellington said, “I got a lifelong friend.”
Family ties
Callie Wood, Ellington’s daughter and chief financial officer for Shasta Livestock and WVM, spoke fondly to WLJ of her time not only working with her dad, but growing up with him. She has worked with him for over 45 years in the auction business, and she reflected on Ellington’s dedication to the customer and the honorable standard Ellington set. “It doesn’t matter if they have two head or if they have 20,000 head; you treat everybody the same,” Callie said of one of Ellington’s valuable examples. “I think our reps and employees have felt that way too. And for 40 years, we’ve had wonderful staff, and we’ve had a good living. Between the auction yard and the video, they became a place where our young people could learn the values that Dad has and help them to improve themselves.”
Callie added that the WVM family—blood related or not—is always thrilled when staff learn and blossom and do good things with their life. “We’re a family and try to be here for our employees,” she said. “We always want people to fulfill themselves, whether it’s here or somewhere else.”
Ellington would be the first to give his wife of 72 years, Betty, much of the credit for keeping things running at home with the family. Callie said that while growing up, Ellington was traveling a lot, so when he came home, it was “fun time.”
“All we did was play and wrestle and sing, and in some ways, poor Mom had to be the person who controlled us and disciplined us, and Dad, he got to be the good guy,” she said with a laugh. “That was always a lot of fun. We’ve had some great times.”
Holly said coming to work for WVM was like going to work for her family. One of her earliest memories is Ellington buying hot chocolate while they shipped her family’s cattle.
“It’s a company where you’re a name, not a number,” she said. “All of the customers feel that way—we do our best to make sure they feel that way by following the example that Ellington has set.”
Ellington said one of the most rewarding aspects of his career has been having a good family and staff, and while “you can’t satisfy everybody all of the time, you want to do a good job all of the time.”
It is clear that the values Ellington holds so dearly have been instilled in the people surrounding him, and they will carry on the long-lasting influence and integrity of a true cattleman. — Anna Miller,WLJ managing editor
