Charlotte, NC – August 1, 2025 – AGDATA, the foundation of intelligent ag businesses, today announced its acquisition of Forward Group, a highly respected market research insights and intelligence business, with deep expertise in agribusiness, animal health, pet care, and agricultural science. This move significantly expands AGDATA’s ability to deliver more robust, real-time insights and strategic intelligence to agricultural manufacturers, distributors, and retailers across North America.
This acquisition builds on AGDATA’s four-decade legacy of helping ag businesses see clearly, decide confidently, and act decisively. By integrating Forward Group’s advanced research capabilities, including behavioral analysis, pricing strategy, brand perception, and product innovation, AGDATA will offer clients a richer, more actionable view of the marketplace than ever before.
“Forward Group’s legacy of delivering practical, insight-driven research aligns perfectly with AGDATA’s mission to provide visibility, accuracy, and alignment across the agricultural value chain,” said Heffy Provost, CEO of AGDATA. “Together, we’re creating a connected data and intelligence ecosystem that empowers clients to move faster, invest smarter, and win in a complex, evolving market.”
“By combining Forward Group’s deep industry expertise and ability to uncover the ‘why’ behind market behavior with AGDATA’s unmatched data infrastructure and producer relationships, we’re creating a new standard for market intelligence,” said Greg Deters, Managing Partner at Forward Group. “Together, we’ll empower our clients with a richer understanding of not just what decisions are being made in the marketplace, but the emotional and rational drivers behind them, unlocking smarter, more strategic action.”
Why This Acquisition Matters for the Agriculture and Animal Health Sectors
As the agriculture and animal health industries become more complex, companies are under increasing pressure to make faster, smarter decisions based on accurate, timely data. This acquisition positions AGDATA as the most comprehensive intelligence partner in the market, capable of supporting both strategic planning and tactical execution through one connected platform.
Key benefits for AGDATA clients include:
- Deeper Behavioral and Market Insights
Gain a clearer understanding of customer motivations, market dynamics, and product performance in real-world conditions. - Faster, More Informed Decision-Making
Combine AGDATA’s real-time data collection and distribution tracking with Forward Group’s strategic research models to reduce uncertainty and optimize go-to-market strategies. - Stronger Brand and Channel Alignment
Evaluate brand perception, positioning, and pricing with more precision to ensure alignment across marketing, sales, and distribution. - Accelerated Innovation and Commercialization
Inform product development with insights grounded in actual market behavior, driving better product-market fit and faster time to revenue. - Improved ROI on Marketing Program Investments
Leverage integrated analytics to measure the true impact of co-op and incentive programs, improving transparency and performance across the board. - Actionable Intelligence from a Single Trusted Partner
With Forward Group’s expertise layered onto AGDATA’s robust infrastructure and marketing program management solutions, clients now have one centralized source for data, insights, and execution support.
Forward Group will continue to operate under its own brand as a division of AGDATA, ensuring uninterrupted service to its current clients while gaining access to AGDATA’s expansive data architecture and cloud-based delivery platforms.
This acquisition marks a significant step in AGDATA’s continued investment in expanding its capabilities to serve manufacturers, distributors, and retailers with comprehensive, end-to-end data solutions and market intelligence. removing barriers to growth and creating a future where data is not just collected but truly activated to drive performance.
About AGDATA
For over 40 years, AGDATA has helped the agriculture and animal health industries transform data into action. AGDATA’s connected platform drives visibility, accuracy, and alignment, empowering ag businesses to eliminate guesswork, improve program performance, and drive growth. AGDATA collects and processes data from over 8,000 retailers and distributors across North America and manages over $7 billion in marketing program funds annually. Its suite of solutions includes data services, U.S. and Canadian market intelligence, next-generation marketing program management, and trait licensing.
About Forward Group
Forward Group is a trusted provider of market research, insights and intelligence services with deep roots in agribusiness, agriculture, animal health, and pet care. With a reputation for practical, behavior-based insights, Forward Group supports clients with custom research solutions that guide strategic decisions across marketing, brand development, pricing, and product innovation.