Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association announced their acquisition of the former United Livestock Center in Maquoketa, Iowa.
This will make the twelfth full-service auction market operated by Equity, and the second in Iowa. “We are excited to expand our services in eastern Iowa,” said Curt Larson, President and CEO. “This acquisition aligns with our goal of supporting local producers with more opportunities to market, manage and finance their agricultural operations.”
Equity plans to invest in infrastructure upgrades to improve livestock flow and safety. They also plan to implement technology integrations by adding their proprietary livestock marketing software system. The will also participate in community outreach as they bring their services to the area.
Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association is a federated cooperative made up of 34 local shipping associations split out into 10 districts and is managed by a board of directors. To better serve their patron members, Equity also operates a risk management division and a field service division along with a wholly owned subsidiary, Equity Livestock Credit Corporation (ELCC).
Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association is excited for this new chapter, and their first priority will be to locally hire a market manager and staff to successfully open the facility.
