MAQUOKETA, Iowa — A Maquoketa livestock center has been acquired by a southwest Wisconsin company.

Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association, based in Baraboo, Wis., recently acquired the former United Livestock Center at 610 N. Matteson St. in Maquoketa, according to a news release. It is the cooperative’s 12th full-service auction market and the second in Iowa.

“We are excited to expand our services in eastern Iowa,” said Curt Larson, Equity Cooperative’s president and CEO. “This acquisition aligns with our goal of supporting local producers with more opportunities to market, manage and finance their agricultural operations.”

The release states the cooperative’s first priority will be hiring a local market manager to staff the Maquoketa facility. 

Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association is a federated cooperative made up of 34 local shipping associations split into 10 districts and is managed by a board of directors. It services producers in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and South Dakota.