About Us - United Cooperative

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United Cooperative is a full-service cooperative offering feed, grain, agronomy and energy products to south-central, southwest and northeast Wisconsin farmers and consumers. United Cooperative exists to provide its patron members with the best possible value and return on investment, and aims to provide all its customers with professional, exceptional service.

United Cooperative was incorporated Jan. 27, 1936, as Dodge County Cooperative. David Cramer was named president and CEO of the cooperative in March 1984, and he continues to hold that position today. The United Cooperative headquarters is located in Beaver Dam, Wis. (see map below)

As a result of several mergers and acquisitions, indicative of the grain and farm supply cooperative industry through the 1990s to today, the company grew beyond the county lines, and the name was changed to United Cooperative in 1998. The timeline below outlines the history of United Cooperative and chronicles its growth to be Wisconsin's largest farmer-owned grain and farm supply cooperative. United Cooperative is ranked #45 on USDA’s TOP 100 Agricultural Cooperatives list (2017).

Over the years, many building projects and mergers helped create the quality, profitable, and convenient force we call United Cooperative, today.

2017	Merger with Greenville Cooperative in Greenville, WI. United Cooperative acquires the Feed mill, Grain Elevator, Hardware store, Energy division, and Agronomy Facility
2016	Nine major building projects: Wilton Feed Mill, Shawano Feed Mill; Auroraville Dry Fertilizer Plant; Auroraville Liquid Fertilizer Plant; Rock Springs 1.2-million-bushel bin project; Westfield bin dryer and receiving project; Hillsboro Feed, Farm Supply and Hardware store, including a new fueling site; Hillsboro Maintenance Shop located at current energy site
2015	Acquired AgVentures, LLC and Grain Ventures, LLC in Coleman, Oconto Falls and Shawano. Acquired four grain locations from ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) in Auroraville (Berlin), Oshkosh, Ripon and Westfield.
2013	Merged with Hillsboro Farmers Cooperative Warehouse
2012	Merged with Pulaski Chase Cooperative, Pulaski; Mid-County Cooperative, Shawano; and Cooperative Services, Denmark Purchased Auroraville grain location (Berlin)
2011	Purchased the feed business from Agri Blenders in Ripon
2010	Addition of 10,000 tons of liquid fertilizer storage at South Beaver Dam
2009	Purchased a 25% share in Big River United Energy (BRUE), LLC, Dyersville, Iowa; Lead the acquisition team and formation of BRUE with the cooperative purchasing a 25% ownership in the 110-million-gallon ethanol plant at Dyersville Invested in Carbon Green BioEnergy, LLC, a 50-million-gallon ethanol plant at Woodbury, Michigan Purchased a feed mill and warehouse site in Columbus from Land O'Lakes
2008	Expanded agronomy location in Reedsburg with a new liquid fertilizer plant
2007	United Ethanol building process completed Merged with Co-op Country Partners, Baraboo Expanded dryer and grain storage at multiple elevator locations, including a 1.1 million bushel grain bin at South Beaver Dam and Sauk City
2006	Purchased Ripon grain location Sold Plainview Travel Plaza Constructed an 80,000 bushel flat storage building at South Beaver Dam
2005	Pickett Cooperative merger Built agronomy plants in Pickett and Deerfield Built 20,000-ton capacity liquid fertilizer storage at South Beaver Dam United Ethanol organizing, fundraising and construction began
2004	Built 24,000-ton capacity dry fertilizer storage at South Beaver Dam Started organizing efforts to build United Ethanol, LLC in Milton, Wis.
2002	Purchased Johnson Creek grain location
2001	Acquired Paul’s Propane in Horicon
2000	Added Fall River and Reedsburg Agronomy locations from Agrilance and acquired Randolph Feed Mills
1998	Acquired Mayville Cenex Propane River Valley/Deerfield cooperative mergers Corporate name changed to United Cooperative
1996	Purchased Horicon grain location
1995	Built new feed mill in Hartford and relocated Iron Ridge fertilizer and chemical plan to Hartford site
1994	Built Hartford Ponderosa restaurant
1993	Acquired Jackson Agronomy Business
1991	Acquired Ashippun Agronomy
1990	Acquired Don’s Elevator in Allenton and Hartford Elevator in Hartford
1989	Purchased South Beaver Dam for grain and agronomy Built Beaver Dam Ponderosa restaurant
1988	Built feed mill and agronomy facility in Beaver Dam; acquired the Amco dealership
1985	Acquired Iron Ridge Cooperative & Hartford Cooperative
1984	David A. Cramer is hired as President and CEO
1977	Western Dodge County Cooperative merges with Mayville Co-op Association, forming one of the largest Cooperatives in Wisconsin with 5,118 members
1973	James R. Bischoff becomes General Manager
1936	Incorporated on Jan. 27, General Manager: Harry Gritzmacher

United Ethanol Relationship

As part of our energy division, United Cooperative is an investor in three corn-ethanol-production facilities, including being managing member of United Ethanol LLC, Milton, Wis. United Ethanol LLC began operating on March 29, 2007, and is producing approximately 3,900,000 gallons of ethanol per month. On top of generating fuel that helps to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and making the air we breathe cleaner, United Ethanol converts approximately 45,000 bushels of corn per day, further supporting American farmers. United Ethanol produces dry distiller's grain and modified distiller's grain, co-products of ethanol production, for use in dairy, swine and beef production. They also recover CO2 through a liquefaction plant and sell it for use in the food processing, beverage, oil recovery, municipal water treatment, and chemical industries. Corn oil from United Ethanol is used in biodiesel production.