United Cooperative
United Cooperative is a farmer-owned agricultural cooperative headquartered in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, supplying grain marketing, agronomy inputs, feed, energy, and Cenex fuel retail to farms and rural communities across Wisconsin and northern Illinois, with capital-intensive processing and storage infrastructure and a member-owner patronage dividend model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1936
- HeadquartersBeaver Dam, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What United Cooperative does
United Cooperative is a farmer-owned agricultural cooperative headquartered in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, founded in 1936, that provides a vertically integrated suite of agricultural inputs and services to farms and rural communities across Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Its core offerings span six business divisions: grain storage and marketing, agronomy (seed, fertilizer, crop protection, and professional agronomic services), feed manufacturing across five locations, energy products (refined fuels, propane, home heating oil), Cenex-branded fueling stations and convenience stores, and partial ownership in three ethanol plants (United Ethanol, United Energy Necedah, Carbon Green Bioenergy). The cooperative also offers crop input financing with deferred harvest payment terms, budget and prepay energy programs, and patronage dividend distributions to member-owners.
The underlying infrastructure is heavily capital-intensive: a 2024-completed Waupun feed mill with 76 bulk ingredient bins and 8,500 tons of capacity, a 2025-operational soy processing facility producing 600 tons per day of Exceller Pro mechanically processed soybean meal at 22,000 bushels per day throughput, 9 million bushels of newly added grain storage, and digital platforms (eAgVantage customer portal, Acres Alive, YieldON, Automated Fuel Delivery System) layered on top of physical operations. The business model is predominantly transactional commodity sales across agronomy, grain, feed, and energy, supplemented by subscription-style crop input financing and patronage dividend returns that reinforce member-owner retention. Go-to-market is sales-led via field agronomists and direct sales representatives, supplemented by physical retail at Cenex locations and self-service through the eAgVantage portal. The February 2026 acquisition of ALCIVIA's south region agronomy business marks an explicit geographic expansion into northern Illinois, executed under the leadership of President & CEO David Cramer and a divisional VP structure spanning grain, agronomy, feed, and energy operations.
United Cooperative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- United Cooperative
- Legal name
- United Cooperative
- Website
- https://unitedcooperative.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1936
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- United Cooperative is a farmer-owned agricultural cooperative headquartered in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, supplying grain marketing, agronomy inputs, feed, energy, and Cenex fuel retail to farms and rural communities across Wisconsin and northern Illinois, with capital-intensive processing and storage infrastructure and a member-owner patronage dividend model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where United Cooperative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Beaver Dam
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
United Cooperative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Agronomy Products: Sale of seed, fertilizer, and crop protection products to farmers. Provides comprehensive agronomy services including custom application, tissue testing, and crop nutrition programs.
- Grain Storage and Marketing: Grain storage facilities and marketing services for corn, soybeans, and wheat. Offers contract options and delivery services.
- Energy Products: Sale of propane, refined fuels, lubricants, and home heating oil. Operates multiple Cenex fueling stations and convenience stores.
- Feed Products: Manufacture and sale of animal feed products including bulk feeds, pelleted feeds, and steam-flaked corn. Five feed manufacturing locations producing various feed forms.
- Agricultural Financing: Crop input financing programs, membership financing, budget programs, booking, and prepay options for energy products. Charges 2.75% convenience fee for online card payments, 3% for phone payments.
- Ethanol Production: Part ownership in three ethanol plants: United Ethanol, United Energy Necedah, and Carbon Green Bioenergy
- Patronage Distributions: Returns a share of annual profits to member-owners in the form of patronage dividends
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Crop Input Financing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels2 records
United Cooperative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
United Cooperative is a farmer-owned agricultural cooperative that supplies feed, seed, and fertilizer products, along with grain storage and marketing services, propane and home heating oil delivery, refined fuels and lubricants, animal feed manufacturing, and part-ownership interests in three ethanol plants. It serves farms and rural communities across Wisconsin and northern Illinois through direct field sales, retail locations including Cenex fueling stations and convenience stores, and the eAgVantage online customer portal.
Product overview
United Cooperative is a farmer-owned cooperative serving Wisconsin and beyond with a diversified portfolio of agricultural products and services. The offering is organized as a multi-divisional cooperative with distinct business units including Grain (marketing and storage), Agronomy (seed, crop protection, fertilizers), Feed (animal nutrition manufacturing across five locations), Energy (refined fuels and lubricants), Home Heat (propane and heating oil), Ethanol (part ownership in three plants: United Ethanol, United Energy Necedah, Carbon Green Bioenergy), and Membership/Financing. The cooperative also operates multiple Cenex fueling stations and convenience stores. Key differentiated products include Exceller Pro soy meal for dairy cows, BIOPATH biological fertilizer complement, and the Automated Fuel Delivery System. Members access services through the eAgVantage customer portal and receive patronage dividends from cooperative profits.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- United Ethanol: Ethanol production subsidiary
- United Energy Necedah
- Carbon Green Bioenergy
- Cenex
- Acres Alive
- YieldON
- Exceller Pro
Products and services
- Agronomy Products and Services
- Grain Storage and Marketing
- Feed Products and Manufacturing
- Energy Products
- Home Heating
- Ethanol Production Ownership
- Crop Input Financing and Membership
- Cenex Fueling Stations and Convenience Stores
- eAgVantage Customer Portal
- BIOPATH Biological Fertilizer Complement
- Exceller Pro Soybean Meal
- Automated Fuel Delivery System (AFD)
- Waupun Feed Mill
Quantifiable outcome
- 320,000 tons of fertilizer delivered in 2024 agronomy operations
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use United Cooperative
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
United Cooperative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
United Cooperative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- ALCIVIAminorUnited Cooperative acquired ALCIVIA's south region agronomy business in February 2026, expanding United Cooperative's agronomy footprint and strengthening its ability to serve producers across southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
- WinField UnitedcoreWinField United is a technology and agronomy partner providing Answer Plot research network, CROPLAN seed lineup, R7 Field Forecasting Tool, Response-to-Fungicide (RTF) scores, and WinField United Insights content. United Cooperative leverages WinField United's research and digital agriculture tools including Climate FieldView, Answer Plot data, and adjuvants like SuperLock, StrikeLock, and MasterLock.
- United EthanolcoreUnited Cooperative is part owner in United Ethanol, one of three ethanol plants the cooperative has ownership in.
- United Energy NecedahcoreUnited Cooperative is part owner in United Energy Necedah, one of three ethanol plants the cooperative has ownership in.
- Carbon Green BioenergycoreUnited Cooperative is part owner in Carbon Green Bioenergy, one of three ethanol plants the cooperative has ownership in.
- CenexcoreUnited Cooperative operates multiple Cenex fueling stations and convenience stores, distributing Cenex branded refined fuels, lubricants, and related petroleum products.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights4 records
United Cooperative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CHS Inc. Largest US ag cooperative, operating grain, agronomy, energy, and food businesses; directly comparable multi-divisional co-op model to United Cooperative, just at national scale.
- Land O'Lakes: Member-owned ag cooperative with crop inputs, dairy, and animal nutrition; overlaps with United Cooperative's agronomy and feed divisions and its patronage-based ownership model.
Direct peers
- Growmark: Midwest-based agricultural cooperative providing crop nutrients, crop protection, seed, grain, and energy; the closest direct functional peer to United Cooperative in scale and geography.
- ALCIVIA: Wisconsin-based agricultural cooperative offering agronomy, grain, feed, and energy; United Cooperative acquired its south region agronomy business in February 2026, making it a directly comparable co-op counterpart.
- Ag Processing Inc (AGP): Largest US farmer-owned soybean processing cooperative; directly comparable to United Cooperative's Waupun soy processing facility and Exceller Pro meal product, both converting member soybeans into value-added feed.
Regional players
- Country Visions Cooperative: Wisconsin farmer-owned cooperative providing agronomy, grain, feed, and energy services; competes with United Cooperative in overlapping Wisconsin territories.
- Cooperative Elevator Co. Michigan-based agricultural cooperative handling grain, agronomy inputs, and feed; comparable member-owned model with similar commodity-exposed revenue mix.
Others
- WinField United (Land O'Lakes): Crop input and agronomy technology partner that supplies United Cooperative with seed, crop protection, and digital agriculture tools; functions as an upstream supplier/partner rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
United Cooperative social profiles
Digital presenceUnited Cooperative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
United Cooperative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
United Cooperative subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
United Cooperative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
United Cooperative M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about United Cooperative
What does United Cooperative do?
United Cooperative is a farmer-owned agricultural cooperative that supplies feed, seed, and fertilizer products, along with grain storage and marketing services, propane and home heating oil delivery, refined fuels and lubricants, animal feed manufacturing, and part-ownership interests in three ethanol plants. It serves farms and rural communities across Wisconsin and northern Illinois through direct field sales, retail locations including Cenex fueling stations and convenience stores, and the eAgVantage online customer portal.
Is United Cooperative a public or private company?
United Cooperative is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was United Cooperative founded?
United Cooperative was founded in 1936. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is United Cooperative based?
United Cooperative is headquartered in Beaver Dam, United States, in the North America region.
How does United Cooperative make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Agronomy Products are the primary driver. The others are grain Storage and Marketing, energy Products, feed Products, agricultural Financing, ethanol Production and patronage Distributions.
Who are United Cooperative's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CHS Inc. and Land O'Lakes. Direct peers are Growmark, ALCIVIA and Ag Processing Inc (AGP). Regional players are Country Visions Cooperative and Cooperative Elevator Co.. WinField United (Land O'Lakes) is listed as an others.
Does United Cooperative have an API?
No public API is recorded for United Cooperative.