EQUITY ACQUIRES LITTLEJOHN

4/24/24

Effingham Equity, a leading farmer-owned cooperative, announced Monday that it will be purchasing all grain facilities and assets from Littlejohn Grain, Inc., a 5th generation family-owned grain company that has been in business for over 100 years.  The deal, which will be finalized in June 2024, includes four grain elevators located in Martinsville, Westfield, and Snyder, with a shuttle train loader on Route 40 in Martinsville.

Littlejohn Grain, Inc. was founded in 1923 by Oscar Shawver, Kent Littlejohn’s grandfather, who started buying and selling grain from local farmers.  The company grew over the years, adding more facilities and services, and was passed down through five generations of the Littlejohn family.  The current owners, Kent, Doug and Greg Littlejohn, decided to sell the business to The Equity after careful consideration of the future of the grain industry and the best interests of their customers and employees.

The Equity is a farmer-owned cooperative that was established in 1919 and serves over 5,000 member-owners in Illinois and Indiana.  The cooperative offers a wide range of products and services, including grain marketing and storage, feed, fertilizer, seed, crop protection, energy, and retail.  With the acquisition of Littlejohn Grain, Effingham Equity will now operate 7 grain facilities with a total storage capacity of over 21 million bushels.