About

HISTORY

There are certainly many ways to succeed in business. At Sioux Nation Ag Center, we’ve stuck with the one Marvin Swenson chose when he established this company in the back corner of a Sioux Falls hardware store in 1960. It’s not complicated. We simply listen to our customers, understand their needs, and figure out the best way to meet them.

Marvin was an outstanding animal health salesman, and the business quickly outgrew their corner and took over the building. Growth continued, and Marvin moved the business to a building at the current home location on Cliff Avenue. His reputation spread, and the business grew, thanks in part to a radio show that customers still remember to this day.

When Marvin died suddenly in 1977, son Scott came home from California to help his mother Marcella run the business. Scott’s brother Brad added his expertise as a commodity broker to the business a few years later.

about sioux nation ag old storefront

Over the years, Scott added more services and products to the animal health line, buying into—and eventually purchasing – the Farmers Feed & Supply feed mill in Boyden, Iowa. The next step for Scott was the creation of the Ag Center business model, which brought together animal health products and feed with the expertise of staff nutritionists and veterinarians.

The Swensons also discovered that in order for Brad to hedge the board most effectively, many of their customers needed to get a better handle on their break-evens. That led to the development of a detailed financial management system for Sioux Nation livestock producers. That combination of animal health and feed products, supported by nutritional, veterinary and financial services is what makes Sioux Nation Ag Center unique in the industry.

family photos

Today, Scott’s sons, Joe and Brian, are the third generation heading up the company. Joe is the CEO of Sioux Nation Ag Center and Brian oversees the Sioux Nation Pet Clinic that has grown steadily at the Cliff Avenue location. Sioux Nation services are now available at 11 locations in South Dakota and Minnesota, thanks to the focus on keeping our customers at the center, treating them right, and building everything else around that principle.

In the process of doing business that way for more than 60 years, Sioux Nation has become one of the most unique agricultural companies in the marketplace today. We offer everything a livestock producer needs – effective and competitively priced. Animal feed and health products, customized feeding programs, nutritional and veterinary services, financial consulting services and the most innovative marketing programs available today support our customers using our team approach including nutritionists, veterinarians, field marketers, financial consultants and marketing experts.

We invite you to get to know us. We would love to help you succeed. Partnering with producers in the quest of strengthening agriculture in the region; that’s our commitment. Call us today to see what Sioux Nation can do for you.

image of Joe and Brian