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Large Sale Barn taking shape in Mountain Grove

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Many area residents have noticed for the past six months the construction of a Sale Barn at the east side of town in Mountain Grove. What started out as large framework has bloomed quickly into a 78,000 sq. ft covered location for livestock combined with a nearly 11,000 sq. ft. adjacent building.

There are also several uncovered pens connected to the covered portion of the facility, which will soon be the home to the Wright County Livestock Auction. The business is owned by Renee Lauderdale; her son, Brandon Barton, and his wife, Brittany; along with Bryce Lauderdale; brother, Chuck Thompson, and his daughter, Victoria Peterson, and her husband, Luke.

Renee Lauderdale said the name was easy to come by since it was her father who ran a business with the same name in the 1980s. It was located at the current home of Earth Outdoors on the other side of town.

She did add that the family has even uncovered some promotional products they will be using when officially opened.

“We’re carrying on the tradition,” Renee Lauderdale said.

The goal for opening the new Mountain Grove Sale Barn is August. Eventually, there will be sales on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. for feeders calves followed by cows. The stock cow sale will be held on the third Saturday each month at 6 p.m.

The main facility will have a café inside selling burgers, friends and daily lunch specials. There will also be a main office, an office for veterinarian Dr. Logan Williams, bathrooms and a large comfortable seating area for the auctions.

For most of the past five years, Renee Lauderdale and her family have owned and operated Salem Livestock.

That also means the family has been running back and forth to Salem.

Renee Lauderdale did note that business will continue as normal at the Salem location.

At the same time, the family is also looking forward to being able hold sales once again closer to home.

“We’re happy to come back home,” she noted. “This is not something we woke up one day and said we wanted to do this. It is something we’ve wanted to do (for a long time). It just was not the right location or the right timing (before). You have to love this to do it. We are going to work  hard for the community and we believe in community support. We’re spending a lot of money and are helping Mountain Grove and other businesses.”