History

Fifty years ago Joseph W. Houston and four business partners saw the need for a livestock  market in Southeast Tennessee. Sweetwater was selected as the location, and in April 1962 the East Tennessee Livestock Center was born. At that time Joe was an extension specialist with the University of Tennessee.

As the market began to grow, Joe left UT and worked full-time in the market. After the first couple of years, Gladys joined her husband as office manager. Over the next few years, Joe bought his partners out. In 1980, Mark Houston graduated from the University of Tennessee. When Mark entered the business it became 100% family owned. Mark expanded both the market and related order-buying business.

In 1987, tragedy struck, and Gladys died. Mark’s wife Jennifer, also an animal science graduate from UT left the USDA to enter the family business.   During these years, Mark and Jennifer had two children, Virginia and Ross.  Both were very active in 4-H, FFA and sports during their growing up years.  Currently, Virginia is pursuing her dream of being involved in animal agriculural advocacy in Washington, DC, while Ross is a freshman at the University of Alabama.   Both of them retain close ties to the market even though they are not there on a day to day basis.

In 1994 Joe retired from the market, but Mark and Jennifer committed themselves to being leaders and innovators in the livestock marketing business.  Mark served on the board of the Livestock Marketing Association and  was President of the Tennessee Livestock Marketing association.  Jennifer has served on the Tennessee Beef Industry Council for 25 years and has been very active in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association where she currently serves on the Executive Committtee.

In March of 2011, the family entered a new phase of life with the death of Joe Houston at the age of 85.  Although he had retired 17 years before, most days Joe went with Mark as he went about his business.  Joe enjoyed his many trips with Mark to video cattle in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee where he visited with customers and told his many stories.  Although he is greatly missed around the market, Mark and Jennifer are proud to build upon the marketing legacy that he began in 1962.