Southern States Cooperative

Southern States Cooperative is an agribusiness organization owned by farmers and based out of Richmond, Virginia. The original cooperative began in 1923 and grew to include West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and in 1985, North Carolina. It is a manufacturing and purchasing organization for farm production supplies and a marketing organization that handles producer's corn, soybeans, and small grains through grain receiving stations.

Southern States distributes supplies through a network of more than 525 retail outlets. Supply categories include feed, seed, fertilizer, petroleum, and general farm supplies. The latter includes thousands of items for the farm, home, and garden. Backing up the retail system is a network of wholesale manufacturing, processing, and warehousing facilities. In addition, Southern States is a member of several inter-regional cooperatives that purchase, manufacture, process, and research a wide variety of agricultural supplies.

Currently there are over 3,500 people employed by the cooperative that continues to expand to other states. In 1998, Southern States purchased Gold Kist and incorporated their holdings from South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Alabama. Last year, the cooperative also began new operations into northeast regions of the country.

The Wilson store, which is specifically being honored, employs sixteen people and is involved with the community by supporting organizations such as 4H, the Young Farmers Association, and the Ag Center's homemakers groups. Their involvement with the people they serve, along with Southern States growth around the country, promises to keep them as a supplier of goods for our local farmers for years to come.