Southern States Cooperative
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1923
- HeadquartersRichmond, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Southern States Cooperative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Southern States Cooperative
- Legal name
- Southern States Cooperative, Inc.
- Website
- https://southernstates.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1923
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Southern States Cooperative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Supply Retail
- NAICS
- Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers (444), Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42491), Support Activities for Animal Production (115210)
- SIC
- Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Wholesale-Motor Vehicle Supplies & New Parts (5013)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Farmer Cooperatives & Co-op Retail (AFABAJAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Farm Supply Retail (Independent Dealers) (AFABAJAA), Bulk Fuel, Propane & Energy Supply for Farms (Retailer-Operated) (AFABAJAL), Farm Hardware, Parts & Consumables Retail (Tools, PPE, Repair) (AFABAJAM)
Keywords
Where Southern States Cooperative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Richmond
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices12 records
Markets served
Southern States Cooperative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Product Sales: Sale of farm supplies, lawn & garden, pet, sporting goods, hardware, tools, automotive, electrical, plumbing, and home & cleaning products through physical retail stores and e-commerce
- Energy Products & Services: Propane, heating oil, diesel, and gasoline sales with delivery services to homes, businesses, and farms
- Agronomy Products: Crop nutrition, crop protection chemicals, seeds, and professional turf products sold to agricultural customers
- Agronomy Services: Technical agronomy services including field recommendations, crop-specific solutions, and precision agriculture technology
- Member Services & Financing: Financing services through John Deere Financial and FS Agri-Finance for agricultural purchases; cooperative membership with patronage refunds
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Retail products with per-item pricing |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Energy services (Propane, Heating Oil, Diesel) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Southern States Cooperative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Southern States Cooperative sells farm and ranch supplies (animal feed, fencing, hardware, tools), agronomy inputs (crop nutrition, crop protection, exclusive seed brands), energy products (propane, heating oil, diesel, gasoline), and rural-lifestyle goods (lawn and garden, pet, sporting goods, hardware, plumbing, electrical, home and cleaning) through more than 35 retail store locations and an e-commerce platform across the southeastern United States. It also delivers propane and fuel with 24-hour emergency service and provides precision agriculture consulting through agronomy specialists.
Product overview
Southern States Cooperative is a farmer-owned cooperative (established 1923) operating a multi-category retail and agricultural supply platform. The core offering consists of: (1) Farm/Agronomy Division — animal feeds (NatureWise®, ProElite®, Triple Crown, Southern States® brand feeds), crop inputs (fertilizers, crop protection), and exclusive seed brands (FS HiSoy®, FS InVISION™, FS InSPIRE®), plus precision agriculture services; (2) Energy Division — propane, heating oil, diesel, gasoline, and tankless water heaters; (3) Retail Stores — lawn & garden, pet supplies, sporting goods, hardware, tools, automotive, electrical, plumbing, and home & cleaning products. The company also offers loyalty rewards programs, agricultural financing through FS Agri-Finance and John Deere Financial, and BOPIS fulfillment. The product portfolio is organized around a network of retail locations and agronomy centers serving farmers, homeowners, and rural communities across multiple states.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- NatureWise: Poultry feed brand including Layer Pellet, Crumble, and Silkie & Ornamental Layer Feeds
- FS HiSoy
- FS InVISION
- FS InSPIRE
- SuperGold
Companies that use Southern States Cooperative
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Southern States Cooperative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Southern States Cooperative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- STIHLcoreAuthorized STIHL dealer offering STIHL outdoor power equipment including chainsaws, trimmers, blowers, and KombiSystem attachments. Stores feature STIHL deals and promotions.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Southern States Cooperative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Growmark: Midwest-based farmer cooperative system offering agronomy, energy, and farm supply products and services through member-owners. Highly comparable operating model and product mix to Southern States' agronomy and energy divisions.
- Tractor Supply Company: Largest U.S. rural-lifestyle retailer with thousands of stores selling farm supplies, hardware, pet, lawn & garden, and automotive goods — directly competing with Southern States across most retail categories and the most relevant benchmark for rural co-op economics.
- Orscheln Farm and Home: Midwestern farm and home retail chain selling farm supplies, hardware, automotive, and rural lifestyle products through company-owned stores. Closely comparable retail assortment and rural customer focus.
- Rural King: Family-owned farm and home retail chain operating stores across the Midwest and South. Directly comparable in farm supply, hardware, and rural-lifestyle retail assortment and customer base.
- Helena Agri-Enterprises: U.S. agronomy retailer distributing crop protection, crop nutrition, seed, and specialty ag products. Comparable as an agronomy-focused retail and service provider serving row crop and specialty agriculture customers.
- MFA Incorporated: Regional farmer-owned cooperative operating across Missouri and surrounding states with farm supply retail, agronomy, and animal health products. Directly comparable in governance structure, product mix, and rural customer base.
- Tennessee Farmers Cooperative: Tennessee-based farmer cooperative distributing farm supplies, livestock feed, and agronomy inputs through local member co-ops. Closely comparable as a regional farmer-owned agricultural supply cooperative.
Broad incumbents
- Nutrien Ag Solutions: Retail arm of Nutrien Ltd., the world's largest crop input provider, offering crop nutrition, protection, seed, and agronomy services through a North American retail network. Comparable in agronomy products and precision agriculture services, though operating at vastly larger scale.
- Land O'Lakes: Major farmer-owned cooperative operating across crop inputs, animal nutrition, and dairy/food. Comparable cooperative governance and feed/agronomy overlap, but with a much broader national and global footprint.
- CHS Inc. Largest U.S. agribusiness cooperative with operations across energy, crop inputs, grain, and food. Comparable cooperative ownership model and energy/agronomy exposure, though significantly larger and more diversified than Southern States.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Southern States Cooperative social profiles
Digital presenceSouthern States Cooperative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Southern States Cooperative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Southern States Cooperative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Southern States Cooperative M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Southern States Cooperative
What does Southern States Cooperative do?
Southern States Cooperative sells farm and ranch supplies (animal feed, fencing, hardware, tools), agronomy inputs (crop nutrition, crop protection, exclusive seed brands), energy products (propane, heating oil, diesel, gasoline), and rural-lifestyle goods (lawn and garden, pet, sporting goods, hardware, plumbing, electrical, home and cleaning) through more than 35 retail store locations and an e-commerce platform across the southeastern United States. It also delivers propane and fuel with 24-hour emergency service and provides precision agriculture consulting through agronomy specialists.
Is Southern States Cooperative a public or private company?
Southern States Cooperative is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Southern States Cooperative founded?
Southern States Cooperative was founded in 1923. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Southern States Cooperative based?
Southern States Cooperative is headquartered in Richmond, United States, in the North America region.
How does Southern States Cooperative make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Retail Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are energy Products & Services, agronomy Products, agronomy Services and member Services & Financing.
Who are Southern States Cooperative's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Growmark, Tractor Supply Company, Orscheln Farm and Home, Rural King, Helena Agri-Enterprises, MFA Incorporated and Tennessee Farmers Cooperative. Broad incumbents are Nutrien Ag Solutions, Land O'Lakes and CHS Inc..
Does Southern States Cooperative have an API?
No public API is recorded for Southern States Cooperative.
What industry is Southern States Cooperative in?
Southern States Cooperative's product category is Agricultural Supply Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFABAJAB, Farmer Cooperatives & Co-op Retail, with a secondary code of AFABAJAA, Farm Supply Retail (Independent Dealers). Its NAICS code is 444 and its SIC code is 5200.