Carolinas Cotton Growers Cooperative

What Carolinas Cotton Growers Cooperative does

Carolinas Cotton Growers Cooperative, Inc. is a 100% producer-owned agricultural cooperative founded in 1922 and headquartered in Garner, North Carolina, that provides cotton marketing, warehousing, and related services to over 450 member/producers across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Arkansas. The cooperative is the second oldest cotton marketing cooperative in the United States, organized in 1961 to add South Carolina, expanded to Virginia in 1996, Georgia in 2000, and the Mid-South (LA/AR) in 2008, and it operates with a one-member, one-vote governance structure under a 10-producer board of directors.

The cooperative's core products are a portfolio of cotton marketing pool programs: the 100% Seasonal Pool (full-service management of pricing, CCC loan, and LDP decisions), the Premium Call Pool and Spot Basis Call Pool (member-controlled pricing variants), a Seasonal/Call Combination, and an Option Protection Program. These programs are supported by a member services portal (members.carolinascotton.com) and a 2015-launched mobile app, with information systems handling electronic warehouse receipt (EWR) processing and Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Form G loan administration. Physical infrastructure is held through the wholly owned subsidiary Cotton Growers Warehouses, Inc., which operates four licensed and bonded warehouse facilities (Chocowinity NC with 100,000 bale capacity, Lumberton NC, Bishopville SC, and Jackson NC with 40,000 bale capacity) under the U.S. Warehouse Act. A second wholly owned subsidiary, Southeast Futures Management, Inc. (formed 2004), handles futures trading, brokerage relations, and market research.

The cooperative generates revenue primarily by retaining 50 points per pound at the time of initial advance on each member bale delivered, supplemented by warehousing tariff fees at the subsidiary warehouses, income from Southeast Futures Management, and government program handling. All merchandising gains (weight, quality, carrying charges, government price support) are returned to members, consistent with cooperative economics. Export marketing has grown to approximately 50% of bales marketed by 2018, with the remainder sold to domestic textile mills. The cooperative recorded a record 675,000 bales marketed for the 2006 crop and held roughly 30% market share across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia as of January 2003.

Name

Carolinas Cotton Growers Cooperative

Legal name

Carolinas Cotton Growers Cooperative, Inc.

Website

https://carolinascotton.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carolinas Cotton Growers Cooperative is a 100% producer-owned agricultural cooperative founded in 1922 that markets cotton for over 450 member/producers across the Southeastern and Mid-South U.S. through pooled pricing programs, four owned warehouses, and an export channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural cooperative cotton marketing

NAICS

Farm Management Services (115116)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Cotton Farming (Upland & Pima/ELS) (AFAGAFAA)

Keywords

• Cotton marketing services
• Agricultural cooperative
• Cotton warehousing
• Commodity pooling programs
• Cotton export logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Garner

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Cotton Marketing Services: Revenue generated through marketing cotton for members via pooling arrangements. The cooperative retains marketing loan gains and LDP (Loan Deficiency Payments) for distribution back to members. All merchandising gains (weight, quality gains, carrying charges, government price support) are returned to members.
2. Warehouse Services: Warehousing services for cotton storage through subsidiary Cotton Growers Warehouses, Inc. Licensed and Bonded under U.S. Warehouse Act. Tariff-based fees for storage.
3. Subsidiary Operations: Income from subsidiary operations (Southeast Futures Management, Inc.) is retained as unallocated equity to supplement the cooperative's equity position.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Carolinas Cotton Growers Cooperative markets cotton on behalf of its member/producers through multiple pool-based programs (100% Seasonal Pool, Premium Call Pool, Spot Basis Call Pool, Seasonal/Call Combination, and Option Protection Program), handling CCC Loan processing, LDP payments, USDA quality premium calculations, and export logistics. It operates a four-location bonded cotton warehousing network through subsidiary Cotton Growers Warehouses, Inc., provides futures brokerage via Southeast Futures Management, Inc., and supports member financial services including equity management and direct deposit.

Product overview

Carolinas Cotton Growers Cooperative provides a comprehensive cotton marketing and logistics platform combining multiple marketing pool programs with physical warehousing and financial services through wholly-owned subsidiaries. The cooperative's primary offerings include Seasonal Pool and Call Pool marketing programs (Premium Call, Spot Basis Call, and Combination options), supported by Cotton Growers Warehouses, Inc. (with 4 warehouse locations across NC and SC totaling 140,000+ bale capacity), Southeast Futures Management subsidiary for brokerage and futures trading, and export/logistics operations. Financial services encompass member equity management and direct deposit. Founded in 1922, the cooperative serves over 450 member/producers and is 100% producer-owned.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 100% Seasonal Pool Full-service cotton marketing program where cooperative management makes all pricing, CCC Loan, and LDP decisions; provides advance payment at harvest with quality adjustments using CCC Loan Schedule, progress payments in February and May, and final cash settlement/patronage refund in September. For cotton producer members of the cooperative.
• Premium Call Pool Member-controlled cotton marketing program where the member makes all pricing and LDP decisions through the cooperative; locks in LDP rate until January 31st and competitive basis is determined as cotton is marketed throughout the season, with a maintenance margin for safety and USDA premiums/discounts. For cotton producer members.
• Spot Basis Call Pool Bale-only cotton contract offering a fixed basis by the cooperative, subject to change based on market conditions; basis can be rolled forward with minimum carrying charges, with no quality premiums paid. For cotton producer members preferring direct basis-driven transactions.
• Seasonal/Call Combination Hybrid cotton marketing program allowing members to designate bales for the Premium Call Pool and/or Spot Basis Call Pool with remaining bales marketed through the Seasonal Pool; first bales delivered are applied to Call Pool before Seasonal Pool. For cotton producer members seeking blended marketing exposure.
• Option Protection Program Price risk hedging program that works in conjunction with the Seasonal or Call Pools; members buy puts or calls to set price floors or hedge price risk without needing a separate brokerage account. For cotton producer members seeking price risk management.
• Export/International Marketing International cotton sales and export logistics for cooperative-member cotton, including documentation, letter of credit handling, and shipping scheduling; export volume reached 50% of bales marketed by the cooperative in June 2018. For international textile mill buyers and cooperative members.
• Cotton Growers Warehouses, Inc. Wholly owned subsidiary providing licensed and bonded cotton warehousing under the U.S. Warehouse Act; operates four warehouse locations — Chocowinity NC (100,000 bale capacity), Lumberton NC, Bishopville SC, and Jackson NC (40,000 bale capacity) — for cotton producer members and cotton industry customers.
• Southeast Futures Management, Inc. Wholly owned subsidiary formed in June 2004 to manage futures trading and brokerage relations, execution of futures trades, market research, and analysis supporting cooperative marketing operations.
• Member Financial Services Member equity management program: allocated equity based on pounds delivered with the cooperative retaining 50 points per pound at the time of initial advance on each member bale delivered; allocated equity is redeemed at the Board's discretion with a targeted revolvement of seven to ten years from issuance; includes a Direct Deposit Program for producer payments.
• Member Services Portal Online member portal at members.carolinascotton.com providing members with access to DCIA compliance forms, crop information, direct deposit authorization, and account management capabilities. For cooperative member producers.
• Mobile App for Member Access Mobile application launched in September 2015 to provide cooperative members with access to crop information on the go.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% market share in NC, SC, and VA achieved in January 2003
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AMCOTminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Cooperative joined AMCOT in May 2006.
• Southeast Futures Management, Inc.coreOthers · 1 January 2004New subsidiary formed in June 2004 to manage futures trading and brokerage relations. Wayne Boseman served as Vice President of Brokerage for this subsidiary.
• Cotton Growers Warehouse Association (CGWA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Donald Robinson serves as Board Member for the Cotton Growers Warehouse Association.
• Cathay (International Representation)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1981Cooperative entered into a contract with Cathay in February 1981 for representation in the international market.
• Farmers Cooperative Exchange (FCX)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1934FCX was created in April 1934 as a state-wide purchasing agent. The Cooperative had various warehouse and property arrangements with FCX over the decades.
• Cotton Council InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonald Robinson serves as Board Member for Cotton Council International, which handles export representation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AMCOT: Federation of US cotton marketing cooperatives that Carolinas joined in 2006. Comparable as a cooperative umbrella organization for cotton marketing, though AMCOT itself functions more as a collective bargaining and export coordination entity.
• Louis Dreyfus Company (Cotton Division): Global commodity merchant with major cotton trading operations. Comparable as a buyer/marketer competing for cotton volumes that could otherwise flow through cooperative channels like Carolinas.
• Bayer Crop Science (Cotton Seed and Inputs): Major cotton input provider (seeds, crop protection). Comparable as a participant in the US cotton value chain serving the same producers, though not a cooperative and not directly competing in marketing services.

Regional players

• Lone Star Ag (Texas Cotton Growers Cooperative): Texas-based cotton cooperative with marketing and pooling services for cotton producers. Comparable in cooperative structure but operates in a different region with no direct geographic overlap.

Emerging players

• Olam Cotton: Global cotton merchandiser and trader operating in the US cotton market. Comparable as an alternative marketing channel for cotton producers, though not a cooperative and serves a different go-to-market.

Direct peers

• Staplcotn (Staple Cotton Cooperative Association): Mississippi-based cotton marketing cooperative, the oldest in the US. Directly comparable in business model—producer-owned cooperative providing cotton marketing, pooling, and warehousing services to Mid-South cotton producers.
• Calcot (California Cotton Cooperative): California-based cotton marketing cooperative serving Western US cotton producers. Directly comparable as a regional cotton marketing cooperative with pooling, export, and warehousing operations.
• Plains Cotton Cooperative Association (PCCA): Texas-based cotton marketing cooperative and one of the largest in the US. Directly comparable to Carolinas as a grower-owned cooperative providing pooling, marketing, warehousing, and export services to cotton producers in a different geographic region.

Others

• National Cotton Council: US cotton industry trade association. Comparable as an industry body that Carolinas participates in for advocacy and policy representation, not a direct competitor.
• Cotton Inc. Research and promotion organization for US cotton. Comparable as a cotton industry ecosystem participant that Carolinas is a member of; supports research and marketing that benefits the cooperative's members.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CottonGrowers
• Facebookfacebook.com/Cotton-Growers-Cooperative-111096612327266
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cotton-growers-cooperative

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carolinas Cotton Growers Cooperative