Southern FS
Southern FS is a member-owned agricultural and energy cooperative serving farmers, residents, and commercial customers across Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, and Northwest Tennessee through 18+ locations, offering agronomy inputs, grain marketing, propane, fuels, lubricants, precision farming, FAST STOP retail fuel, and FS Agri-Finance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersMarion, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Southern FS does
Southern FS is a 100% member-owned agricultural and energy cooperative, founded in 2002 and headquartered in Marion, Illinois, that operates as part of the FS brand network affiliated with GROWMARK, Inc. The cooperative serves farmers, residents, and commercial customers across a four-state trade area — Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, and Northwest Tennessee — through 18+ physical locations, employing between 101 and 250 staff. Its core product and service portfolio spans agronomy (crop protection, plant performance, crop nutrients, adjuvants, and crop-specific programs for corn, soybeans, wheat, forages, and corn silage), grain marketing, energy (propane, fuels and additives, lubricants such as FS Suprex Gold ESP, and energy equipment), precision farming equipment and nutrient management, grain systems and buildings, and FS Agri-Finance financing programs. Supporting this is the FAST STOP branded retail gas station network and the myFS Solution Center digital account management platform that enables online payments, order history tracking, and service/delivery management across devices.
The cooperative makes money primarily through one-time sales of agricultural inputs and energy products, supplemented by transaction-based revenue from FAST STOP retail fuel (including a card-based loyalty program offering 15 cents per gallon savings for new cardholders) and from FS Agri-Finance financing programs. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven: FS specialists serve as trusted advisors embedded in the local agricultural community, supported by distribution through cooperative locations, physical retail fuel stations, and self-serve digital channels (myFS Solution Center, myFS Agronomy, online credit application). Marketing emphasizes local community presence, content (agronomy articles on corn, soybeans, and crop diseases), and targeted promotions such as the FAST STOP card and a propane referral program offering a $75 credit. The membership-based ownership model aligns commercial decisions with farmer and community interests rather than pure profit optimization, and affiliation with GROWMARK, Inc. provides access to national-scale procurement, branding, and agronomic resources while preserving local responsiveness.
Southern FS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Southern FS
- Legal name
- Southern FS
- Website
- https://southernfs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Southern FS is a member-owned agricultural and energy cooperative serving farmers, residents, and commercial customers across Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, and Northwest Tennessee through 18+ locations, offering agronomy inputs, grain marketing, propane, fuels, lubricants, precision farming, FAST STOP retail fuel, and FS Agri-Finance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Southern FS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Cooperative Services
- NAICS
- Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Farmer Cooperatives & Co-op Retail (AFABAJAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Agronomy Advisory & Field Services (Retailer-Affiliated) (AFABAJAH), Grain Handling & Farmgate Services (Retailer/Co-op Adjacent) (AFABAJAN), Natural Gas Retail Supply (Residential & SMB) (EUAGAGAD)
Keywords
Where Southern FS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Marion
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Southern FS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Agricultural Products: Sale of agricultural inputs including seeds, fertilizers, crop protection products, adjuvants, plant performance products, and crop nutrients. Also includes grain marketing services.
- Energy Products: Sale of propane, fuels, additives, and lubricants to residential, commercial, and agricultural customers.
- FAST STOP Gas Stations: Retail fuel sales through FAST STOP branded gas stations offering diesel fuel, gasoline, biodiesel, and ethanol-blended options. Includes promotional programs like 15-cent per gallon savings for new cardholders.
- FS Agri-Finance: Agricultural financing programs providing businesses with financing that fits each operation's needs.
- Precision Equipment and Services: Grain systems, buildings, precision equipment, and related installation/maintenance services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Southern FS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Southern FS is a member-owned agricultural and energy cooperative that sells crop inputs (seeds, fertilizers, crop protection, adjuvants, plant performance products) and provides agronomy services (including precision farming and grain marketing) to farmers across Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, and Northwest Tennessee. It also distributes propane, fuels and additives, and lubricants to residential, commercial, and farm customers, and operates FAST STOP branded retail gas stations.
Product overview
Southern FS is a member-owned agricultural and energy cooperative offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services through a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings include agronomy services (crop protection, plant performance, crop nutrients, precision farming) for various crops (corn, soybeans, wheat, forages); energy products (propane, fuels, lubricants); and financial services (FS Agri-Finance). Supporting services include grain systems, precision equipment, FAST STOP retail gas stations, turf management, and feed products. The myFS Solution Center serves as the digital platform for account management. Southern FS operates as part of the FS Cooperatives network, serving Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, and Northwest Tennessee through 18+ locations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FAST STOP: Gas stations offering diesel fuel, gasoline, biodiesel, and ethanol-blended fuel options.
- myFS
- FS Agri-Finance
Products and services
- Agronomy Services Comprehensive agronomy services and crop-specific input recommendations for corn, soybeans, wheat, forages, and corn silage, delivered by FS specialists to farmers in the four-state territory.
- Crop Protection Products Products and services for protecting crops from pests, diseases, and weeds, supplied to farmers in the cooperative's service area.
- Crop Nutrients Fertilizers and nutrient products supplied to farmers for crop nutrition.
- Adjuvants Adjuvant products designed to enhance the performance of agricultural chemicals.
- Plant Performance Products Products and services formulated to enhance plant growth and crop performance.
- Grain Marketing Services Services that help farmers sell their agricultural products and manage grain price risk.
- Precision Farming Services Precision agriculture technology including equipment, farming technology, and nutrient management solutions delivered to farm operations.
- Propane Supply Reliable propane supply delivered to homes, farms, and businesses across the cooperative's service territory.
- Fuels & Additives Premium fuels and additives sold to commercial and agricultural operations.
- Lubricants Premium lubricants supplied for agricultural, commercial, and residential use, including FS Suprex Gold ESP diesel engine oil.
- FAST STOP Gas Stations Retail gas stations offering diesel fuel, gasoline, biodiesel, and ethanol-blended options with promotional savings for FAST STOP cardholders.
- FS Agri-Finance Financing programs designed for agricultural operations to reduce risks and increase profitability, with terms tailored to each operation's needs.
- Grain Systems & Buildings Grain storage systems and building solutions supplied to agricultural operations.
- Precision Equipment Precision farming equipment sold to modern agricultural operations.
- Energy Equipment Energy equipment solutions supplied to commercial operations.
- Turf Seeds Turf seed products sold for residential lawn care.
- Turf Management Lawn and turf management services delivered to residential properties.
- Feed Feed products supplied to livestock operations.
- Fruits & Vegetables Products and services supplied for fruit and vegetable production.
- myFS Solution Center Online account management platform enabling customers to make secure payments, track order history, and manage services and deliveries on any device.
Companies that use Southern FS
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Southern FS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Southern FS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- GROWMARK, Inc.coreSouthern FS is a member of the FS Company network affiliated with GROWMARK, Inc. The FS brand represents a standard of excellence for agricultural and energy-related products. FS Companies include local cooperatives committed to ensuring continued profitability for the company, their owners, and customers while supporting environmental and community sustainability.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Southern FS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CHS Inc. CHS is the largest U.S. agricultural cooperative, operating energy, agronomy, and grain businesses with a similar member-owned model. It competes directly with FS cooperatives on crop inputs, propane, fuels, and grain marketing across the Midwest.
- WinField United: WinField United is the retail agronomy platform of Land O'Lakes, operating a cooperative-style retail network. It directly parallels Southern FS's model of localized agronomy advisory, proprietary crop inputs, and farmer financing.
- Helena Agri-Enterprises: Helena Agri-Enterprises is a national distributor and retailer of crop inputs and specialty agronomy products. It competes with Southern FS in crop protection, fertilizers, and adjuvants across the Midwest and Mid-South.
- Nutrien Ag Solutions: Nutrien Ag Solutions is the retail arm of Nutrien Ltd. and the largest global ag retailer. It competes directly with Southern FS on fertilizer, crop protection, seed, and digital agronomy tools across U.S. farming regions.
- GROWMARK, Inc. GROWMARK is the parent FS cooperative system and direct operational peer. It provides the same agricultural inputs, energy products, and agronomy services to member cooperatives including Southern FS, sharing branding, supply chain, and proprietary product lines such as FS InVISION and FS Suprex Gold ESP.
Regional players
- Heartland Co-op: Heartland Co-op is an Iowa-based farmer-owned cooperative offering grain, agronomy, and energy services. Comparable to Southern FS in cooperative structure, product mix, and relationship-driven service model.
- Co-Alliance Cooperative: Co-Alliance Cooperative is an Indiana- and Ohio-based farmer-owned cooperative delivering agronomy, energy, grain, and feed products. It is structurally and operationally comparable to Southern FS in a neighboring Midwest geography.
- Premier Companies: Premier Companies is an Iowa-based agricultural retailer offering agronomy, energy, and feed products. It mirrors Southern FS's diversified farm-supply co-op/retailer model in a different Midwest geography.
- Agtegra Cooperative: Agtegra Cooperative is a farmer-owned cooperative serving North and South Dakota with agronomy, energy, and grain services. It offers a directly comparable cooperative farm-supply platform in a different regional footprint.
Broad incumbents
- Land O'Lakes, Inc. Land O'Lakes is a large, diversified agricultural cooperative (dairy, animal nutrition, WinField United crop inputs). It overlaps with Southern FS through its WinField retail agronomy business but operates at significantly broader scale and scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Southern FS social profiles
Digital presenceSouthern FS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Southern FS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Southern FS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Southern FS 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 FS
What does Southern FS do?
Southern FS is a member-owned agricultural and energy cooperative that sells crop inputs (seeds, fertilizers, crop protection, adjuvants, plant performance products) and provides agronomy services (including precision farming and grain marketing) to farmers across Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, and Northwest Tennessee. It also distributes propane, fuels and additives, and lubricants to residential, commercial, and farm customers, and operates FAST STOP branded retail gas stations.
Is Southern FS a public or private company?
Southern FS is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Southern FS founded?
Southern FS was founded in 2002. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Southern FS based?
Southern FS is headquartered in Marion, United States, in the North America region.
How does Southern FS make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Agricultural Products are the primary driver. The others are energy Products, FAST STOP Gas Stations, FS Agri-Finance and precision Equipment and Services.
Who are Southern FS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CHS Inc., WinField United, Helena Agri-Enterprises, Nutrien Ag Solutions and GROWMARK, Inc.. Regional players are Heartland Co-op, Co-Alliance Cooperative, Premier Companies and Agtegra Cooperative. Land O'Lakes, Inc. is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Southern FS have an API?
No public API is recorded for Southern FS.
What industry is Southern FS in?
Southern FS's product category is Agricultural Cooperative Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFABAJAB, Farmer Cooperatives & Co-op Retail, with a secondary code of AFABAJAH, Agronomy Advisory & Field Services (Retailer-Affiliated). Its NAICS code is 32531 and its SIC code is 700.