Southern States Cooperative

Southern States Cooperative

Company type	Farmer-owned agricultural supply cooperative
Industry	Agriculture, Retail
Founded	1923
Headquarters	Henrico County, Virginia , United States
Area served	21 states in the United States
Products	Livestock feed, seeds, fertilizers, farm supplies, bulk fuels, precision agriculture technologies, lawn care and gardening supplies

Southern States Cooperative is a farmer-owned agricultural supply cooperative based near Richmond, Virginia, serving a diverse range of clients from small-scale to large commercial farmers. Its product offerings include livestock feed, seeds for pastures and vegetables, fertilizers, various farm essentials, bulk fuels, and crop-related services such as precision agriculture technologies. Additionally, the cooperative caters to homeowners by providing lawn care, gardening, and hobby farm supplies.

With annual revenues around $1.5 billion, Southern States serves over 200,000 farmer-members through a network exceeding 1,200 retail locations spanning 21 states.

Company history

Established in 1923 under the name Virginia Seed Service by a group of 150 Richmond-area farmers aiming to enhance seed quality within Virginia, the cooperative quickly diversified its operations. By 1925, it had incorporated feed distribution, followed by fertilizer sales in 1926, and shortly thereafter added farm supplies and petroleum products.

Originally concentrating on Virginia, the organization adopted the name Southern States Cooperative in the early 1930s to reflect its expanding footprint. It progressively extended services to Delaware and Maryland in 1934, West Virginia in 1941, Kentucky in 1945, and North Carolina by 1986.

Southern States strengthened its operational approach through research-driven initiatives: launching a hybrid corn program in 1948; setting up nationwide feed testing farms during the mid-1950s; and co-founding the national seed-breeding research entity known as FFR in 1960.

In 1978, the cooperative moved its headquarters to the Brookfield office park located in Henrico County. Although it sold its main building at 6606 W. Broad St. for approximately $15 million in 2018, Southern States remains the primary tenant at what is now called Brookfield Place.

Acquisitions and subsidiaries

During the early 1950s, Southern States joined forces with two regional agribusinesses to acquire an oil refinery situated in Texas City, which was renamed Texas City Refining, Inc. in 1951. The company further expanded by purchasing an adjacent refinery and terminal from Sid Richardson in 1960. After mergers involving entities such as the Grange League Federation and Eastern States Farmers Exchange—resulting in the formation of Agway in 1964—ownership of these assets was consolidated between Agway and Southern States. Ultimately, the cooperative sold the refinery with a capacity of 130,000 barrels per day along with two terminals in 1988.

In 1990, Southern States acquired Wetsel Seed Company, a family-run seed enterprise established in 1911 and based in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The company was rebranded as Wetsel Inc in 1995 before being divested in 2003.

The cooperative broadened its market reach in October 1998 by purchasing Gold Kist, Inc.'s wholesale and retail farm supply system, thereby extending its operations throughout the Southeastern United States. That same year also saw the acquisition of Michigan Livestock Exchange, enhancing its livestock-related business segment.

In 2000, Southern States procured Agway’s wholesale division servicing consumer dealers across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. This acquisition included a dealer network stretching from Maine to Delaware alongside distribution hubs and customer service centers, significantly improving logistical efficiency.

In August 2017, Southern States divested twenty farm-supply outlets located in Georgia and Florida as well as its cotton ginning operation based in Statesboro, Georgia; these assets were sold to Agrium. Simultaneously, it transferred ownership of its animal feed production facilities to agribusiness leader Cargill, Inc., while continuing retail sales of both bulk and bagged feed products.

These acquisitions and divestitures illustrate Southern States’ strategic evolution aimed at refining its product offerings and expanding its presence within vital agricultural markets.

References

Southern States: Consistently Genuine in Agriculture Crop Life October 2015 Feature (10/1/2015)

Southern States Cooperative Honored as Feed Mill of the Year for the Second Occasion Feed Machinery (12/2/2014)