4th Quarter 2009 Co-op Connection
Co-op Connection is published quarterly by the Marketing & Corporate Communications Department of Southern States Cooperative. Our purpose is to connect with our farmer-members, customers and key stakeholders, keeping them up to date with news, special reports and timely information.
Retail locations for Southern States Cooperative are
found in Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and
West Virginia. Our Agway affiliate stores are located
in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and most
Northeastern states. To locate the store nearest you or for
more information about Southern States Cooperative, our
products and services, please visit our Store Locator.
SOUTHERN STATES COOPERATIVE, INCORPORATED
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009
Notice is hereby given pursuant to Section 10 of Article II of the Bylaws of Southern States
Cooperative, Incorporated (the “Association”) of the Annual Meeting of the members of the
Association to be held on Friday, November 13, 2009, at 9:00 a.m. at the Association’s
corporate headquarters at 6606 West Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia. The purpose of the
meeting is to hear reports from the Board of Directors and Management and to transact such
other business as may come before the meeting, or any adjournment thereof.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
October 1, 2009
Kimberly G. Bram
Vice President and Secretary
Southern States is Naming Rights Partner at the State Fair of Virginia
Sharing a common goal of cultivating interest in agriculture and preserving rural heritage, Southern States is one of four naming rights partners of the State Fair of Virginia. Along with Union Bank and Trust Company, Virginia Farm Bureau and Americraft, Southern States is proud to collaborate with the State Fair of Virginia in celebrating Virginia’s agricultural traditions.
The 2009 State Fair of Virginia will be held September 24th - October 4th at The Meadow Event Park, the Caroline County birthplace of Triple Crown champion Secretariat. The new location will provide a more rural setting for the fair and an opportunity to display the importance of Virginia’s open land and agricultural traditions that have shaped the Commonwealth’s history.
“We believe that rural traditions will be preserved at the annual State Fair and presented to new audiences,” said Curry Roberts, SFVA President, “while hard work and achievement in the State Fair competitions will be rewarded through scholarships.”
The fair’s equine stable bears the name Southern States Legends® Stable and is surrounded by four show rings. With a high-visibility location on Horseman’s Alley, the modern facility contains 143 stalls.
The first of two stables will be completed for this year’s state fair, with a second Legends stable to be added in time for the 2010 fair. In addition to hosting equine events each day during the fair, equine events will occur year-round at the facility.
To help educate State Fair attendees, there will also be a Southern States display in the Livestock Loop area containing information on agriculture and Southern States product and service offerings. Southern States employees will staff this display to greet fair-goers and answer questions.
As a long-standing supporter and partner of the State Fair of Virginia, Southern States looks forward to contributing to the State Fair’s goal of keeping cherished ideals and experiences alive in the Commonwealth.
October is Co-op Month
Cooperative businesses generate hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in income for their communities while also supporting local causes ranging from education to the environment, according to a series of case studies compiled to help mark October as National Co-op Month.
Rich Schneider, Director of Member Relations for Southern States Cooperative, said the studies, compiled by the National Co-op Month Planning Committee, show that co-ops make significant economic and charitable contributions to their communities. Among the highlights:
- Nearly 3,000 farmer cooperatives account for as many as 300,000 jobs nationwide and a total payroll of more than $8 billion.
- A rural electric co-op in South Dakota helped fund an ethanol plant that today adds $50 million to the local area economy.
- Some 270 local, consumer-owned telecommunications cooperatives employ an average of 47 people each and generate more than $2 billion in revenues annually.
According to Schneider, it is no coincidence that co-ops show a special loyalty to their communities.
“As member-controlled enterprises, co-ops are run largely by the people who live and work in the communities they serve,” said Schneider. “That gives them a different perspective from businesses owned by distant investors.”
Cooperatives serve 120 million members, or four in ten Americans. They fall into four categories: consumer, producer, worker and purchasing/shared services. They operate in virtually every industry and range in size from small storefronts to Fortune 500 companies.
Despite this diversity, co-ops have some things in common. They are owned and democratically controlled by the people who use their services or buy their goods. More importantly, they are motivated by service to their members, not solely by profit. These characteristics give co-ops an uncommon loyalty and commitment to the communities in which they are located.
“Community is not just where we work; it is why we work,” Schneider said. “Cooperatives are motivated to serve their members. Doing that means we must also serve the communities in which our members live, work and play.”
Net Promoter® Score: A New Report Card for Southern States
“How likely is it that you would recommend Southern States to a friend?” That is the ultimate question behind the Net Promoter® Score (NPS), a customer feedback tool being used by Southern States to sharpen its focus on customer satisfaction.
NPS involves surveying customers by direct mail, web and in stores to better understand customer approval ratings. It is a tool to measure how well customers like doing business with Southern States and how likely customers would be to recommend the cooperative to friends and colleagues. Feedback, gathered by customer demographic, will provide insight into each customer group and their satisfaction rate.
Based on survey responses, customers are divided into one of three groups: promoters, passives or detractors. “Promoters” are loyal to the company, will continue to buy and urge their friends to do the same. “Passives” are satisfied but unenthusiastic customers who could easily be swayed by competitors. “Detractors” are unhappy customers who can be a liability to the business by convincing others to shop elsewhere.
“Southern States is utilizing Net Promoter Score because we believe that word of mouth is the most effective method of advertising,” said Steve Patterson, Vice President of Marketing and Communications. Patterson believes that customers who are promoters are also a powerful “sales force” in the field.
Continual feedback from customers will allow Southern States to make necessary adjustments quickly to keep customers satisfied. “We have launched NPS at several locations,” Patterson said, “and what we are learning is that we have many promoters. Our challenge is to continue to hire and train employees so they know how to take care of our customers.”
According to Patterson, the goal is to complete NPS surveys in all locations by January 2010.
Southern States Mebane, NC Service Moves to Larger Facility
The brand-new location for Southern States Mebane, NC Service hosted its grand opening event September 11-13. With a greatly expanded garden center and more room for warehouse facilities and parking spaces, the new store will offer a wider selection of the products customers have been asking for.
“We’re a very diversified location,” said Ronnie Trantham, District Manager. “We offer custom fertilizer blending and application, custom spray application, and bulk propane delivery, installation and service, as well as bag feed delivery. We’ve also expanded our Stihl® power equipment section and our LP fireplace log and heater department.”
The garden center is filled with beautiful quality plants and trees and expert assistance is available to help with plant selection and to answer any questions.
Store hours are also being expanded with doors open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Trantham said, “To our many loyal customers: we appreciate your outstanding support and business over the last 60 years and we look forward to serving you with expanded product lines and services designed to meet your growing needs and those of this vibrant and growing community.”
“To those who have yet to visit Southern States,” he added, “we encourage you to come by and see us at our brand new store. Experience for yourself the quality products and outstanding service that are the hallmarks of our company. I know you’ll see that if you’re in the business of growing – be it crops, gardens, lawns, pets, livestock or just feeding the birds – Southern States is your kind of place.”
Clovers All Over Campaign Gets Underway
Their motto is “To make the best better,” and 4-H members live out this motto by actively participating in projects to improve themselves and their communities. As a long-time supporter of 4-H, Southern States proudly continues its Clovers All Over program again this year.
Started in 2007, Clovers All Over was initiated by Southern States to celebrate National 4-H week. Green paper clovers, the symbol of 4-H, adorned Southern States retail locations last October. With a minimum $1 donation, customers displayed their name on a clover in support of their local 4-H group.
After collecting and donating $5,000 in 2007, and setting a goal of $50,000 in 2008, Southern States, along with its customers, partners and vendors, proudly presented the National 4-H Council with a check for $250,000 in November of last year.
The cooperative will continue its long-time support of 4-H’s education and development programs by sponsoring the Clovers All Over program again this fall. Clovers go on sale in participating Southern States locations October 5th through October 18th.
Southern States members and patrons are encouraged to support 4-H and thousands of young people nationwide with a heart for agriculture by donating generously to the 2009 Clovers All Over campaign.