Inc. It has a stockholder advisory board. This board is elected by and represents the members served in the trade territory. Each retail location has one vote in the election of a Southern States Director every third year. 343 private dealers with 22 branches. These are classified as Private Dealers with retail warehouses and are independent businesses that accept the dealer agreement to handle SSC supplies.
Retail margins belong to the owners.
Earnings realized by Southern States on supplies furnished each dealer at wholesale are returned directly to members as patronage refunds. Cooperative members served by these dealers may elect local advisory boards to represent them. Each retail location with an elected local advisory board has one vote in the election of a Southern States Director every third year. These cooperatives operate much like managed member cooperatives holding a supply franchise but usually having no agreement with Southern States for management services. Southern States' wholesale patronage refunds go directly to these dealers and may be passed on with retail earnings to their patrons and members.