Award recognizes Southern States Execellence in Employee Training

Southern States Cooperative has long had a reputation for providing knowledgeable service along with quality products. Now the company has been recognized for excellence in training its employees.
Southern States was named one of the top 100 learning organizations in the country March 22 when it received a Learning! 100 Award.
Given by Elearning! Media Group, the award recognizes companies that create a learning culture throughout their organizations by implementing outstanding learning and development programs. Southern States scored in the top half of the list, ranking 27th among winners that included United Parcel Service, Intel and GE.
The Learning! 100 Award noted Southern States’ implementation of a web-based learning management system called KnowledgeMaster, which gives employees access to training courses anytime, from any computer with Internet access. Offering computer-based courses means that Southern States can easily reach employees across its 10-state geographic footprint with the latest training.
“This is one more example of our commitment to serve our customers,” said Steve Patterson, Vice President for Marketing and Communications. “They count on us for outstanding service and advice, so we work hard to make sure our employees are the best-informed in the business. Our computer-based learning system is a powerful tool to help our employees become more informed and better prepared to provide the best solutions for our customers.”
Established in 1923, Southern States is a Richmond, Va.-based farm supply and service cooperative with more than 300,000 farmer-members.  One of the nation’s largest agricultural cooperatives, Southern States provides a wide range of farm inputs, including fertilizer, seed, livestock feed and pet food, animal health supplies and petroleum products, as well as other items for the farm and home.  The cooperative serves its members and non-member customers through some 1,200 retail outlets. Visit http://www.southernstates.com for more information.