Tradition. Common Goals. Strong Foundation. Financial Stability.
A successful cooperative has all these things, thanks to the basic principal of this type of business enterprise: ownership by the people it serves. Members, producers, consumers and employees all have a close association with the cooperative, sharing strengths and weaknesses to create a level field for potential growth and success.

Profit Sharing. Profit is distributed to cooperative members in the form of a cash refund and/or a deferred patronage. The amount of goods and services purchased by the member from the cooperative determines the annual patronage. A coop – unlike a for-profit business – exists not to show a profit to its shareholders, but to return those profits to its members.

The figure below shows how income is derived and distributed among a cooperative's members:

Supplies and Marketing. An agricultural cooperative serves mainly as a supply and marketing cooperative. This type of business allows farmers to have a “one-stop shop” for their production needs. Agri-business owners realize buying from their local cooperative gives them greater advantages in the marketplace. Benefits over typical retailers include increased leverage in marketing products and the assurance that goods and services will be available to them.

Reduced risk.The volume of members in a cooperative helps to spread out and reduce risk for the individual. It reduces pressure on the individual cooperative member to market or to find supplies on their own.

Southwest Landmark is a cooperative proud of its history and striving to reach the highest level of customer service.