BWI Customer Profile: Neshoba County Co-op in Philadelphia, MS

customer profile | neshoba county co-op | philadelphia, ms .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

By Ashley Gardner

The Neshoba County Cooperative, located in Philadelphia, Mississippi, has something for almost everyone, whether you

hunt, fish, garden, or farm. The Co-op is the largest supplier of hunting and fishing products in its area, carrying a long list of namebrand products and the latest in hunting and fishing equipment. Many of the staff are sportsmen who can answer customer questions and make suggestions on which items may work best.

Neshoba is also a gardener’s delight providing a vast selection of shrubs, trees, flowering plants, vegetables, and more. The Co-op boasts three large nurseries allowing customers to purchase homegrown, healthy plants. Nursery attendants can offer their expertise to customers, assist with planting questions, and choose plants that will work for their individual needs.

Agriculture has long been the focus for Neshoba which keeps feed, seed, fertilizer, and farm supplies in stock. The Co-op carries many different types of fertilizers for pastures, gardens, lawns, and crops and has spreader services available for those who need them. It also keeps farm supplies in stock, including barbed wire, metal t-posts, wooden posts, stock tanks, gates, feeders, tractor implements, and more.

Richard Goldman manages Neshoba and he still relies heavily on his father Ricky Goldman’s past management experience. The Co-op recently promoted Nichole Bankston, a 15-year employee, to assistant manager. Nichole’s help in managing the business has been a significant help to Richard. She oversees 35 employees and does all the hiring. The elder Goldman saw Neshoba through some tough times at the beginning of his tenure. When the bottom fell out of the dairy industry, Ricky had to change the Neshoba Co-op’s focus, which was heavily focused on dairy.

“Richard has managed the Co-op for the last three years and I managed it for 30 years before that,” said Ricky. “I came in 1987 and it was pretty broke at that point. It was after the dairy buy out and the store was struggling to survive.”

Ricky turned the focus away from dairy and started looking at offering a wider variety of products and services. By diversifying and expanding its offerings, the Co-op moved forward, evolving into the bustling business it is today where hunters, farmers, and gardeners alike can all find products to meet their needs.

“We’ve been very blessed since then. We’ve gone in a lot of different directions. We have diversified and that’s what kept us alive and made us as successful as we are,” Ricky said. “We have a good board that allowed us to go out on a limb.”

Luckily that limb proved sturdy and the store has grown into a hub for shoppers of many different interests.

Photographs by Neshoba County Co-op

But even for all the diversity, the focus of Neshoba Co-op is still agriculture.

“That’s who we are and what we were designed for. We still do big business in agriculture but all these other things make it work,” Ricky said. “If it had not been for the other areas we branched out in, I don’t think we would have survived. Diversifying let us position ourselves where we could grow.”

Neshoba Co-op aims to be a one-stop shop for farmers and it does so by making sure it has the items farmers need in stock. It carries between $2.5 to $3 million in inventory and that stock onhand is one thing that makes Neshoba Co-op a go-to supplier for area farmers.

“We keep a huge inventory and they know we will have everything they need. If someone wants to build a fence then they can come in and get all their supplies right here. They don’t have to go to this store and that store. We have it all in stock,” Ricky said.

Being so big allows the Co-op to buy supplies in bulk, a savings that Neshoba can pass on to the customers.

“We are priced competitively,” Richard said. “We are big enough that we can buy in large quantities.”

Providing exceptional customer service is a key focus for Neshoba. The Goldmans know that if customers can have their questions answered by the Co-op’s knowledgeable staff, it will keep them coming back.

“We do a good job with customer service. It’s very satisfying to meet each customer’s individual needs,” Richard said.

Working throughout the COVID pandemic proved to be very challenging in several ways. Neshoba closed its doors to the public and went to curbside-only for a month in the spring of 2020. They dealt with staffing issues and offered incentive pay for employees to keep things running smoothly.

“It was a tough year last year. When we went to curbside-only for a month, that was hard, hard,” said Ricky.

They found a way to make it work and in spite of the difficulties, the determination and commitment of the Goldmans and the Neshoba staff paid big dividends. It has proved ultimately to be a very successful year for the Co-op which had the largest increase in sales ever, resulting in a $750,000.00 increase.

Ricky attributes that to people working from home and not going on vacations. Restaurants and movie theaters were also closed. With those other forms of entertainment not available during part of the pandemic, people turned their focus on their homes and their yards. Instead of families heading to the beach or on a cruise, they were landscaping, building fire pits, planting flower beds, or other home improvement projects.

“They spent the money they saved on other things here,” Ricky said.

The father/son team obviously enjoy working together to make Neshoba County Co-op a success. Richard has been working by Ricky’s side for nearly two decades and loving every minute of it.

“I’ve been blessed to work with my father for the last 18 years. It’s been a joy,” Richard said.

Ricky agreed that they make a great team. “We work together surprisingly well,” said Ricky, who handles inventory control and purchasing for the Co-op. “I buy 75 percent of everything that’s bought for the store which is a pretty good job in itself.”

“I take care of the complaints,” Richard said with a laugh.

We keep a huge inventory and they know we will have everything they need. If someone wants to build a fence then they can come in and get all their supplies right here. They don’t have to go to this store and that store. We have it all in stock. ”

Customers have been snapping up the much anticipated Snake boot for protection when spring hunting or prepping for fall. It boasts Bogs’ proprietary Seamless Technology, for lighter weight and more durability.

The olive mid-cut Digger boot has been flying off shelves. Consumers are drawn to its versatility, in the yard, farm, poultry houses, etc. It’s lightweight and comfortable to wear year round in southern climates.

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