Southern Trading Inc connects Carolina farms, Gulf export terminals, and regional processors through graded soybeans, corn, wheat, and cotton — sourced, stored, and delivered from our Matthews distribution hub.
From Piedmont soybean crushers to Lowcountry cotton gins, we maintain graded bulk inventory and contract sourcing for every major row crop in our region.
Identity-preserved and conventional yellow soybeans for crush plants, feed mills, and export channels. Test weight, moisture, and foreign material certified on every loadout.
Feed-grade and ethanol-bound corn with aflatoxin screening and moisture documentation. Contract programs aligned to harvest windows across NC, SC, and VA.
Mill-quality SRW wheat for regional flour mills and bakeries. Protein, falling number, and DON screening available with third-party lab certificates on request.
Middling-grade upland cotton for textile spinners and merchant exporters. Staple length, micronaire, and strength data provided per USDA classing standards.
Southern Trading maintains both spot inventory at our Saranac Lane terminal and forward contract programs tied to regional harvest calendars. Whether you need a single truckload of #2 corn or a 25-railcar soybean program spanning two crop years, our merchandising desk structures pricing around basis, FOB terms, and delivery windows that match your plant schedule.
Every inbound lot is probed for moisture and temperature, graded against USDA standards, and entered into our lot tracking system before it enters a bin or staging pad.
We grade every lot against federal standards and document test weight, moisture, damage, and foreign material before release. Below are the baseline specifications we maintain for standard inventory.
| Commodity | Grade | Test Weight / Staple | Moisture Max | FM / Damage Max | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soybeans | #1#2 | 56 lb/bu minimum (#2) | 13.0% | 2% FM · 3% total damage | Grade cert, scale ticket, lot ID |
| Yellow Corn | #2 Yellow | 54 lb/bu minimum | 15.5% | 3% FM · 5% total damage | Moisture probe log, aflatoxin screen |
| Soft Red Winter Wheat | #1 SRW#2 SRW | 58 lb/bu minimum (#2) | 13.5% | 2% FM · 4% total damage | Protein, FN, DON on request |
| Upland Cotton | Middling | 1-1/16" staple min | 7.5% bark moisture (seed cotton) | Mic 3.5–4.9 · Strength 28g/tex | USDA classing report, bale ID |
| Soybeans (Export) | #2 | 56 lb/bu · 19% protein min | 13.0% | 2% FM · heat-damaged <0.5% | Phytosanitary, fumigation cert |
| Corn (Ethanol) | #2 Yellow | 54 lb/bu minimum | 15.0% | 3% FM · aflatoxin <20 ppb | Incoming QC sheet per delivery |
Our Matthews terminal sits at the intersection of Piedmont farm country and Southeast processing infrastructure — shortening the path from harvest to crush, mill, gin, or port.
We contract with regional growers, co-ops, and elevator networks across the Carolinas and Virginia. Purchase agreements specify grade, moisture, delivery period, and FOB point — with daily basis updates from our merchandising desk.
Trucks and railcars arrive at Saranac Lane where each lot is probed, weighed on certified scales, and graded. Non-conforming loads are segregated, discounted, or rejected per contract terms — with full documentation returned to the seller within 24 hours.
Approved grain enters our bin system with continuous temperature monitoring. Aeration cycles maintain safe storage moisture. Cotton bales are staged under covered pads with humidity controls. Every lot retains its identity for traceability.
Orders are picked by lot, blended to spec if required, and loaded via truck spout or railcar fill. Each outbound shipment includes a grade certificate, scale ticket, and bill of lading with lot numbers cross-referenced to inbound records.
Delivered loads arrive at feed mills, ethanol plants, flour mills, gins, or port elevators on scheduled windows. Invoices reconcile against contract weights with shrink and grade factors applied transparently. Export programs include container stuffing coordination at Charleston and Norfolk.
Positioned 12 miles southeast of Charlotte, our terminal accesses I-485, CSX rail, and Southeast port corridors — keeping transit times short for processors across six states.
Hopper and live-bottom trailers loaded from overhead spouts with average turnaround under 45 minutes during business hours. Same-day dispatch available for standing-order accounts within a 200-mile radius of Matthews.
CSX-served spur with 110-car capacity staging. Unit train programs for soybean and corn moves to Gulf export terminals, Midwest crush plants, and Southeast ethanol facilities. Demurrage managed in-house.
Cotton and soybean export programs routed through Charleston, Norfolk, and Savannah container yards. We coordinate inland haul, fumigation, phytosanitary certificates, and vessel booking through established port partners.
Regular delivery lanes from our Matthews hub to processors, gins, and port elevators across the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, and eastern Tennessee.
Southern Trading serves the full spectrum of bulk commodity buyers — from single-truck feed operations to multi-origin export programs.
Consistent #2 corn and soybean supply for poultry, swine, and cattle feed formulations. Standing-order programs with weekly delivery windows and quarterly contract reviews.
High-volume yellow corn programs with aflatoxin screening and moisture documentation aligned to plant intake specifications. Rail unit-train scheduling available.
Soft red winter wheat with protein and falling number certificates. Mill-quality specs maintained year-round with new-crop transition planning each June.
Middling upland cotton with USDA classing data. Gin-direct sourcing and bale aggregation for domestic spinners and export merchants.
Soybean and cotton export programs with inland logistics, fumigation, and documentation support for Gulf and Atlantic port loadings.
Origination partnerships and cross-docking for co-ops consolidating Piedmont and Coastal Plain harvests. Transparent basis reporting and prompt settlement.
Our Saranac Lane facility combines upright grain bins, flat storage, and covered cotton bale pads — all monitored for temperature, moisture, and inventory integrity. Aeration systems run on automated schedules tied to ambient conditions and grain thermocouple readings.
Capacity is allocated dynamically across commodities based on harvest flow and customer contract commitments. Peak season overflow is managed through partner elevator agreements within a 50-mile radius.
Contract timing aligned to Carolina and Southeast crop calendars — so your inventory arrives when fields come off the combine, not weeks later.
Single truckloads (approximately 950 bushels for grain, 24 bales for cotton) are our standard minimum for spot orders. Rail shipments require a minimum of 10 carloads. Standing-order accounts may qualify for smaller weekly deliveries on consolidated routes within our 200-mile truck radius.
Every inbound lot is graded at our certified receiving point before acceptance. If a seller disputes our grade, we offer split-sample submission to an independent USDA-approved lab within 24 hours. Settlement adjusts per the lab result, and both parties receive full documentation.
Yes. Forward contracts are available for all four commodities with delivery windows aligned to regional harvest calendars. Pricing can be structured as flat price, basis-only, or HTA (Hedge-to-Arrive). Contract minimums typically start at 5,000 bushels for grain and 100 bales for cotton.
We manage phytosanitary certificates, fumigation scheduling, and container stuffing coordination through established partners at Charleston, Norfolk, and Savannah. Export soybean programs include heat-damage and protein documentation aligned to destination country requirements.
Every outbound load includes a grade certificate, certified scale ticket, bill of lading with lot numbers, and moisture/temperature probe log. Cotton shipments add USDA classing reports. Additional lab tests — protein, falling number, aflatoxin, DON — are available on request with third-party certificates.
Standard spot quotes are returned within one business day. Forward contract proposals for harvest delivery typically require 48 hours to incorporate basis analysis and logistics costing. Standing-order accounts with established credit receive same-day pricing on routine truck orders.
Southern Trading Inc operates a bulk agricultural commodities terminal on Saranac Lane in Matthews, North Carolina — serving feed mills, ethanol plants, flour mills, cotton gins, and export merchants across the Carolinas and the broader Southeast.
We built this company around a simple premise: regional processors deserve a distributor that understands grading standards, harvest timing, and logistics constraints — not a broker who treats soybeans like any other bulk product. Our merchandising team tracks basis levels daily, our receiving crew grades every inbound lot, and our logistics coordinators keep trucks and railcars moving on schedule.
From a single truckload of #2 yellow corn to a multi-year soybean export program, Southern Trading provides the inventory depth, quality documentation, and delivery reliability that Southeast commodity buyers depend on.
Request spot pricing, forward contract terms, or a facility tour of our Matthews terminal. Our merchandising desk responds within one business day.