SSI Celebrates 40 Years

Software Solutions Integrated, LLC is celebrating 40 years in business in 2021. Today, the company includes over 160 employees developing and supporting Agvance, SSI’s agribusiness software solution.

Their customers include 700 ag retailers and over 18,000 individual users across the United States and Canada. Small and large businesses use Agvance including 41 of the CropLife100 companies. SSI is proud to continue to serve these customers and many more!

It all began in 1981 as personal computers were just taking off and Pam Rincker was teaching high school math and science. After spearheading an effort to bring the computers into her classroom, she soon developed a reputation as the local computer advisor within the small community of Shelbyville. When a local fertilizer dealer asked her to help implement the bookkeeping software they had purchased, Pam quickly realized the “off-the-shelf” package was not going to address the unique aspects of their customer billing. She told the dealer she could write a custom program that would handle those requirements and she did. That was the beginning of what became both a passion and growing business over the next four decades.

The small entrepreneurship grew as a few more individuals joined Pam to develop and market a pre-packaged solution for fertilizer and chemical retailers. By 1987, a creative staff of four incorporated and the business began to grow and expand its offerings. In the mid 1990’s, a Windows® version of the growing suite of products was developed under a new name –Agvance. Over the next two decades, the Agvance footprint continued to grow as SSI became the market leader. In 2016, SSI launched a new platform, Agvance SKY, as the company continues to innovate using the latest cloud-based technologies.

Regardless of the project, SSI relies heavily on the knowledge, experience, and commitment of their employees. President and founder Pam Rincker credits the success of the company to a dedicated staff and a willingness to respond to customer needs. “The secret to writing great software is listening to those who will use it day in and day out,” Pam explains “If you listen carefully, they will tell you exactly what you need to be successful.”

Today, agriculture retailers use Agvance to drive their business operations and digitally engage with their customers and trading partners. The comprehensive platform is well-suited for diverse cooperatives and retailers that provide agronomy, grain, and energy services that are looking to expand and grow. But, one thing has not changed, listening to the customer. SSI began by listening to what the customer wants and anticipating future needs. Those values remain very much intact forty years later.