Rural King’s growth drive continues as the retailer adds more stores, expands its distribution network and upgrades its headquarters.
A grand opening on May 29 marked the debut of a Rural King location in Prattville, AL, the company’s seventh in the state. That followed the grand opening of Rural King’s 30th Ohio store in Ashtabula on May 8.
In July, Rural King opened a store in Mableton, GA, over the Independence Day weekend, its fourth in the state. On July 19, the company’s growth push reaches Anderson, SC, where Rural King plans to open its second store in the state.
On June 30, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger announced Rural King would invest $40 million to establish a new distribution facility in Henry County, which includes taking over an existing 500,000-square-foot warehouse facility at the Patriot Centre Industrial Park.
In helping to announce the investment in the Virginia facility, Rural King’s Amy Shafer, vice president of human resources, said, “We’re excited to expand our distribution network with this new facility in Henry County and deepen our commitment to serving customers across the region. This investment reflects Rural King’s continued growth and our dedication to creating meaningful career opportunities in the communities we serve. We look forward to increasing our engagement in the community.”
Earlier in June, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced that Rural King would invest $75 million to construct a new store support center campus in Mattoon, IL, where its headquarters is already located. The new facility will house the company’s leadership and support functions, including merchandising, IT, finance, operations, marketing, human resources, legal, and other key business functions.
“Our associates are the heartbeat of our company,” Rural King owner and Chairman Alex Melvin said about the Mattoon headquarters initiative. “As Rural King continues to grow, this new store support center is an investment for our teams to ensure they have the space, resources and technology needed to support our stores and customers while keeping our roots firmly planted in the community we call home. In addition to the store support center, we are excited to develop an event center, which will be available for the community to utilize for a variety of different purposes.”
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Kristin Richards added, “Rural King’s decision to expand and modernize its store support center in Mattoon is a strong example of Illinois’ continued success in strengthening and retaining homegrown businesses.”
