Rural King announced Tuesday it will expand its distribution center operations in Waverly, creating 75 new jobs in this newest expansion.
Headquartered in Mattoon, Ill., Rural King operates more than 120 farm and home stores in 13 states.
The Waverly distribution facility opened in 2015 and currently operates with approximately 370 associates at the location. This facility services a majority of Rural King stores, fulfills e-commerce orders, and completes assembly for Rural King tractors. Rural King chose Ohio for its work ethic and talent in the region. Ohio’s logistical advantages also help the company reach a broad area of the Midwest and Southeastern U.S.
“We’re excited to continue expanding our distribution center and adding more jobs into the community here in Waverly,” said Rural King CEO Alex Melvin. “This facility has helped us to streamline our operations and increase our supply chain efficiency, and increased space will allow our company and this community to continue improving.”
For this expansion, Rural King has obtained and will occupy an additional 800,000 square feet of the former Mill’s Pride building adjacent to its current operation. This project will put three vacant buildings back into productive reuse. Rural King will invest nearly $17 million at the site, which includes significant improvements to the building.
JobsOhio and OhioSE worked collaboratively with Rural King representatives on the project, which will recieve and a $400,000 JobsOhio Economic Development Grant. Pike County Community and Economic Development, JEDISO, the village of Waverly, and Pike County Community Action also each assisted in the project.
In 1960, Rural King started as a small, family-owned farm store in Mattoon, IL. Now, the company is one of the fastest growing family-owned companies in America and has added more than 120 stores in a 13-state area. All store locations have a large variety of products, such as livestock supplies, clothing, hardware, and compact RK tractors.
Submitted by Tom Crooks, SWG Stonewall Group.
