Fayetteville company lands distribution deal with Tractor Supply Co.

Fayetteville-based Grillight has landed a national distribution deal with Tennessee-based Tractor Supply Co., the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States.

As of Dec. 25, 2021, the company operated 2,003 stores in 49 states.

Colton Knittig is Grillight’s president and co-founder. He launched the business in January 2014, about two months after developing a spatula with a built-in flashlight. Since then, new iterations have been created. The company’s product line now includes approximately 15 grilling tools.

“We built the foundation of our business on independent retail and had a ton of success with stores across the country and online,” he said in a recent interview. “But this is our first true national account.”

Knittig said he spoke with Tractor Supply officials at the company’s headquarters a couple of years ago, but the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in the discussions.

“We reached back out last year and reignited the conversation, and here we are,” he said. “It’s been a journey.”

Knittig said Tractor Supply and other retailers are strategically moving into outdoor living products.

“We’re going to ride that wave,” he said. “We have some innovative ideas about how to make grill tools, so that’s going to be a big plus for our business.”

Expect more significant retail announcements from Grillight later this year.