Tractor Supply Co. ups investment, dedicates new Maumelle facility with a chainsaw cutting

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by Roby Brock ([email protected]) May 14, 2024 12:21 pm 728 views 

They don’t do ribbon cuttings at Tractor Supply Co. – they do chainsaw cuttings.

Maumelle, Ark., became the 10th location for a Tractor Supply Co. distribution center on Tuesday (May 14).

Gov. Sarah Sanders, Maumelle Mayor Caleb Norris and a host of state and local economic and elected officials joined TSC CEO Hal Lawton to christen the new state-of-the-art facility for the fast-growing retail outlet.

Lawton used a chainsaw to split a pallet in two to officially open the new center.

Originally announced in 2022, Lawton disclosed that the initial distribution center investment was upped from $100 million and 450 jobs to $175 million and more than 500 jobs. Lawton said the center will be Gold LEED certified, will have a zero-carbon footprint, and is the first autonomous mobile robot center for TSC.

Tractor Supply Co. CEO Hal Lawton “chainsaws” his way through a pallet to dedicate the new Maumelle distribution center.

“We are opening the largest distribution center here at Tractor Supply in our 86-year history as a company,” Lawton said.

The governor added that at nearly 1.2 million square feet, the distribution center encompasses “18 Bud Walton Arenas.”

“This will make Maumelle, Arkansas the hub of 250 Tractor Supply stores stretching all the way from Florida to Kansas,” Gov. Sanders said.

Brentwood, Tenn.-based Tractor Supply Co. is a $14.56 billion company in terms of annual revenue. It has 2,233 stores in 49 states, including 34 stores in Arkansas. With TSC opening around 80 stores per year, the Maumelle distribution center will provide inventory to all Arkansas stores and many outlets throughout the Midwest and Southeast.

The new distribution center is located at the intersection of Champs Boulevard and Jackie Burnett Drive, northeast of Maumelle High School.

Founded in 1938, Tractor Supply stores sell products for home improvement, agriculture, lawn and garden maintenance, livestock, equine and pet care for recreational farmers and ranchers, pet owners, and landowners, according to the company’s website.

The publicly-held company (NASDAQ: TSCO) on April 25 reported first quarter net income of $198.167 million, better than the $183.08 million in the same quarter of 2023. Revenue in the quarter was $3.394 billion, up 2.9% compared with the same period in 2023. Company shares closed Monday at $271.67 and were trading higher in Tuesday trading. During the past 52 weeks the share price ranged between $279.38 and $185.