Tractor Supply Co., the country’s largest rural lifestyle retail chain, has begun construction of its first store in the Santa Clarita Valley, at 16904 Sierra Highway.
Fulcrum Construction Group will construct the 19,097-square-foot retail space, which will open in February 2018. It will include a sales floor, external support service area and pet wash station.
Currently, the nearest Tractor Supply store is about 20 miles away in Moorpark.
“We’re not just building a store, we’re building a team that understands the needs of the Santa Clarita community,” said District Manager Ryan Thibodeau in a statement.
“At Tractor Supply, we carry products that support the lifestyle our customers lead, the land they own and the animals in their care, so whether you are someone who raises horses and pets, runs a hobby farm or just enjoys the rural lifestyle, we’ll be there to make sure you have all the tools you need.”
The store plans to hire 12 to 15 employees with firsthand knowledge and expertise in caring for pets, livestock and land. The company said it will server as “a one-stop shop for the Santa Clarita community’s farmers, livestock and pet owners, ranchers, part-time and hobby farmers, gardeners, homeowners, tradesmen and others.”
The store will stock products including workwear and boots, tractor and trailer parts and accessories, lawn and garden supplies, sprinkler and irrigation parts, power tools, fencing, welding and pump supplies, and riding mowers, the company said.
The Santa Clarita store will also carry a wide variety of food and supplies for pets, equine and livestock. At the pet wash station, customers will have access to professional grade wash bays, grooming tables and tools.
Merchandise related to livestock and pets accounts for almost half of the chain’s sales, followed by hardware, tools, and truck and towing-related items, seasonal merchandise, clothing and footware, and agricultural products.
Founded in 1938 in Minot, N.D., Tractor Supply Co. is based in Brentwood, Tenn, and has 1,617 Tractor Supply stores in 49 states and 152 Petsense pet specialty stores in 26 states. The company is traded on Nasdaq and had sales of $7 billion last year.