It took a few tries early Saturday morning, but store manager April Smith finally managed to cut the ribbon that officially signified Tractor Supply is open for business in Eatonton.
“That was a lot harder than I thought it would be,” Smith said with a laugh, as Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce President Robbie King admitted it’s probably time to sharpen his comically large scissors.
Regardless, flanked by King on one side and Putnam County Commission Chairman Bill Sharp on the other, Smith completed the task and said she and her team are looking forward to serving local residents.
“It’s the ruralness around here that really attracted us to come here,” she explained, including in nearby Milledgeville and Madison.
A Fortune 500 company, Tractor Supply operates over 2,300 stores and employs more than 50,000 people nationwide, with outlets in every state except Alaska.
“So, this is kind of a happy medium for this area specifically; we felt it was a great opportunity and we’re expecting this store will do really well here,” Smith added. “For us, it’s all about the community and helping the community.”
The new store is located on the west side of town, alongside Hwy 441, near Walmart and adjacent to Dollar Tree. With a live horse in a small corral shaded by a canopy out front, Tractor Supply emphasized its rural-focused role to arriving customers. However, Smith pointed out that the store is about much more than providing feed for barn animals or tools to work on a farm.
“We’ll definitely take care of all your farming needs, but we do have our Ridge Cut clothing line as well as name brands like Carhartt, and we’ve got our 4Health brand dog food and other dog and cat food brands.
We’ve also got all the garden necessities you need, even the ag chemicals, but also lawn and patio furniture, all kinds of things.”
Smith said that after serving as an assistant manager at Tractor Supply outlets in Covington and Conyers, the Eatonton location represents her first as a store manager.
“I did have some competition from other people who wanted this store, but I worked hard and pushed and did my best, and now here I am. Super excited,” she said. “My immediate goal is to make this a high-volume store, but my ultimate goal is to train my assistant store manager to take over this store eventually so I can move on to even bigger things. But for a good while I’ll be here, and I’m looking forward to it. It’s been going great so far, and I just want to invite everyone to come in and see us and check things out.”
Tractor Supply (165 Walmart Dr., Eatonton) is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Call the store at 706-204-3201 for more information.