10/26/2026
**RURAL KING**
Good afternoon folks. Since I'm home bound with my foot on ice today anyway, I'll present you a novel!😂
To go straight to the elephant in the room, yes we have known about Rural King's coming since July. We've chosen not to be the useful idiot to help spread the rumor!😂 But, since it is finally starting to make social media chatter, we'll try to address the matter(the best we can) to reduce having hundreds of repetitive conversations on the subject .
Are we excited about this, of course not, but are we prepared for it; certainly. I have prepared for years that this would be "worse case scenario" for our business, however, I thought I would be ready to retire by that time. The only logic I can derive as to why bigger cities got passed over for Ellijay is availability and ideal building/location of the Fabtech building. I have it from an industry insider that it is vendetta driven towards TSC. Allegedly, there was a long-term corporate employee of TSC that was overlooked for the next CEO position, and when he didn't receive it, he went to Rural King and has an open checkbook to vindicate himself. The stated goal apparently is to have a Rural King everywhere there's a TSC. I believe our local TSC will have a really uphill battle.
When we started our business 15 years ago, I opened it knowing that TSC was here, and I've always stayed clear of the products and items of theirs that we can't compete with; if we can't give you an equal or better deal, we just won't do it. We have a very unique structure compared to most feed stores; safely estimating 90% of our sales are feed. A majority of feed stores just carry feed as a storefront to sell their retail products.
The reason we have our stores on secondary roads and open warehouse atmospheres is an attempt to keep our overhead down and move a high volume of feed; more wholesale oriented. It has served us well, and that's what we'll continue to do. It has always been hard to compete with animal health/ shelf stock products due to online shopping; Amazon, Chewy, Valley Vet, etc
We will certainly feel it when RK has their grand opening and and rolls out crazy specials. But, at the end of the day we are very well aware how brand loyal our customers are. When it comes to livestock feeds, RK has a very cheap, low end economy line of feed, then it skips all the way up to premium. (We can bring in a nut & berry flavored cardboard also if we need to!)😂 We can compete with them on all pet foods; no doubt.
Our mission will continue to keep rolling on, and doing what we do! Like I said previously, I have tried to prepare for years for different scenarios. I have some proactive ideas I've been contemplating prior to this revelation. In a free market economy you either roll up and climb in a hole or you come out swinging! Y'all know me enough to know which to expect! 😁
Stay tuned! We appreciate y'all and God Bless!
