MATTOON -- Rural King has been celebrating its 65th anniversary while preparing for future growth, including plans to have 150 stores in 17 states by the end of the year.
Rural King began in 1960 in Mattoon as a single store founded by farmers Kermit Speer and Keith Beaird. The company has remained headquartered ever since then in Mattoon, where it operates its Store Support Center and a distribution center in a 400,000-square-foot facility along Illinois 121.
"My great-uncle Kermit and his partner started Rural King with a passion to serve a great agricultural community that lacked access to the supplies they needed to run their family farms," said Rural King owner and Chair Alex Melvin in a news release. "Kermit loved the community, and he wanted nothing more than to serve them well so they could live the rural lifestyle he appreciated so much."
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In a subsequent interview via email, Melvin said he grew up with Rural King, and some of his earliest memories of the business are when he was about 5 years old.
Melvin said he remembers things like sweeping the warehouse floor and riding in the semi with his father (past Rural King CEO Gary Melvin) to deliver products to some of the stores when they needed them.
"We spent a lot of time in our van traveling to stores on weekends, especially during times of store openings," Melvin said. "After college, I worked for a construction company for a few years and then came back to Rural King as the Mattoon store manager in 2008."
Rural King now has more than 140 locations across 14 states and has reported that it plans to have 150 stores in 17 states by the end of 2025.
Rural King President and CEO Steve Barbarick said in a news release that they have been fortunate to expand into more than 20 new communities during the past few years. He said this growth reflects both the loyalty of customers and the dedication of associates.
"As we look to the future, we're committed to growing in the right way by investing in our people, creating a great customer experience and remaining a dependable partner for America's farmers, families and rural communities," Barbarick said.
Melvin said the basics of providing quality products at great prices, supporting the needs of those living the rural life, will always be the same at Rural King, even as it continues to add locations. He said they always want customers to leave knowing they got value shopping with Rural King.
As Rural King has grown, Melvin said consistent processes and structures have become important to maintain the scale of the company. He said developing great, talented people to help serve associates in the field and customers has also been essential.
There have been many challenges in the retail landscape during the past decade, Melvin said, and with new e-commerce initiatives and services and AI capabilities, it has been crucial for Rural King to continue evolving.
"Where I think Rural King has a unique ability is our differentiation from the market," Melvin said. "We provide a family-friendly experience with our popcorn, coffee, live animals, and events, and we have a wide assortment of products to offer at a great price."
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Melvin added, "I always say, 'You can find everything we sell somewhere else, but you can't find everything we sell at the price we sell it at anywhere else.' To stay successful, we must continue to be able to truthfully say this statement about Rural King."
Regarding the facility along Illinois 121 on the western edge of Mattoon, Melvin said approximately 650 associates work at the Store Support Center, distribution center or transportation services there. He noted that Rural King has about 800 associates in Coles County, where it has stores in Mattoon and Charleston.
"The Store Support Center is home to every department and function that supports our retail locations, from merchandising to IT, HR to finance and operations," Melvin said.
The Mattoon distribution center serves approximately 40% of Rural King's stores and a little under half of the company's truck fleet is located here, Melvin said. The other 60% are serviced from the Waverly, Ohio, distribution center and network.
"Each day, upwards of 40 Rural King trucks leave the Mattoon distribution center to supply our stores," Melvin said. "Companywide, Rural King transportation will drive 22 million miles in 2025."
Rural King has raised its national profile this year by partnering with Front Row Motorsports on a NASCAR team and getting hotdog-eating champion Joey Chestnut to demonstrate his skills on popcorn.
Melvin said having Rural King be connected to something that its associates and customers love brings a lot of excitement.
The company also has a new partnership with nationally known contemporary Christian artist Anne Wilson, Melvin noted. She was the headliner at the annual Harvest of Hope concert that Rural sponsored in 2024 in Mattoon's Peterson Park.
"We share a lot of common values with Anne, and she is inspiring a lot of people through her love for Jesus and our country," Melvin said.
They also continue to partner with Eastern Illinois University and Lake Land College for the Rural King Scholarship Program, which supports associates and their dependents companywide in furthering their education.
Regarding the company's help with the Emerald Acres Sports Connection development in Mattoon, Melvin said Rural King is proud to invest back into its home community to help it grow and continue to be a great place to live and work.
"We are excited to continue to support the area for current and future residents as we, along with many others, see an amazing potential here," Melvin said. "We're actively working on community projects with more exciting announcements coming later this year."
Melvin said Rural King is grateful for the opportunity to serve all its store host communities, while continuing to support development in its home region.
"We could not do any of this without the hard work, passion, and dedication of our 10,000 associates serving their customers each day," Melvin said. "We are excited about the vision that God has given us for the future of Rural King and this great community we have called home for more than 65 years."
Contact Rob Stroud at (217) 238-6861.
Rural King by the Number
Rural King:
Was founded in 1960 as a single store in Mattoon.
Now plans to have 150 stores in 17 states by the end of 2025.
Operates a 400,000-square-foot Store Support Center and distribution center in Mattoon.
Sees up to 40 trucks per day leave the Mattoon center to supply stores.
Estimates its transportation fleet will drive 22 million miles in 2025.
Employes 800 associates in Coles County and 10,000 across the country.
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