Rural King

What does Rural King own?
Rural King operates over 150 farm and home supply retail stores across 17 states under the Rural King brand. The company also operates specialized divisions including R.K. Guns (firearms and ammunition) and R.K. Tractors (agricultural equipment). The company retails products from major brands including Purina, Carhartt, Ariat, Wrangler, Husqvarna, Milwaukee, Bad Boy Mowers, Smith and Wesson, Mobil 1, and Shell Rotella, but does not own these brands.

Is Rural King publicly traded?
No, Rural King is not publicly traded. The company operates as RK Holdings LLP, a privately held entity owned by the Speer and Melvin families. All growth has been funded through internal cash flow without outside investors or private equity. The company does not publicly disclose financial results.

Who founded Rural King?
Rural King was founded on June 5, 1960, by Kermit Speer and Keith Beaird, two neighboring farmers in Mattoon, Illinois, who sold their farms, pooled their resources, and opened a 7,200-square-foot store in a former implement building. The original store provided essential farm and home supplies to the local agricultural community with just two employees besides the owners.

Where is Rural King headquartered?
Rural King is headquartered in Mattoon, Illinois, USA, where the company was founded in 1960. In June 2026, the company announced a $75 million investment in a new store support center campus in Mattoon, housing leadership and support functions including merchandising, IT, finance, operations, marketing, human resources, and legal. The project will create 100 new full-time jobs and retain 719 existing positions.

How many stores does Rural King have?
Rural King operates over 150 stores across 17 states as of mid-2026, with plans to open 15 new stores in 2026, reaching more than 160 locations across 18 states. The company opened its 150th store in Sebring, Florida, in April 2026. States served include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Who owns Rural King?
Rural King is owned by the Speer and Melvin families and operates as a third-generation, family-owned business under the legal name RK Holdings LLP. Alex Melvin, son of Gary Melvin and great-nephew of founder Kermit Speer, serves as Owner and Chairman. The company has no outside investors or private equity ownership and has funded all growth through internal cash flow since its founding in 1960.

Rural King Supply was founded on June 5, 1960, in Mattoon, Illinois, by Kermit Speer and Keith Beaird, two neighboring farmers who sold their farms, pooled their resources, and opened a 7,200-square-foot store in a former implement building. The original store provided essential farm and home supplies to the local agricultural community. The company started with two employees besides the owners.

The company expanded slowly through the 1960s. A second location opened in Paris, Illinois, in 1962, followed by a Vandalia, Illinois, store in 1966. In 1963, an addition was built to the Mattoon store, and in 1966, a warehouse was constructed. A second addition to the main store followed in 1970.

The business became a family enterprise in 1979 when Gary Melvin, nephew of Kermit Speer, purchased an interest in Rural King. Gary started working in the store, learning the products and serving customers from the ground up. In 1982, Bruce Speer, another nephew of Kermit Speer, purchased an interest with the opening of the Litchfield, Illinois, store. Bruce managed the Litchfield store and later opened and managed the Terre Haute, Indiana, location for five years before moving to the Mattoon corporate office in 1990 to handle purchasing and expansion.

A major milestone came in 1999 when a new 210,000-square-foot store, warehouse, and corporate office opened across the highway from the original Mattoon location. The old store and warehouse were donated to Catholic Charities USA. The company continued expanding its warehouse facilities with a 94,000-square-foot addition in 2003, another 96,000 square feet in 2007, and a 104,000-square-foot expansion started in 2010.

In December 2015, Rural King announced it had reached $1 billion in total sales for the first time. In 2017, the company purchased the Cross County Mall in Mattoon and relocated its Mattoon store to the former Sears space in January 2019. In 2022, Rural King purchased the former JCPenney anchor space at the Country Club Mall in Cumberland, Maryland, marking its first entry into that state, with construction starting in early 2025.

The company reached 150 stores in April 2026 with the opening of its Sebring, Florida, location. COO Michael Ladd described the milestone as reflecting the company's commitment to serving hardworking families. New stores opened in 2026 include locations in Prattville, Alabama (the company's seventh in that state), Ashtabula, Ohio (its 30th Ohio store), Mableton, Georgia (its fourth Georgia store), and Anderson, South Carolina (its second South Carolina store).

In June 2026, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced that Rural King would invest $75 million to construct a new store support center campus in Mattoon, housing leadership and support functions including merchandising, IT, finance, operations, marketing, human resources, and legal. The project will create 100 new full-time jobs and retain 719 existing full-time jobs in Coles County. Also in June 2026, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger announced a $40 million Rural King investment in a new 500,000-square-foot distribution facility in Henry County, Virginia.