Tractor Supply Acquires Rival Orscheln Farm and Home for $297M

Tractor Supply Co. announced on Wednesday that it will acquire the network of 167 Orscheln Farm and Home stores operating in 11 states. There are Orscheln retail outlets in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas. Orscheln Farm and Home employs 2,800 people and sells tools, apparel and sporting goods, along with traditional farm supplies. Tractor Supply operates more than 1,900 stores in 49 states, and is based in Brentwood, Tennessee, near Nashville.

Total Retail's Take: Look at any list of top-performing retail organizations, and you're likely to find Tractor Supply Company near the top of it. The rural lifestyle retailer has a loyal customer base, and it has worked to expand its physical and digital offerings in recent years to better serve those customers. This acquisition of Orscheln Farm and Home makes a lot of sense in terms of product category fit, customer demographic fit, and company culture fit, and figures to strengthen Tractor Supply's already strong outlook.

“This is an exciting step for Tractor Supply as we expand our footprint in the Midwest with the high-quality assets of Orscheln Farm and Home," said Tractor Supply's President and CEO Hal Lawton, in a company press release. "We've always had great respect for Barry Orscheln and the team at Orscheln Farm and Home for the strong connection they have with customers in the communities they serve, along with their industry knowledge and capabilities. With our shared values and passion for the Out Here lifestyle, we are honored to welcome Orscheln Farm and Home to the Tractor Supply family. We look forward to bringing together our highly complementary cultures and teams to realize the long-term value and benefits that we expect this acquisition to deliver.”