verification . please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . unsourced material may be challenged and removed . march 2014 learn how and when to remove this template message rural king supply type private industry retail founded 1960 1960 founder kermit speer and keith beaird headquarters mattoon illinois united states number of locations 88 area served florida illinois indiana kentucky tennessee ohio michigan missouri pennsylvania virginia and west virginia key people alex melvin president products work clothing and work boots equine and pet supplies live chicks and rabbits hunting equipment and supplies firearms and ammunition tractor trailer parts and accessories lawn and garden supplies sprinkler irrigation parts power tools fencing welding and pump supplies riding mowers etc. website www.ruralking.com rural king supply is a farm supply store based in mattoon illinois united states . founded in 1960 it now has 85 stores in the u.s. states of florida illinois indiana kentucky tennessee ohio michigan missouri pennsylvania virginia 1 and west virginia . 2 the company also operates an online store . 3 contents 1 history 2 products 3 references 4 external links history edit typical rural king location at the clearview mall in butler pennsylvania . on june 5 1960 kermit speer and keith beaird founded rural king supply in mattoon . 4 the original store was started in a former implement building of 7 200 square feet . 5 the company started with two employees besides the owners . in 1963 an addition to the main building was added . in 1966 a warehouse was built and in 1970 a second addition was added to the store . a new building was finished and opened in september 1976 . in 1999 a new store warehouse and corporate office consisting of 210 000 square feet was opened across the highway from the old store . the old store and warehouse were donated to the catholic charities . in 2003 a 94 000 square foot addition was added to the warehouse . in 2007 another 96 000 square feet were added to the warehouse . in 2010 a third warehouse expansion was started that will add 104 000 square feet . in 1962 kermit and keith opened another store in paris ill . in an old packing house with eight rooms . in 1970 land was purchased across from the edgar county fairgrounds and the new paris rural king was constructed . in 2001 that building was torn down and the current 55 000 square foot paris rural king was built . paris was kermit and pat speer s home for 15 years . the vandalia ill . rural king was opened in 1966 in an old building on u.s. highway 40 east . a new rural king was built in november 1973 on van tran avenue which has been renamed veterans avenue . an addition to that building was completed in 1983 . in 1979 gary melvin nephew of kermit speer purchased an interest in rural king . gary began his career working in the store learning the products and serving customers . bruce speer nephew of kermit speer purchased an interest in rural king in 1982 with the opening of the litchfield ill . store . bruce began his career as the manager of the litchfield store . in 1985 he and his family moved to terre haute ind. where he opened and managed that store for five years . in 1990 bruce moved to the mattoon corporate office to help with purchasing and expansion of the rural king stores . 6 in december 2015 rural king announced they had reached for the first time 1 billion in total sales . 7 products edit rural king sells work clothing and work boots equine and pet supplies live chicks and rabbits hunting equipment and supplies firearms and ammunition tractor trailer parts and accessories lawn and garden supplies sprinkler irrigation parts power tools fencing welding and pump supplies riding mowers agricultural chemicals and many other farm and home supplies . 8 one of rural king s notable sales tactics is offering free coffee and popcorn to guest visiting a store . references edit https www.facebook.com ruralking photos a. 179159482882.124854.73570387882 10153714737617883 type 3 http wvpress.org news rural king fill vacant parkersburg box store http www.ruralking.com about rural king founder kermit speer dies the prairie press paris newspaper edgar county newspaper . prairiepress.net . retrieved 2015 12 03 . about us rural king . www.ruralking.com . retrieved 2015 12 03 . rural king a history rural king on instagram good morning rural king associates for the first time in rk history we have just reached 1 billion in sales this is a long anticipated . instagram . retrieved 2015 12 03 . melvin 05 rural king president talks business with students . monmouth college . 2012 12 13 . retrieved 12 3 2015 . check date values in access date help external links edit official website retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title rural king & oldid 725676448 categories 1960 establishments in illinoiscompanies based in coles county illinoiscompanies established in 1960farm and ranch supply stores 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