A national retail chain that sells farm supplies and home goods will invest $40 million to establish a distribution facility in Henry County, creating 150 jobs, according to the governor’s office.
Rural King bought a 500,000-square-foot warehouse at the county’s Patriot Centre Industrial Park that VF Corp., a clothing and footwear company, occupied until it left in 2025.
“Rural King’s decision to locate its new distribution center in Henry County underscores Virginia’s position as a premier logistics hub on the East Coast,” Gov. Abigail Spanberger said in a news release. “This investment builds on that foundation by bringing new life to an existing facility and creating meaningful jobs for the region.”
Henry County said in a news release that the jobs will have an average annual wage of approximately $59,000, above the county’s median household income of $48,445.
“Rural King is putting a major facility back into productive use, and they are bringing with them quality jobs that exceed our local wage averages. This is a strong example of how we can leverage existing assets to create opportunity for our residents while strengthening our tax base,” Henry County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jim Adams said in the county’s news release.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Henry County worked together to secure the project for Virginia, and Spanberger approved a $750,000 state grant to assist the county.
Rural King will receive money and services to support training activities through a state program. The expansion also is supported by federal tax credits.
Founded in 1960, Mattoon, Illinois-based Rural King operates more than 160 locations nationwide, providing “a broad range of necessities, essential goods, food, feed, seed, and other farm and home products,” according to the release.
In Virginia, the company has stores in Bristol, Front Royal, Martinsville, Norton, Radford and Wytheville. It also has a location in Bluefield, just across the state line in West Virginia.
Amy Shafer, Rural King’s vice president of human resources, said in the governor’s release that the investment “reflects Rural King’s continued growth and our dedication to creating meaningful career opportunities in the communities we serve.”
“Henry County offers a strong workforce and welcoming business environment, making it an ideal partner for this next phase of our expansion. We look forward to increasing our engagement in the community,” Shafer said.
A timeline for the investment and job creation is unclear. Shafer could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
