Today, Tractor Supply operates in 49 states and sells billions of dollars worth of goods across America. But its origins were far more humble.
Tractor Supply is the largest retail farm products supplier in the U.S., exceeding $14.8 billion in sales during in fiscal 2024, per MorningStar.com. In our coverage of the rural and ranch focused giant, we’ve discovered some of the reasons behind its success among consumers, like the many options for budget-friendly tools worth buying from Tractor Supply.
Tractor Supply started in 1938 as a humble parts catalog for customers receiving products through the mail. Chicago entrepreneur Charles E. Schmidt Sr. initially used his kitchen table as his headquarters. Now, with over 2,200 retail locations in every state but Alaska, to say that Schmidt was on to something would be quite the understatement.
The company went public in 1959 and in 1969 was acquired by National Industries, which owned it until Fuqua Industries bought National nine years later.
