{"id":40258,"date":"2026-06-11T14:19:32","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T19:19:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/?p=40258"},"modified":"2026-06-11T15:15:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T20:15:47","slug":"major-expansion-of-rural-king-support-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/local-news\/40258-major-expansion-of-rural-king-support-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Major Expansion of Rural King Support Center"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"pdfprnt-buttons pdfprnt-buttons-post pdfprnt-top-right\"><a href=\"javascript: window.print()\" class=\"pdfprnt-button pdfprnt-button-print\" target=\"_self\" ><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/pdf-print\/images\/print.png\" alt=\"image_print\" title=\"Print Content\" \/><span class=\"pdfprnt-button-title pdfprnt-button-print-title\">Print<\/span><\/a><\/div><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">On Thursday morning, Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced that Rural King will invest $75 million to construct a new Store Support Center Campus in Mattoon, where the company&#8217;s leadership and support departments will be based, including merchandising, I.T., finance, operations, marketing, human resources, legal, and other key business functions.\u00a0 The company broke ground on the project, which will create 100 new full-time jobs and retain 719 existing full-time jobs in Coles County.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Gov. Pritzker said \u201cWith its new expansion, Rural King is building on its storied legacy in Illinois by creating new jobs and investing in the community and region.\u00a0 Illinois is proud to collaborate with job creators who expand opportunities for our people while committing to growing in our state.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201cFor generations, Rural King has been an important part of the Mattoon community, and today\u2019s announcement reflects a continued commitment to the region&#8217;s future,\u201d said Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton.\u00a0 \u201cThis investment will create new opportunities for Illinoisans and their families while reinforcing the economic vitality of Central Illinois.\u00a0 We are excited to see a homegrown Illinois company continue to expand while keeping its headquarters and legacy right here in the community where it began.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Rural King\u2019s expansion reflects the State\u2019s ongoing commitment to strengthening regional economies and supporting long-term growth in communities across downstate Illinois.\u00a0 Through intentional economic development programs and investments, Illinois continues to support businesses that are creating jobs, retaining talent, and investing in local communities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201cOur associates are the heartbeat of our company,\u201d said Rural King Owner &amp; Chairman Alex Melvin.\u00a0 \u201cAs Rural King continues to grow, this new Store Support Center is an investment for our teams to ensure they have the space, resources, and technology needed to support our stores and customers while keeping our roots firmly planted in the community we call home.\u00a0 In addition to the Store Support Center, we are excited to develop an event center which will be available for the community to utilize for a variety of different purposes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201cRural King\u2019s decision to expand and modernize its Store Support Center in Mattoon is a strong example of Illinois\u2019 continued success in strengthening and retaining homegrown businesses,\u201d said DCEO Director Kristin Richards.\u00a0 \u201cThrough strategic economic development tools, we are helping companies make long-term investments in Illinois communities, supporting job creation, strengthening regional economies, and ensuring that employers have the resources they need to compete and grow here at home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In addition to support from the State\u2019s Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) program, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is working with the City of Mattoon to provide grant funding through the agency\u2019s Economic Development Program to assist with extending Swords Drive north from Broadway to Dewitt Avenue, providing access to the new campus.\u00a0 Later this year, IDOT is anticipated to break ground on an $82 million reconstruction of the nearby Interstate 57 interchange with Illinois 16 to improve traffic flow and safety and increase clearances for freight and commercial vehicles \u2013 a project made possible by the Governor\u2019s Rebuild Illinois capital program.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi said \u201cUnder the leadership of Gov. Pritzker, IDOT is doing more than ever to get communities the resources and infrastructure they need to grow and prosper.\u00a0 We are proud of the collaboration on this project and look forward to more investment to come in Mattoon and Coles County.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Mattoon Mayor Rick Hall added \u201cThe City of Mattoon has had significant economic growth in the last few years bringing millions of dollars to the Mattoon area thanks to partners like Rural King.\u00a0 Rural King continues to be a critical corporate citizen to Mattoon and the State of Illinois as demonstrated in this New Headquarters Investment.\u00a0 We also thank the State of Illinois, and our local state and federal elected representative for their important contribution to this project.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Founded in Mattoon in 1960, Rural King is a third-generation, family-owned farm and home supply retailer, and by the end of 2026, they will operate more than 160 stores across 18 states. The company currently employs more than 9,500 associates across the country, including more than 400 employees at its existing Store Support Center and 270 employees at its attached distribution center and transportation hub in Mattoon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201cRural King&#8217;s expansion demonstrates the strength of Illinois&#8217; homegrown companies and the advantages of growing a business in our state,\u201d said Illinois Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Christy George.\u00a0 \u201cThis $75 million expansion will create new opportunities for Central Illinois families while reinforcing Mattoon as a strategic location for business operations. We are proud to support a company that has deep Illinois roots and remains committed to creating jobs and investing in the communities it serves.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u201cWe want to thank Rural King\u2019s leadership team for their continued investment in Coles County,\u201d said Coles Together President &amp; CEO Ronda Sauget. \u201cRural King\u2019s growth and expansion, headquartered in the City of Mattoon, is a prime example of successful supply chain logistics, warehouse, and distribution operations from the center of the U.S. with easy access to anywhere in North America. We are proud and look forward to working with this amazing community partner long into the future. Coles County is a prime tertiary market for business development activities with many employers experiencing the highest workforce productivity nationwide from this location. We warmly welcome the expansion of existing businesses and embrace the attraction of new firms to Coles County.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">As part of the EDGE agreement with the State, Rural King has committed to making a $75 million investment, creating 100 new full-time jobs and retaining 719 jobs.\u00a0 A link to the full agreement can be found <a href=\"https:\/\/dceo.illinois.gov\/expandrelocate\/incentives\/edgeagreements.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">by clicking here<\/a>.\u00a0 So far this year, companies participating in the EDGE program have committed to creating more than 5,000 new jobs and nearly $2.5 billion in investments.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Thursday morning, Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced that Rural King will invest $75 million to construct a new Store Support [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Major Expansion of Rural King Support Center - Effingham&#039;s News and Sports Leader, 979XFM and KJ Country 102.3<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Effingham&#039;s News and Sports Leader\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/local-news\/40258-major-expansion-of-rural-king-support-center\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Major Expansion of Rural King Support Center - 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