Renee Stillwell, 12, of Allentown, nuzzles with a sheep that she and fellow 4-H members had on display during the grand opening of a new Tractor Supply Co. store in Upper Freehold on Feb. 13. SCOTT FRIEDMAN Local farmers and homeowners with agricultural hobbies crowded the grand opening of the new Tractor Supply Co. store in Upper Freehold. The checkout lines were long on Feb. 12, when the largest farm and ranch supply company in the United States celebrated opening its 12th New Jersey store on Route 524 with special sales and events. Members of the Clever Clovers 4-H Club greeted customers with farm animal exhibits. Upper Freehold’s Sortore family had their brown and black Oberhasli goats pulling a wagon, while other club members displayed chickens, sheep and a Holstein calf.
“Tractor Supply Co. is a great fit for Allentown’s farming and equine community because of our wide selection of agricultural items, tools, hardware items and pet products,” said store manager Mark Gallagher. “We feature extended hours, as well as a knowledgeable team that is happy to welcome our neighbors with Tractor Supply Co.’s legendary customer service.”
Above: In support of the local farming community, the new Tractor Supply Co. store in Upper Freehold invited local agricultural organizations, including the 4-H Club and FFA, to provide demonstrations during the grand opening on Feb. 13. Left: Two black Oberhasli goats pull a wagon in a 4-H Club demonstration. PHOTOS BY SCOTT FRIEDMAN Tractor Supply Co. (TSC) has been operating stores in New Jersey since 2006. The company’s Upper Freehold location currently staffs 19 employees and measures 19,097 square feet, with sales floor and support service space.
Having grown up in the Midwest, Upper Freehold resident Kari Paris knew about Tractor Supply Co. before the new store opened in her hometown.
“I’ve been waiting for this store,” Paris said. “I’ve been a TSC girl for 25 years.” Before TSC, there was nothing like it in the area,” she said.
Paris noted that she couldn’t previously buy oil for her tractor locally.
Township farmer Joe Lenhart said TSC makes him feel nostalgic for a time “when there was a lot of farm stuff around.”
“It’s good to see a farm-oriented business,” Lenhart said.
Lenhart called the store an asset to the township, pointing out that any business that pays taxes and creates jobs is a good thing for the community.
Members of Allentown High School’s (AHS) FFA (Future Farmers of America) Club also attended the grand opening. FFA Vice President Anna Lubas, Allentown, said that TSC is a major sponsor for the national FFA. Dale Cruzan, an agricultural mechanics and plant science teacher atAHS and former state FFA president, said that so far, the new store has been very supportive of the local FFA.
When asked how he thinks the new store will affect similar local businesses, such as Rick’s Saddle Shop in Upper Freehold and the Agway in the New Egypt section of Plumsted, Jack Roszel, a retired AHS agricultural science teacher who helps advise the school’s FFA and lives in New Egypt, said that each store has its specialty. He said TSC is more oriented toward customers searching for farming and general agriculture supplies than other local businesses.
“People will have to decide what’s best for them,” Roszel said, adding that he thinks all of the stores would survive.
“The communities are growing,” he said.
Roszel added that the store would benefit those who compete at the Horse Park of New Jersey, just a few miles down the road. He also pointed out that Allentown recently lost its hardware store, and TSC could fill some of the gap its closing left behind.
Upper Freehold Mayor Lorisue Horsnall Mount said the store is a great and clean ratable.
“It’s a business that fits nicely within our community with employment opportunities, she said. “I wish them much success.”