Taking shape

Published 8:38 am Wednesday, June 30, 2010

FRANKLIN—Tractor Supply Co. expects to have its new Franklin store on Armory Drive completed by early November.

Rob Hoskins, a spokesman for TSC Media Relations, said Tuesday the store would eventually employ between 12 and 17 full- and part-time workers. He said job application information would be available in the near future.

Franklin Planning Commission gave final approval for the store at its meeting on April 29, and construction began in early May. On Tuesday, several workers with Hudgins Masonry of Chesapeake were building the exterior walls of the store.

TSC is building a 19,097-square-foot building on a 2.2-acre parcel west of Farm Fresh. The new store will face Armory Drive and will have an adjacent 15,000-square-foot, fenced-in outdoor display area.

An access road will be extended westbound in front of the new store’s parking lot to provide access to future development.

According to its website, TSC, which is based in Brentwood, Tenn., is the largest retail farm and ranch store in the U.S., operating more than 800 retail stores in 40 states. Its stores sell work clothes, animal and pet supplies, power tools, riding mowers and lawn and garden products. TSC also specializes in agricultural fencing and livestock equipment.

When completed, the TSC store in Franklin will be the second in the Hampton Roads region, after Gloucester. Currently, the nearest TSC store to Franklin is located in Roanoke Rapids, N.C. It occupies about one-half of a former Wal-Mart.