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Farm and Home Supply in Keokuk expands
by diane vance/gate city staff writer
Keokuk's Farm and Home Supply, 2028 Main St., will celebrate its official grand re-opening Saturday and Sunday. The store opened in Keokuk in 2000 in the former K-Mart store between McDonald's and County Market.
Special sales are part of the celebration. A 20 percent-off one regular priced item coupon, good Saturday or Sunday only, is available in Thursday's Daily Gate City and Tuesday's Free Press.
A 15,000-square-foot addition was constructed this summer, expanding the store to 55,000 square feet is cause for the grand re-opening.
“We spread out all the departments so there's more room for everything,” said Dan Henke, general manager at Farm and Home Supply in Quincy, Ill. “Everything is presented better. We've expanded the pet and animal health department. We've added to the sporting goods and hunting department. In the Spring, you'll see more seasonal patio items and decor.”
Karen Rude, Farm and Home Supply Keokuk store manager, said the addition also allows for an expanded women's clothing department and a new department, the sale of long guns.
“We had good feedback from customers on certain departments and decided from there what to expand,” she said. “We also expanded the Stihl and Honda small engines department.”
The store hired 25 temporary workers to help throughout the remodeling.
“I've kept 10 to 12 of them on now that it's over,” said Rude.
The store employs 12 full-time and 28 part-time people.
The entrance to the store also got a makeover. The vestibule is larger and all the entrance and exit doors are automatic, making it easier when carrying large loads through the doors. The store is more handicap accessible. The new vestibule is sided with large rock facing, cedar posts and windows creating a light and airy space. Customers can wait out of the weather and see the parking lot if waiting for a ride to pull up.
Rude said the store is in one of its busy seasons with harvest in September and October, followed with hunting season and the holidays.
“At the end of March, we'll have our greenhouse items,” she said.
Farm and Home Supply started as a family-owned business in 1968-69.
“The daughter of the founder is now the CEO and president of the company,” said Rude. “Keokuk's store is the only store in Iowa. There are six other stores, on in Hannibal, Mo., and five in Illinois.”
The expansion of Keokuk's store is the third Farm and Home Supply to be enlarged.
“Based on growth, a year ago we started with our Jerseyville, Ill., store, then expanded our Springfield, Ill., store,” said Henke. “This expansion in Keokuk is due to what our customers want.”
The parking lot got a new overlay of asphalt and new striping.
“We put additional lighting in the parking lot,” said Henke.
The store will provide assistance to anyone who needs help with shopping.
“We don't have electric mobile chairs for shopping because many of our items are heavy or large and chairs would not accommodate those items,” said Henke. “Anyone who needs assistance can ask any cashier upon entering the store. An employee can do the running, picking up items and bringing them to the customer.
“We've had very positive feedback from our Keokuk customers. People's lifestyles are changing and our store is changing. We used to be a strictly farm supply store where you could buy barb wire fencing and such. You can still find those items at Farm and Home Supply.
“Now, people have hobby farms and gardens. Outdoor living spaces are important and we're providing more patio furniture and decorative garden items. We have more pet care items, more hunting and fishing equipment and accessories to reflect customers' changing tastes. It's all been very positive.”
Special sales are part of the celebration. A 20 percent-off one regular priced item coupon, good Saturday or Sunday only, is available in Thursday's Daily Gate City and Tuesday's Free Press.
A 15,000-square-foot addition was constructed this summer, expanding the store to 55,000 square feet is cause for the grand re-opening.
“We spread out all the departments so there's more room for everything,” said Dan Henke, general manager at Farm and Home Supply in Quincy, Ill. “Everything is presented better. We've expanded the pet and animal health department. We've added to the sporting goods and hunting department. In the Spring, you'll see more seasonal patio items and decor.”
Karen Rude, Farm and Home Supply Keokuk store manager, said the addition also allows for an expanded women's clothing department and a new department, the sale of long guns.
“We had good feedback from customers on certain departments and decided from there what to expand,” she said. “We also expanded the Stihl and Honda small engines department.”
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“I've kept 10 to 12 of them on now that it's over,” said Rude.
The store employs 12 full-time and 28 part-time people.
The entrance to the store also got a makeover. The vestibule is larger and all the entrance and exit doors are automatic, making it easier when carrying large loads through the doors. The store is more handicap accessible. The new vestibule is sided with large rock facing, cedar posts and windows creating a light and airy space. Customers can wait out of the weather and see the parking lot if waiting for a ride to pull up.
Rude said the store is in one of its busy seasons with harvest in September and October, followed with hunting season and the holidays.
“At the end of March, we'll have our greenhouse items,” she said.
Farm and Home Supply started as a family-owned business in 1968-69.
“The daughter of the founder is now the CEO and president of the company,” said Rude. “Keokuk's store is the only store in Iowa. There are six other stores, on in Hannibal, Mo., and five in Illinois.”
The expansion of Keokuk's store is the third Farm and Home Supply to be enlarged.
“Based on growth, a year ago we started with our Jerseyville, Ill., store, then expanded our Springfield, Ill., store,” said Henke. “This expansion in Keokuk is due to what our customers want.”
The parking lot got a new overlay of asphalt and new striping.
“We put additional lighting in the parking lot,” said Henke.
The store will provide assistance to anyone who needs help with shopping.
“We don't have electric mobile chairs for shopping because many of our items are heavy or large and chairs would not accommodate those items,” said Henke. “Anyone who needs assistance can ask any cashier upon entering the store. An employee can do the running, picking up items and bringing them to the customer.
“We've had very positive feedback from our Keokuk customers. People's lifestyles are changing and our store is changing. We used to be a strictly farm supply store where you could buy barb wire fencing and such. You can still find those items at Farm and Home Supply.
“Now, people have hobby farms and gardens. Outdoor living spaces are important and we're providing more patio furniture and decorative garden items. We have more pet care items, more hunting and fishing equipment and accessories to reflect customers' changing tastes. It's all been very positive.”
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