Ready for Ripon: Tractor Supply first to open in retail center

RIPON — The Tractor Supply Co., the first store in the new Ripon Crossing shopping plaza, opens Saturday.

A Les Schwab Tire Center also is being built at the 25-acre retail development, but two other businesses — Boyett Petroleum and Prime Shine Express Car Wash — have canceled plans to go there.

The shopping area is on Ripon's northwest edge, near Highway 99 along North Jack Tone Road.

It's an ideal location for Tractor Supply Co., according to the store's manager, Rob Christopher.

"This is a great farming community," said Christopher, who has lived in Ripon for 23 years. "Our biggest percentage of customers are what we call weekend farmers."

Christopher said such shoppers typically live on half-acre to 4-acre ranchettes, and his store sells gear that caters to their rural lifestyle. That includes items for horses, livestock and pets, agricultural products, tools, hardware and work clothes.

"Our company does its research. It won't go where it won't succeed," Christopher said.

Apparently, the Northern San Joaquin Valley has the right demographic for Tractor Supply.

The 70-year-old company, headquartered in Tennessee, opened a Turlock store in 2005. Last year, it opened in Oakdale, last month in Atwater, and now Ripon. Christopher said a Los Banos store will open in the spring, and another in Sonora is planned for next year.

"The company tries to encircle big cities. So Modesto is the city, and we've got a store to the south in Turlock, to the northeast in Oakdale and to the northwest in Ripon," explained Christopher, who managed the Oakdale store before taking over in Ripon. He said the fast-growing chain has about 815 stores countrywide. "It's been opening two to three stores a week lately."

Les Schwab also has been expanding quickly in the Northern San Joaquin Valley. During the past five years, it has opened stores in Modesto, Riverbank, Escalon, Oakdale, Turlock and Manteca. The Ripon shop should be open by spring.

Finding employees to staff it shouldn't be a problem, judging by Tractor Supply Co.'s experience.

"We had about 460 people apply for jobs," Christopher said. He hired 15, about half of whom will be part-time employees. "Most of those who applied — I'd say two-thirds of them — only wanted part-time work. Most of them already had a job, but they were looking to supplement their income."

Christopher said his staff members' average wage will be about $10.50 per hour.

Building is up for sale

The 22,670-square-foot store was built by Modesto's Huff Construction Co., which also is building the Les Schwab outlet.

While the barn-shaped building was designed for Tractor Supply, that company doesn't own it. Instead, it has a 15-year lease. The building is owned by investors doing business as the Jack Tone Crossing Corp., and they already want to sell it. It's listed for sale at $6.6 million.

Ripon Crossing's promoters, meanwhile, are scrambling to find additional companies willing to move into the new shopping area.

Boyett Petroleum and Prime Shine Express Car Wash had wanted to build there, but their owners pulled out.

"We tried to put something together, but couldn't," said Carl Boyett, whose chain of gas stations is based in Modesto.

"Ripon's city fee structure didn't pencil out for us," explained Evan Porges, Prime Shine's general manager.

Prime Shine and Boyett like to locate in the same shopping centers because they attract similar customers, but Porges said Ripon's government- imposed costs made it too expensive. While large retail chains such as Tractor Supply and Les Schwab might be able to bear higher fees, Porges said, "little guys like us just have to make those economic decisions."

Porges said Ripon's fees were "about double" what Prime Shine was required to pay for the car wash it opened this fall in Atwater. He said Manteca's fees are about what Ripon charges, but its customer base is much larger so the higher costs are easier for businesses to justify.

That's why Boyett and Prime Shine plan to build next spring in Manteca's new Woodbridge Shopping Center. Bee staff writer J.N. Sbranti can be reached at jnsbranti@modbee.com or 578-2196.

This story was originally published November 14, 2008 at 1:39 AM with the headline "Ready for Ripon: Tractor Supply first to open in retail center."