Runnings, a Minnesota-based retailer, recently reached an agreement to purchase R.P. Home & Harvest, a family-owned company with 22 locations and one distribution facility across Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin, including a store in Gibson City.
The transaction between Runnings and R.P. Home & Harvest is scheduled to close in June. The stores will continue operating as R.P. Home & Harvest for a limited period of time as Runnings transitions the stores to its brand.
Upon completion of the acquisition, Runnings’ footprint will expand to 80 locations, serving customers in 12 states from New York to Montana.
“From the customers and the communities to the employees and vendors, we truly feel this is an excellent opportunity for everyone involved,” said Brian Odegaard, president of Runnings, in a news release Monday. “These stores and communities are very similar to the markets we presently serve, and, after many discussions with R.P. Home & Harvest’s leadership, both companies knew this would be a great fit from a culture, values and operations standpoint.”
“It’s pretty amazing how quickly this all came together,” added Jason Plummer, president of R.P. Home & Harvest. “Just a couple of months ago this wasn’t even on the radar, but when a win-win opportunity appears, it is an exciting thing. Runnings has been doing this for over 75 years, and they are one of the top farm, home and outdoor-store companies in America, extremely well-regarded by customers and competitors. We are both family-owned companies, and that means a lot to us. This deal would not have come together if we did not have the utmost confidence that Runnings will do a phenomenal job for all stakeholders.”
Runnings is a privately held retailer that sells pet supplies, sporting goods including hunting and fishing equipment, clothing and footwear, lawn and garden supplies, housewares, tools, farm supplies, toys and outdoor equipment. Founded in 1947 and owned by the Dennis and Adele Reed Family, the company currently has 58 stores and employs more than 2,700 workers across eight states.
R.P. Home & Harvest, founded in 2021, operates 22 farm and ranch stores and one distribution center across four states. The company is an affiliate of R.P. Lumber Co. Inc., a family-owned home center and building materials retailer based in Edwardsville that operates over 80 locations in Illinois, Missouri, Wyoming, Iowa and Wisconsin.
