TAFT, Calif. (KERO) — For Taft locals, grabbing workwear, pet food, or household essentials required an hour-long trip to Bakersfield, but the new Tractor Supply offers a convenient one-stop shop much closer to home.
- The new Tractor Supply occupies a third of the former Kmart building, filling the void left since Kmart's closure in 2018 by providing more services.
- Along with the Tractor Supply, more city growth is coming to Taft with a new grocery store and apple market expected to open in 2024.
- Since the grand opening last Saturday with the Taft Chamber of Commerce, the store has seen people shopping for a variety of pets, and quickly selling out of various products for farming.
For residents on the west side, essentials like clothes, shoes, and dog food often meant a drive to Bakersfield, about an hour away. This new tractor supply on the west side is helping to eliminate that drive and bring those essentials closer to home.
"Man, there are so many people bringing their dogs here, I need my shots, you saving me a trip to Bakersfield, you saving me a trip to the vet," says Robert Brink.
Robert Brink with Tractor Supply goes on to say ever since the grand opening of this tractor supply last Saturday, people don't only shop for their cats and dogs, but all types of pets. Making a difference for many Westside farmers by helping them avoid long drives, he adds the commercial business is quickly selling out of other items too.
"Last week I built 6 tote goats, 2 or three full-size ATVs, and I come back after the weekend and they're gone," continues Brink.
Officials from the city of Taft mention that the last major retailer in the greater Taft area for clothing, general merchandise, and children's toys was a kmart store that closed in 2018. Now, a Tractor Supply Company occupies about one-third of the former Kmart building and provides more.
In a statement given to us from the city of Taft's planning director Mark Staples says "This tractor supply provides many more services that kmart didn't provide... Work wear clothing for oil field workers, other work wear needs such as high visibility shirts, steel-toed shoes, etc. The store also provides everyday clothing for men, women, and children. The store provides pet food, pet beds, and feed for horses and other animals in the surrounding areas of Taft,".
Robert Brink has helped many of these residents from the surrounding areas find their everyday needs–
"I've met people from Dustin Acres, Derby Acres, McKittrick, everybody's just coming around. I think it's a really good thing for everybody," says Brink.
Officials from the city of Taft say the city is growing, with a new grocery store and apple market taking over another third of the building that Tractor Supply occupies, hopefully opening in 2024.
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