Who Owns Tractor Supply And How Did The Company Get Started?

Tractor Supply is the largest retail farm products supplier in the U.S., exceeding $14.8 billion in sales during in fiscal 2024, per MorningStar.com. In our coverage of the rural and ranch focused giant, we've discovered some of the reasons behind its success among consumers, like the many options for budget-friendly tools worth buying from Tractor Supply.

Tractor Supply started in 1938 as a humble parts catalog for customers receiving products through the mail. Chicago entrepreneur Charles E. Schmidt Sr. initially used his kitchen table as his headquarters. Now, with over 2,200 retail locations in every state but Alaska, to say that Schmidt was on to something would be quite the understatement.

The company went public in 1959 and in 1969 was acquired by National Industries, which owned it until Fuqua Industries bought National nine years later. But as Tractor Supply continued to expand, by 1994 it went public again on the Nasdaq exchange, represented by TSCO on the stock ticker. Nasdaq, one of the world's top equity marketplaces, is not only home to Tractor Supply, but also large technology brands such as Google, Amazon, and Apple.

Today, Tractor Supply's top shareholders include Vanguard Group Inc., 11.99%; Blackrock Inc., 9.65%; Wellington Management Group LLP, 4.45%; State Street Corporation, 4.37%; and Alliancebernstein L.P., 4.17%.

The 1930s were a grim time in American history, as the economy took an unprecedented downturn in the Great Depression, which damaged production, employment, and families across the country. However, one company was largely immune to the fiscal crisis, likely due to its emphasis on necessary products at frugal prices. Sears, which had started as a mail-order watch business in the late 19th century, became a booming seller of a wide array of products, from guns and bicycles to ornate cooking ranges, and even entire houses.

Schmidt set out to duplicate Sears' success in the world of farm supply. Farmers in the throes of the Depression didn't have much disposable income, and with the success of planting and harvesting resting on the health of machines such as tractors, replacement parts were vital. With a catalog dedicated to what rural people needed, Schmidt was able to focus on what was important to a fiscally conservative and country-residing customer base. 

Nowadays, the process of buying parts, feed, and other farm equipment has been greatly simplified, and you can also find several examples of underrated tools at Tractor Supply. And even better, the rural retailer doesn't just carry products that pertain to farming chores, as the Tractor Supply 125cc Massimo Mini Jeep looks to add some fun to the back roads.