Tractor Supply store opening in Berks, more development coming next door

Susan Miers Smith, Reading Eagle, Pa.
·3 min read
1

Sep. 28—Tractor Supply Co. is opening its third store in Berks County at 1050 Shoemaker Ave. (Route 61), Shoemakersville. What is called the Boyertown store is just over the line in Douglass Township, Montgomery County.

The new store is going in next to the CVS in an adjoining building that was home to a Boyer's grocery store more than a decade ago.

According to Berks County property records, on April 17 Tractor Supply signed a 15-year lease with Homelite Ltd. and Shoemakersville Plaza LP, which are affiliated with the manager of the property, Pintzuk Brown Realty Group of Jenkintown, Montgomery County, .

Homelite Ltd. and Shoemakersville Plaza LP purchased the 7.2-acre site on Oct. 28, 2004 from C & L Berg. Inc. for $2.5 million.

Tricia Glenn of Finn Partners, a spokesperson for Tractor Supply Co., said as of July 2023 Tractor Supply had 2,181 stores nationwide and 108 stores in Pennsylvania — which includes locations in Montgomery and Chester counties.

The chain of stores focused on rural life and farming needs that sells everything from tools, pet and livestock food to boots and clothing was founded in 1938.

Glenn said that the store will bring about 15 jobs to the area.

"At least half of those will be full-time positions," she said.

Anyone interested in working at the store can apply at www.tractorsupply.com/careers.

"I know as a council, something we're really, really excited about is bringing jobs back to the area," said Tara Kennedy-Kline, who has been on Shoemakersville Borough Council for eight years. "Boyer's is sorely missed. That employed a lot of people around us. It'll be nice to have that back.

"We've been trying very desperately to solicit other companies and grocery stores and all kinds of things to get somebody in there, but it either seemed that we were too small of an area, too small a municipality, or what have you or everybody was moving up toward the Cabela's/Walmart area."

Kennedy-Kline said Tractor Supply received its temporary occupancy permit Sept. 20 and is planning to open Sept. 30.

Glenn said a grand opening ceremony could be held as early as Oct. 7.

Residents used to accessing the parking lot in front of the buildings from Reber Street will have to change their path just a bit.

"The intention is not to close Reber, but you will have to go to the back, toward the ballfield," Kennedy-Kline said. "You won't be able to make that right."

Kennedy-Kline said that there was no tax abatement granted to Tractor Supply and noted that they used local labor to help get the store built.

"We're really hoping to be good neighbors," Kennedy-Kline concluded. "Being an agricultural area, they fit in very, very well."

There is not going to be a traffic light installed at the current entrance from Route 61 southbound.

"There is a secondary building plan ... that's going to be down the street and that's where the traffic light will be," Kennedy-Kline said.

A site plan for the shopping plaza shared by Nick Skeparnias of Agora Commercial Realty Advisors, which is handling leasing for the site, shows a light would be installed at the intersection of the proposed Moceri Drive and Route 61, which is just over the line in Perry Township. The plan shows proposed spots for a bank, another retail store, a pharmacy with drive-thru and a convenience store with gas pumps.

Skeparnias said he is also going to be leasing the former RV Liquidators small building that is in front of Tractor Supply and is looking for tenants to occupy two of the pads (the ones marked a bank and retail store on the plan), noting they could be combined for a business and are not limited to a bank and store. He said leases have been signed for the the pharmacy and convenience store spots.

He said he could not reveal which businesses have signed leases.