“We’ve had tons of people,” said team leader Vince Cordell. “Everybody I talk to has been absolutely ecstatic.”

His co-worker, lead sales associate Tiffany Edwards, agreed. “It’s been amazing. Everybody is happy it’s here. Hopefully it brings more stores to this area,” she said.

The store, located at 21 Nichols Ave., celebrated its grand opening Saturday with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Shoppers from all around the area roamed the aisles throughout the day.

The Westfield store had its “soft opening” on Nov. 9. Amanda Braun, manager of the new store, said the response has been very good.

Karatina, a 2-year-old Sharpei, prepares to experience the pet wash service at the Tractor Supply store in Westfield.

“The neighboring villages have been very excited to have us,” she said. “We’ve had people from Ripley, Brocton, North East, Portland and all around.”

Stacy Stebell came to the store twice during the grand opening. The second time she brought Blue, her 150-pound Great Dane “puppy,” who seemed just as excited as she was.

“I was here this afternoon and bought a bag of dog food and I’m back to buy three more,” she said. “I think it’s going to be wonderful. I hope to see more stores pop up. This is pretty big for Westfield.”

Harvey and Lynda Schang were shopping with their 4-year-old son Mark. “This is a great store for our area,” Lynda said. “We love it.”

Braun emphasized that Tractor Supply is a true community partner.

“We are out there to serve our neighbors. We love every part of it. That’s who we are,” she said. “So, this event, like any other, is about welcoming in our neighbors and showing them what we’re all about, while providing a fun experience the whole family can enjoy.”

In late February, 2019, engineers from the architectural firm Bergmann presented a proposed layout for the store to the Westfield Town Board.

Now, nearly eight months later, the 19,000 square foot location is complete and in full operation. There is also a 15,000 square foot, fenced-in, outdoor display area.

The store will have a “hitching post” area specifically for Amish patrons. In this way, Braun said, they will not have to park at the firehall and walk to the store.

The store will also feature drive-through capability in its outdoor yard area, so customers can pull in, load their purchases, and drive out the other side.

Tractor Supply is a “one-stop shop for anyone looking for anything,” Braun said. “In addition to feed and farm supplies, we have items ranging from leather goods to pressure washers to pet supplies to trailer parts, truck boxes and hardware.”

The Tractor Supply Company started business more than 80 years ago, and is now the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States with more than 1,814 stores in 49 states and 32,000 team members.