Blain’s Farm & Fleet expands to Michigan

Blain’s Farm & Fleet announced on Jan. 17 that it will enter Michigan in 2018. The retailer has identified locations throughout Michigan for new Blain’s Farm & Fleet stores which are in various stages of development. The first two locations are planned in Jackson and Portage for fall of 2018 and will bring the total number of Blain’s Farm and Fleet Stores to 40.

“Several years ago, we announced an aggressive expansion and reinvestment plan,” said Jane Blain Gilbertson, owner and president of Blain’s Farm & Fleet. “In the first steps of that plan, we opened our new stores in Romeoville and Elgin, Illinois, and we are currently making significant investments in remodeling and expanding existing stores in Rice Lake, Wisconsin and Kankakee/Bourbonnais, Illinois. Expansion into Michigan is the next step,” she said.

In Jackson, projected plans are for a new 120,000 square foot store located at 3555 O’Neill Drive, a former Kmart. Blain’s will remodel the building including renovating the automotive service center with new state-of-the-art technology. In Portage after final approvals, the store will be located at 879 Mall Drive behind Crossroads Mall. Blain’s will add about 30,000 square feet to the existing building to create a 109,000-square foot store.  The existing building will be renovated to include a new automotive service center.

Blain’s Farm & Fleet’s expansion comes after significant exploration into various markets throughout the Midwest. The company considered the population base in Jackson and Portage, including homeowners, families, hobby farmers and rural shoppers, that all tend to be strong supporters of Blain’s Farm & Fleet Stores.