Established in Enid in 1960, Atwoods Ranch and Home has grown from a small 8,000-square-foot store on North Van Buren into a nationally recognized company.

The company now has 58 stores and two distribution centers — occupying more than 4 million square feet — spread across the five-state region of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Kansas and Missouri.

Serving homeowners, ranchers and hobby farmers, alike, Atwoods offers industry leading name brands alongside an assortment of unique items seldom found anywhere else. It has a somewhat nostalgic atmosphere with a reputation for free popcorn and everyday low prices, company officials said.

“We focus on low overhead to keep prices competitive,” President Brian Atwood said. “It’s what we’ve done from the beginning. We may not have all the frills of some big box retailers, but we keep costs in check, provide a family-friendly atmosphere and rely on each of our 2,200 associates to take care of the customer more than what is typically offered at larger, publicly held retail companies.”

Atwoods’ two distribution centers are in Enid — located with the retail store now at Garland and Garriott — and Tyler, Texas.

Until recently, Atwoods also used the former Wal-Mart building on West Garriott, in Enid, to store additional product.

“The old Wal-Mart suited our needs well, but it was mainly utilized as overflow for the Enid distribution center,” Atwood said. “We are able to shift some of these functions back to our Enid distribution center while we plan both short-term and long-term expansion of the facility.”

Enid Regional Development Alliance Executive Director Brent Kisling said his office has been working closely with Atwoods officials to ensure distribution center operations are maintained in Enid.

More than 65 percent of the company’s stores currently are supplied by the Enid distribution center.

“We will continue to grow and additional infrastructure will be needed,” Atwood said. “The Enid distribution center itself has room for expansion. We expect that (the center) will always be an integral part of our daily business operations.”

 

Story by:  Enid News & Eagle

Written by:  Jessica Miller