EP 35, Alex Melvin

Business Playmakers is excited to bring you the CEO of Rural King, Alex Melvin. Rural King is known as “America’s farm and home department store”, and operates by the motto that like their customers, they live, love , and embrace a rural lifestyle. Rural King is a family business, started by Alex’s Great Uncle, and led by his father for many years before Alex became CEO. Being raised on a farm, Alex was taught to work hard, and even though it was expected that after college Alex would go to work for the family business, his father told him there were no openings. Alex spent time working for a General Contractor building Walmarts, and Pilot Travel Centers which was key to his later success of growing Rural King. After getting married in 2008, and having his first child in 2009, Alex decided to go back to Rural King, which his father told him he could do as the Store Manager in Mattoon Illinois. Alex jumped on the opportunity to prove himself, and after a year he was promoted to Vice President of the company. After becoming CEO in 2011, Alex has expanded Rural King from 40 stores, to 112 stores in 13 states. Alex truly represents Rural King well, as he also continues to still live a rural lifestyle by taking care of his own land and farm, and to the surprise of many who think he should hire someone for the job, prides himself in still cutting his own grass. Enjoy the episode and please remember to Subscribe and Share Business Playmakers podcast.