Feed store changes hands

Keith Gedamke / The Item King Feed, formerly Southern States, features home and garden supplies of all types. The store, which had its grand opening Thursday, is also an independent dealer for Purina and carries a wide variety of pet items.

By ANNABELLE ROBERTSON
Item Staff Writer
arobertson@theitem.com

A Sumter feed business has changed hands, taken on a new name and is expanding its product line.

Palmetto Farm Supply (also known as Southern States), located at 335 Broad Street, has been redubbed "King Feed," and the new owners celebrated with a grand opening on Thursday afternoon.

The store is an independent dealer for Purina and carries a wide variety of pet items — approximately 50 percent of its stock, in fact. They cater to all pets, not just dogs and cats but also hamsters, gerbils and reptiles, among others. Lawn and garden items, like hoses, fertilizer, chemicals and plants, make up another 25 percent of King Feed's products, while the final 25 percent is composed of large animal livestock supplies, such as gates, feed, equipment and even saddles.

"We've been really blessed," said John Hyatt, 27, about the risk of buying a new business during the present economy. "Our employees, our customers and our managers know what we stand for. We're not a guaranteed success, but we haven't cut hours or laid anyone off. In fact, we've hired people."

Hyatt and co-owner Heath Watson, 36, have a solid history in the business. Hyatt was the former operations manager for Palmetto Pigeon Plant, which owned Palmetto Farm Supply. And he grew up playing in his grandfather's feed store in San Marcus, Texas. The son of Gen. James "Bill" Hyatt, former 20th Fighter Wing commander at Shaw Air Force Base, he moved to Sumter in the eighth grade and stayed. He graduated from Sumter High School in 2000 and from the Citadel in 2004, and married his wife, Elizabeth, a Mayesville resident, in 2006.

He and Watson grew up together. They also attend Mayesville Presbyterian Church, where they teach Sunday School. He said his faith is a huge part of the new endeavor.

"I wanted a family name with a heavenly focus," Hyatt said. "That's a priority around here."

Going into business with a farmer also seemed like a logical choice, especially since Watson farms more than 2,000 acres in Mayesville, raising soybeans, peanuts, corn and wheat.

"Heath has a lot of product knowledge about chemicals and seed," Hyatt said.

Although the pair looks upward for strength and success, they're still keeping things practical. It's their customer service, says Hyatt, that will ultimately help their new store prosper.

"We keep our prices competitive. We're often cheaper than PetCo — sometimes as much as $10 a bag," he said. "We've got 10 employees, including two master gardeners. You can park at the door, t 20 or 30 yards away. And you can pay at the front and pull around back and we'll load you up."



Contact Staff Writer Annabelle Robertson at arobertson@theitem.com or (803) 774-1250.