Award Highlights the Power of Partnership in Bringing Tractor Supply to Warrensburg, Missouri
Retail Strategies is honored to be recognized as part of the team behind the City of Warrensburg, Missouri’s receipt of the 2026 ICSC Excellence in Community Advancement Award.
Presented during ICSC LAS VEGAS, the award recognizes public-private partnerships that create lasting economic impact through retail and mixed-use development. According to ICSC, the award celebrates projects that drive economic opportunity, enhance community well-being and create long-term value through collaboration between municipalities and private-sector partners.
The Warrensburg project was recognized in the New Development category for successfully bringing Tractor Supply Co. to the community through a collaborative effort involving the City of Warrensburg, CMK Properties, Tractor Supply and Retail Strategies. Kam South, Portfolio Director at Retail Strategies, accepted the award on behalf of the project team during the Excellence in Community Advancement Awards Reception in Las Vegas on May 18, 2026.
A Shared Commitment to Getting the Deal Done
Retail recruitment is rarely a straight line.
Every successful project requires coordination among multiple stakeholders, each with different priorities, timelines and challenges. The Tractor Supply project in Warrensburg was no exception.
Throughout the process, the project team remained focused on a common goal: bringing a retailer to the community that would serve local residents, support surrounding rural areas and strengthen the city’s long-term economic future.
According to ICSC, the partnership combined trade-area analytics, infrastructure planning and coordinated public-private investment to recruit Tractor Supply to a 4.5-acre site along Warrensburg’s Maguire Street corridor. The completed 24,000-square-foot store now provides access to farm supplies, pet products, tools and home improvement goods for residents across the region.
The project also included infrastructure improvements supporting roadway access, utilities and stormwater management, creating benefits that extend beyond a single retail development. These investments help position the corridor for future growth while generating new jobs, sales tax revenue and property tax revenue for the community.
Why Partnership Matters
For Retail Strategies, the award represents more than a successful recruitment project.
It reflects what can happen when communities, developers, property owners and retailers stay engaged throughout the process and work together to solve challenges.
“This award is really a reflection of the partnership behind the project,” said Kam South, Portfolio Director at Retail Strategies. “The City of Warrensburg, CMK Properties, Tractor Supply and everyone involved stayed committed to finding solutions and moving the project forward. We’re proud to have been a part of the team and to help bring a project to the community that will have a lasting impact.”
Projects like Warrensburg demonstrate that successful retail recruitment is not simply about identifying opportunities. It requires alignment among stakeholders, data-driven decision making, strong communication and a willingness to work through obstacles as they arise.
The Role of Retail Recruitment in Community Growth
Many communities know what businesses their residents want but struggle to translate that demand into completed projects.
The Warrensburg success story highlights the importance of combining market data, real estate expertise and industry relationships with local leadership and private-sector investment.
ICSC specifically noted the project’s use of trade-area analytics and coordinated infrastructure planning as key components in demonstrating demand and attracting the retailer to the market.
For communities across the country, the lesson is simple: retailers want to invest where there is a clear market opportunity and a community prepared to support development.
When those pieces come together, meaningful economic growth can follow.
Looking Ahead
Retail Strategies is proud to have played a role in a project recognized on a national stage by ICSC.
More importantly, the award serves as a reminder that successful retail recruitment is built on relationships. When communities, developers, retailers and advisors remain committed to a shared vision, projects that once seemed challenging can become lasting assets for future generations.
Congratulations to the City of Warrensburg, CMK Properties, Tractor Supply and everyone who contributed to making this project a success.
Together, they created a project that demonstrates the lasting impact of partnership-driven economic development.
