Local farm and garden-supply company Achille Enterprises Inc. will be acquired by Runnings Supply Inc. at the end of March, according to a news release from the latter company.

Operating as Achille Agway, the family owned business has been growing since George Achille Sr. opened the first store in Peterborough in 1965, according to the company’s website. It now has five additional locations in Keene, Walpole, Brattleboro, Hillsboro and Milford.

The planned sale has “been a recent development,” said George Achille Jr., who has been working for the company since 1977, and became owner upon the deaths of his parents in 2003 and 2004.

“They’re a family-owned business like ours, but much bigger,” he said of Runnings. “They reached out to me about a year ago, and we’ve been having this conversation for just under a year now.”

Runnings is a privately held retailer selling a variety of goods, including lawn and garden supplies, tools, farm supplies and outdoor equipment, according to the news release. Founded in 1947 and owned by the Dennis and Adele Reed family, the Minnesota-based company currently has 57 stores and employs more than 2,700 workers across eight states. Local stores are in Hinsdale and Claremont.

A media representative for Runnings could not be reached for comment this week.

“Achille Agway stores are known for their responsiveness to changing customer needs,” Runnings President Brian Odegaard said in the release. “They have strong community connections and will be a valuable expansion to our presence in the Northeast.”

Achille said his stores are known in the region for their friendly staff and an expansive product selection, and there won’t be any changes to the customer experience. At this time, all six stores will continue operating under the Achille Agway brand.

“Everything is status quo,” he said. “We will continue to serve the Monadnock region as we have been for many years.”

According to the release, the transaction is expected to close March 31.

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