Harbor Freight Tools will open Ellsworth store, its eighth Maine location
Courtesy/Harbor Freight Tools
Harbor Freight Tools is opening a new store this spring at the Maine Coast Mall, 225 High St.
Harbor Freight Tools will open the doors to the company's eighth Maine location this spring at the Maine Coast Mall in Ellsworth.
The new store at the 225 High St. mall "will make it much more convenient for our customers in the Ellsworth community because they have to travel about 25 miles to our Bangor store, or about 44 miles to our Rockland location," spokesman Craig Hoffman told Mainebiz via email. "We’re particularly excited about this location as it will be our first store in Hancock County (and our eighth in Maine)."
The 16,000-square-foot location is smaller than the so-called "big box” stores in the Harbor Freight lineup. Hoffman called the smaller store "a competitive advantage."
"Many of our customers are professional trades workers who want to stop in, find what they need, and then head out quickly to their job site or workshop," Hoffman said.
The smaller size also makes it easier for other customers to browse through the store for deals at the purveyor of tools and accessories in automotive, air and power tools and storage, he added.
Harbor Freight also carries outdoor power equipment, generators, welding supplies, shop equipment and hand tools, and is known for its low prices.
The company also decided to expand into Ellsworth because corporate leaders feel there is a wide pool of qualified applicants in the area.
"We hire locally, and in addition to the construction workers we’ll be hiring, we’ll be bringing an additional new 25 to 30 jobs to the Ellsworth community," Hoffman said.
According to Hoffman, Harbor Freight has been recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the top 20 Best Employers in Retail for three years in a row, and one of the top Employer for Veterans for three years.
"The company has been looking to add a location in Hancock County, and specifically in Ellsworth for a while now," Hoffman said, "but we always believe in waiting until we find a location that meets our needs and the needs of our customers: good visibility, easy access, ample parking and the right square footage."
Harbor Freight, which is based in Calabasas, Calif., was founded 45 years ago and now has stores in Auburn, Augusta, Bangor, Presque Isle, Rockland, South Portland and Waterville.
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