Harbor Freight moving into shopping center

Harbor Freight Tools, America’s go-to store for quality tools at the lowest prices, has announced that it will be opening a new store in Huntington at 2028 N. Jefferson St.

Expected to open this spring, an official opening date will be announced closer to opening.

Construction has already begun at the location, using local workers and companies from the surrounding Huntington area.

“We’ve been looking to open a location in Huntington for a number of years so that we can provide the tools and equipment at tremendous values to the community,” said Trey Feiler, senior vice president, Real Estate and Construction for Harbor Freight Tools.

“In addition to finding a great location, we were attracted by the availability of great associates in the Huntington area, and we look forward to having them join the Harbor Freight team.”

The store is expected to bring between 25 and 30 new jobs to the community, including sales and logistics supervisors, senior associates, sales associates and seasonal opportunities.

For more than 40 years, Harbor Freight Tools has been a source for affordable tools. The family-owned company started in Southern California in 1977, when 17-year-old Eric Smidt began transforming his father’s small phone sales business into a successful mail order company, bypassing the resellers, dealing directly with factories and passing the savings on to the customers.

The company opened its first store in 1980. Today, Harbor Freight Tools has more than 1,200 stores across the country and employs 24,000 associates.It has become one of the nation’s fastest growing retailers, opening two new stores every week.