Harbor Freight, the Calabasas, Calif.-based discount tool chain, will open a location in Great Bend come mid-spring, company officials said. The store will be at the Village Mall shopping center, 4903 10th Street (the former Ace Hardware location).
A more exact opening date will be announced later.
“We’re particularly excited about this new location because it will be our first store in Barton County, (our 15th in Kansas).,” said Craig Hoffman, company director of corporate communications and content. “We’re also excited because it will be much more convenient for our customers in the Great Bend community.”
Currently, the closest stores are in Hays and Hutchinson. The company has over 1,300 stores nationwide.
“That’s why we’ve been looking to add a location in Barton County, and specifically in Great Bend, 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.”
This particular location will be 19,663 square feet, which is on the larger side for the retailer, but still smaller than the so-called “Big Box” stores in their category, and they feel that is 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.” For other customers, this size makes it easier to browse, he said. “All our customers will find a full selection of quality tools and accessories in categories including automotive, air and power tools, storage, outdoor power equipment, generators, welding supplies, shop equipment, hand tools and more, at lowest prices, which has been our mission since we began 45 years ago.”
The chain is also chose to open in Great Bend because officials believe there is a wide pool of qualified applicants. “We hire locally, and in addition to the construction workers we’ll be hiring, we’ll be bringing an additional new 25-30 jobs to the Great Bend community,” Hoffman said.
“We consider ourselves to be one of the best places to work in the retail industry, with highly competitive pay, great benefits and the opportunity to advance in one of the fastest growing companies in retail,” he said. They’ve been recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the top 20 Best Employers in retail for two years in a row, and one of the top employer for veterans for three years as well. They’ve also recognized us as one of the best employers for women, and for diversity, an honor they’ve also received from diversityjobs.com for two years as well.
Interested applicants can apply online at www.harborfreightjobs.com/retail and search “Great Bend, KS”.
