Harbor Freight Tools to open in Danville | News - Danville Commercial News

DANVILLE — A discount tool and equipment retailer is expected to open in mid- to late summer in the former OfficeMax on North Vermilion Street in Danville.

Harbor Freight Tools will be opening a location at 3371 N. Vermilion St.

This will be the company's 36th store in Illinois, according to Craig Hoffman, director of corporate communications and content for Harbor Freight Tools.

Hoffman says they will confirm the date closer to the actual opening, but it could be around mid-August.

"We've been looking to open a location in Vermilion County, and specifically Danville, for a couple of years. We're always interested in joining new communities but want to wait until we've found a location that meets our needs: easy access in and out of the location, good visibility and ample parking," Hoffman stated through an email.

"We also look for the right amount of space for our stores— this location will be about 23,500 square feet — smaller than the 'big box' rivals in our category, which we think is a competitive advantage, as you can more easily browse, or, as many of our customers are contractors and other trades professionals, come in, find what you need and get out and head straight to the work site," Hoffman said.

He continued, "we feel this location meets all those needs and will be more convenient for our customers in the Danville community."

Harbor Freight also is located in Urbana, Terre Haute, Ind. and Lafayette, Ind.

"We hire locally, and are excited to bring about 25-30 new local jobs to the community. Danville met another of our qualifications we look for when choosing a location: a large pool of potential applicants who might be interested in joining Harbor Freight. We pride ourselves on being one of the best places to work in retail, and offer competitive compensation, an excellent benefits package, and the opportunity to advance in our fast growing company," Hoffman said.

Harbor Freight has more than 1,150 locations and are opening about two new stores a week.

"We've recently been recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the best large companies to work for in America (Top 20 in retail) and the #1 Employer for Veterans; we've also been recognized by DiversityJobs.com for our commitment to diversity and inclusion," he stated.

Anyone interested in applying for a job can go to http://www.harborfreightjobs.com/retail and search for DANVILLE IL.

For more than 40 years, Harbor Freight Tools has been the go-to place for quality tools at great value. It offers more than 7,000 quality tools at low prices. The store will stock a full selection of tools and equipment in categories including automotive, air and power tools, storage, outdoor power equipment, generators, welding supplies, shop equipment, hand tools (which come with a lifetime warranty) and much more.

"We are also active and involved members of the community and look forward to being so in Danville," Hoffman said.

According to the company, Harbor Freight Tools has been America's go-to 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 customer.

The company opened its first store in 1980. Today Harbor Freight Tools has 1,100 stores across the country, 23,000 associates and more than 40 million customers who depend on Harbor Freight's quality and value to earn a living, repair their homes and cars and pursue their hobbies. With core values of excellence and continuous improvement, Harbor Freight Tools works to constantly improve the quality of its products and this year will introduce more than 600 new tools and accessories.