Hoffman said the Hope location will be the hardware store’s 17th store in Arkansas, the first in Hempstead County. “We feel this new location it will be much more convenient for our customers in the Hope community. Currently, they have to travel about 34 miles (and out of state) to Texarkana, 82 miles to our location in Hot Springs, 99 miles to Benton or 116 miles to Little Rock,” he added.
The company had been looking for a good location in Southwest Arkansas for some time. The space at 535 North Hervey was chosen for several reasons which Hoffman listed: “Good visibility, easy access, ample parking and the right square footage.
This particular location, in the North Hervey Street Shopping Center, will be 24,500 square feet, actually one of our larger stores, but still smaller than the so-called ‘Big Box’ stores in our category, which we feel 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.”
In describing the store’s inventory, Hoffman 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 more than 45 years ago.”
Should you wish to work at the new Harbor Freight Tools store in Hope, Hoffman encourages the filing of an application early on the company’s employment website. Search Hope there and apply to the job of your choice. “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 Hope community,” Hoffman said.
According to the About Us page on its website, Harbor Freight Tools was founded in 1977 by Eric Smidt and his father and has now grown to over 1400 stores that have served 75 million customers. The company manufactures its own brand of tools, which its stores carry. “We have invested millions of dollars in our own test labs and factories so our tools will go toe-to-toe with the top professional brands,” explains the website, “And we can sell them for a fraction of the price because we cut out the middle man and pass the savings on to you.”