Harbor Freight Tools opens Lexington store
Harbor Freight Tools sells a variety of tools and equipment. {Contributed photo}
Harbor Freight Tools, located at 58 U.S. Highway 64 West, had a soft opening a couple of weeks ago but will host a grand opening at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 8.
The store carries 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 and more.
The store will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
The Lexington store is the 54th Harbor Freight Tools store in North Carolina, said Craig Hoffman, director of corporate communications. The company has been looking for a Lexington site for some time to be more convenient to Davidson County customers who have had to drive to locations in Salisbury, Winston-Salem and High Point.
“We always wait until we’ve found a location that meets our needs for our customers — easy access, good visibility, ample parking and the right size space,” Hoffman explained. “This location in the former Fred’s Super Dollar store meets all those requirements and, at 20,158 square feet, is actually among the largest of our stores, but still much smaller than the so-called big box stores in our category.
“We see this as a competitive advantage, because we have a solid mix of customers — many of them are professional tradespeople who want to come in, find exactly what they need and then be able to quickly get back on the road to their workshops or jobsites. And a lot of our customers are DIYers, who find our size much more conducive to browsing.
“What links them both is that they can always find quality tools and prices far below the competition because, unlike our competitors, we buy directly from the factories and don’t have to pay the middleman for brands that are not our own. We pass those savings on to customers.”
Hoffman noted many customers are members of the store’s Inside Track Club. “Members can often make up the low cost of joining in a single purchase and then continue saving throughout the year on deeper discounts, early access to our sales and other perks of membership.”
The company’s Harbor Freight Credit Card also offers a number of ways to save, Hoffman added.
The company, which hires locally, has brought between 25 to 30 jobs to the community.
In 2023, Forbes Magazine recognized Harbor Freight as one of the top 20 large employers in all of retail and one of the country’s top employers for veterans for the third consecutive year, as well as a top employer for women and for diversity. The company was recognized for its commitment to diversity and inclusion by Diversityjobs.com.
“Our team is ready to serve and deliver value to customers in Lexington and all of Davidson County,” said Britni Clodfelter, store manager. “At Harbor Freight, we recognize that now, more than ever, our customers depend on us for the tools they need to get the job done at an affordable price.”
Harbor Freight Tools opened in 1977 as a southern California-based mail-order company. It is still owned and led by founder Eric Smidt. The company opened its first store in 1980. Today, Harbor Freight Tools has more than 1,400 stores across the country, 25,000 associates and more than 75 million customers.
For information about Harbor Freight Tools, go to harborfreight.com.
*Customers have 30 days, if the price drops, to get the difference refunded.
