Harbor Freight Tools
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2009) |
 |
|
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | Los Angeles, California (1968) |
| Founder(s) | Alan Smidt |
| Headquarters | Camarillo, California |
| Number of locations | 330 |
| Area served | USA |
| Key people | Alan Smidt (Chairman) Eric Smidt (CEO) Robert Rene (COO) |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Tools |
| Employees | approx 6,000 |
| Website | www.harborfreight.com www.harborfreightusa.com |
Harbor Freight Tools is an American privately held company that runs a chain of discount tool retail stores. The company was founded in 1968, primarily selling through its mail order catalog, which still exists today. The Camarillo, California-based company offers more than 10,000 tools through its Web site, mail order catalog, and retail stores. The overall selection of items is very broad and may be unmatched by any other retailer.
Harbor Freight has over 330 retail store locations in 43 out of 50 states. It has corporate offices in California, and South Carolina. It is one of the largest employers in Dillon, South Carolina with a distribution center spanning over 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m2).
Most of the tools found at Harbor Freight are sold under a variety of house brands with American-sounding names, such as Chicago Electric, Drill Master, Central Machinery, Central Pneumatic, U.S. General, and Pittsburgh Tools, but are typically imported from China, rather than U.S. made. Many of the tools sold at Harbor Freight are available from other tool vendors, usually at significantly higher prices.[citation needed]
