May 20—OGDENSBURG — A Harbor Freight store will soon be opening in Ogdensburg's Seaway Shopping Plaza.

The Ogdensburg store, where the former Gordman's and Peebles stores used to reside in the plaza at 701 Canton St., will join locations at 200 Market St., Suite 1, Potsdam, and 20839 Arsenal Street Road, Watertown, in the north country.

According to the store's website at www.harborfreight.com, "Our journey began in 1977, when Eric Smidt and his father launched Harbor Freight Tools. 40+ years, 1200+ stores, and over 40 million satisfied customers later, not only are we still family owned, but we've stayed true to our mission. We've continued to deliver an incredible assortment of quality tools to pros and DIYers alike at prices that are up to 80% less than competing brands."

Craig Hoffman, director of Corporate Communications for Harbor Freight Tools, said that the plan is to open mid-summer, but a specific date is not set at this time.

"This will be our second store in St. Lawrence County, and our 53rd in New York State. We're excited about this new location because it will be much more convenient for our customer in the Ogdensburg community. Currently, the have to travel about 25 miles to our Potsdam store, or about 54 miles, and out of the county, to Watertown," said Hoffman, "We've been looking to add a second location in St. Lawrence County, and specifically in Ogdensburg for a while now, 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."

Hoffman said that this location will be 16,100 square feet which is smaller than the so-called "Big Box" stores which they 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. For other customers, this size makes it easier to browse and find our great deals. 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," said Hoffman.

Another reason why Harbor Freight chose Ogdensburg was its workforce.

"We also chose to open in Ogdensburg because we feel there is a wide pool of qualified applicants to join our team. 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 Ogdensburg community. 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."

Interested applicants can apply online at www.harborfreightjobs.com/retail.