Grand opening of new Harbor Freight Tools store scheduled for Feb. 17

The wait is over. Harbor Freight Tools will officially open its second Berks County store on Saturday, Feb. 17 — just two months after announcing its expansion in the county.

The store, located in the Shillington Plaza Shopping Center in Cumru Township, is occupying about 15,000 square feet in the former Kmart store in the center.

Customers have been able to get an advanced look at the store in its “soft opening” phase, a spokeswoman said. With its grand opening at 8 a.m. on Saturday, the store will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Harbor Freight will stock tools and accessories in categories including automotive, air and power tools, storage, outdoor power equipment, generators, welding supplies, shop equipment, hand tools and more, the company said in its announcement of the opening. The company says its stores are smaller and easier to shop than huge home centers.

The new store has added between 25 and 30 new jobs to the area and is managed by Maria Hernandez, who said the store’s team is ready to serve to customers.

“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,” she said in a statement.

This is the 64th Harbor Freight Tools store in Pennsylvania and the second in Berks County. Its Pennsylvania stores also include one in Chester County, one in Delaware County and three in Montgomery County. The other Berks store is located at 3225 N. Fifth St. in Muhlenberg Township.

The company previously said it had been looking to locate in Cumru for several years.

The Shillington Plaza Shopping Center is owned by Ocean State Job Lots, which purchased it in March 2022. Ocean State opened its store at the center in March 2023, occupying 46,836 square feet of a former Kmart store.

Harbor Freight Tools was founded in California in 1977 as a mail-order company, opening its first store in 1980. The company has 1,400 stores across the country and remains owned and led by founder Eric Smidt.