A few months ago, we published an article about the possibility of Harbor Freight taking over the vacant Eckerd Drugs building at the corner of Roseland Road and U.S. Highway 1.
On Monday, April 15, 2024, we witnessed a crew conducting a demolition at the Roseland location. We contacted Harbor Freight and confirmed that a store will soon be opening at the former Eckerd building.
“This will be our 89th store in Florida and it will be our second location in Indian River County. It will be much more convenient for our customers in the Sebastian community, as currently they have to travel about 11 miles to our Vero Beach location or 18 miles to our Palm Bay store,” Craig Hoffman, the Communications Director at Harbor Freight, told Sebastian Daily.
Hoffman also said they had chosen to open in the 14,129 square-foot building because they feel there is a vast pool of qualified applicants to join their 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 Sebastian community,” he said.
Interested applicants can apply online at harborfreightjobs.com/retail and search “Sebastian, FL”.
It’s been nearly twenty years since the Eckerd building shut its doors. In July 2004, JCPenney handed over ownership of the Eckerd outlets to CVS Corp for a staggering $4.5 billion. While most locations transformed CVS stores post-sale, some remained vacant despite ongoing lease payments.
Provider of Quality Tools
Based in Calabasas, California, Harbor Freight began as a mail-order venture in 1977. It remains family-owned and operated, with a workforce exceeding 20,000 across the United States.
Distinguishing itself from competitors, Harbor Freight takes a direct sourcing approach. The majority of its inventory is sourced straight from manufacturers and subjected to testing at its in-house quality assurance center.
The company has an expansive product line with more than 4,000 items, ranging from air compressors and generators to hand tools and storage solutions.
“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,” Hoffman said.
