The Home Depot Announces Plans for Nine Home-Improvement Super-stores in Puerto Rico
Home Depots will provide 2,000 jobs for Puerto Ricans
June 18, 1998 03:01 PM
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The Home Depot HD , the world's largest home improvement retailer, today announced plans to build at least nine super-stores in Puerto Rico, six of which will be in the greater San Juan area.
"Our first two stores will be in the communities of Carolina and Bayamon," said Bruce Berg, president of the company's Southeast Division that includes Puerto Rico. "We're currently identifying locations around the metropolitan area to build four more stores. At the same time, we're also planning three stores at other locations around the island.
"This commitment by Home Depot means approximately 2,000 new jobs in our stores for Puerto Ricans, which helps boost the local economy in communities where our stores will be located. In addition, we'll be featuring the products of at least 28 local manufacturers. These companies employ hundreds of people, which means the local economies get a second boost as a result of these partnerships."
As yet, there are no construction schedules or locations for the remaining seven Home Depots. Berg said most stores will be open in the next three or four years.
The Carolina store, at the intersection of Highways 3 and 8 in Plaza Escorial, is scheduled to open Sept. 10. Opening of the Bayamon store, at the intersection of Highways 20 and 167 in the Plaza Del Sol, is planned for January 1999.
"Home Depot is very excited about coming to Puerto Rico and making new friends and new customers," said Berg. "We will do whatever it takes to make sure our Puerto Rican customers have their best shopping experience ever. To do this, we have to know our customers' wants and needs. That's why we've been talking to local contractors, manufacturers and prospective customers for the last several months. Once each Puerto Rican store is opened, we will continue to conduct exit interviews with customers and make whatever product changes are necessary to satisfy them."
Berg pointed out that Home Depot's universal commitment to become part of the local community wherever it opens a store is doubly important here in Puerto Rico.
"The Puerto Rican people have a proud community heritage and strong family values," said Berg. "We understand community pride and family values, which is why 38 of our 40 managers and supervisors come from Puerto Rico. We think it's very important that our Puerto Rican customers be served by Puerto Rican associates at the direction of Puerto Rican managers and supervisors."
Each Puerto Rican Home Depot will span 115,000 square feet inside, plus a 15,000 square-foot outside garden area. Each store will open with approximately 200 full and part-time associates and stock 40,000 to 50,000 different products, ranging from lawn and garden items to building materials. All stores will conduct free home-repair clinics on a weekly basis.
"At least 70% of the building materials (concrete/wood products) and paint in our stores will come from local manufacturers," said Berg. "But 100% of the plants in our garden departments will come from local growers.
"Since most construction in the Caribbean uses concrete block, each Home Depot will keep on stock the equivalent of 10 tractor-trailer loads of concrete block. Unlike the states, we will stock very little carpet. However, our first Puerto Rican store will have the largest ceramic tile showroom in The Home Depot company."
Founded in 1978, The Home Depot currently operates 670 stores in the United States and Canada. Its first stores outside North America will open in Santiago, Chile, in July and in Carolina, Puerto Rico, in September. The company posted gross sales of $24.2 billion in fiscal 1997. Presently, it employs 156,000 full and part-time associates.
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