CovinaOpportunity.com

By Kevin Smith, Staff Writer
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Posted: 12/22/2010 10:58:55 PM PST

George Campos, of West Covina, uses a fork lift to move a load of 2x4s Wednesday, December 22, 2010 as Lowe's in Covina on Azusa Avenue gets ready for their store opening. Lowe's will hold a soft opening on Monday for its new 94,000-square-foot Covina store. The store hired 125 workers, including 21 local residents who previously were without jobs. (SGVN/Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz)

COVINA - The sound of hammers, forklifts and whirring power tools echoed throughout the new Lowe's home improvement center Wednesday as workers scrambled to prep the store for its soft opening on Monday.

"It's five holes up," employee Jose Bahena shouted to another worker, as they struggled to put a heavy piece of shelving in place. "It should just click in ... my side clicked, but yours didn't."

The 94,000-square-foot store and adjoining 25,000-square-foot garden center were completed on Nov. 16, and the work of installing the shelving, bringing in merchandise and arranging the displays has been going on ever since.

"It took us two weeks to set up the racks," store Manager Jim Phillip said. "We had to train the employees we hired in how to set up the store. They've been in a construction mode and now they'll have to switch to a customer mode."

In an economic climate where many have lost their jobs, Lowe's' entry into Covina is welcome.

The North Carolina-based retailer hired 125 workers to staff the Covina store, and 21 of the new hires had been unemployed, Phillip said.

"Seventy-five percent of our staff will be full-time and 25 percent will be part-time," he said.

Robert Neiuber, deputy executive director of the city's redevelopment agency, said the new Lowe's will also provide a big boost to the city's sales tax base.

"Stores like this can bring in over $300,000 in sales tax revenue," he said. "I think the jobs, the service the store provides to the community and the additional revenue it will create are all just great."

The store, at 1348 N. Azusa Ave., will open its doors to the public at 6 a.m. Monday. A grand opening will be held at 10 a.m. Dec. 30. If a shopper buys a Lowe's gift card that day, Lowe's will match their purchases up to $5,000 to support the Pomona Valley Habitat for Humanity's next building project.

The Covina store - which represents a $12 million investment for the company - will stock everything from brooms, mops, socket sets and hammers to power drills, plywood, two-by-fours and lighting.

"At Lowe's, we focus on our customers, and building the best store possible to serve them," company spokeswoman Stacey C. Lentz explained. "We remain committed to offering high-quality home improvement products at everyday low prices, while delivering outstanding customer service."

With fiscal year 2009 sales of $47.2 billion, Lowe's Companies Inc. is a Fortune 50 company that serves about 15 million customers a week at more than 1,725 home improvement stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Hammer time: Covina Lowe's to hold soft opening Monday