A tool store is planning to open in Bemidji and will bring between 25 to 30 new jobs to the community.

Harbor Freight Tools announced today it will open a new store in the Paul Bunyan Mall where Herberger’s used to be located. Construction at the site has started, but an official opening date won’t be announced until closer to the opening.

Harbor Freight opened its first store in 1980 and now has more than 1,200 stores across the country and more than 24,000 employees.

The business will not be taking over the entire space the old Herberger’s had, as Dunham Sporting Goods is epected to share the site. Herberger’s, which had been one of the anchor stores at the mall, closed in 2018, and the site has sat vacant since then.

By — Lakeland News