Kalispell Home Depot the top store in state

For the first time, the Kalispell-area Home Depot has become the top store in Montana based on year-to-year sales.

For store manager Jeremy Hancock, this speaks to an improved economic state for the valley as well as to the Kalispell store’s way of doing business.

“This is from a culmination of factors making the Flathead Valley come alive again,” Hancock said. “We’re benefiting from that success.”

Hancock said the greatest improvement in sales has come from the garden area. Business with construction contractors also has grown considerably.

Staff numbers are also way up, Hancock said.

“We have hired more than we’ve hired in the course of a year or in the course of a seasonal spike,” he said. “We’re a spring-centered store, and we’re seeing our spike right now. We’ve hired more than we ever have; I’d say overall we’ve hired a good 35 people.”

The store, which opened in 2002, now has about 125 employees.

Hancock said the store hasn’t emphasized anything new or trendy in its rise to the top.

“Our business is built on strong fundamentals and we’re sticking to those fundamentals in good times and bad, as opposed to finding a fancy new way to do something,” he said. “It’s allowed us to maintain our consistent ability to produce great results.”

Hancock said that the Montana Home Depot stores are all about the same size.

“If there is a real differentiating piece, we try to focus on great customer service as the No. 1 priority for our company and our store,” he said. “This is a great success story and a validation of how our economy is coming back.”