Home Depot opens in Poplar Bluff

Business Today

POPLAR BLUFF -- He has been an employee of Home Depot for 13 years. What started out as a job as lot attendant eventually led Home Depot store manager Tom Lynch to Poplar Bluff.

"I started with Home Depot in 1990," said Lynch. "I started out as lot attendant and worked my way up." Lynch grew up in the small town of Sequim, Wash., population 2,000.

"I moved to cashier after becoming lot attendant and was then promoted to front-end supervisor, which is in charge of all the cashiers," Lynch explained. "Then I got promoted to department supervisor, and as department supervisor I have run every department except lumber and building materials.

He was then promoted to store manager and has opened seven Home Depots including the Poplar Bluff store, which opened July 17 at 939 South Westwood Boulevard.

"Most of the stores I opened I would stay at for six months or so except the last one and I stayed there for two years," Lynch said. "It's time for me to put some roots down so I'm sticking around on this one."

Opening weekend was very good, Lynch said. "We set a couple of records over the weekend. One of them was that we had the most approved credit cards ever for a Home Depot. For a town this size, that is very, very good and is something to be proud of."

The other record wasn't quite as good. This store logged the most overtime hours ever at a Home Depot.

"I've already gotten the call on that one," Lynch said with a chuckle.

Home Depot has 12 different departments including hardware, paints, appliance, lawn and garden, and a tool rental center.