Harbor Freight Closing Distribution Center

Harbor Freight Tools is shutting down its Camarillo distribution center, resulting in the loss of 51 jobs. The Calabasas discount tool and equipment retailer notified the state Employment Development Department this month that the layoffs would take place between June 22 and July 1. “The current operation is being relocated to our existing Moreno Valley distribution center where we will be adding positions to support our direct-to-consumer operation,” the company said in the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification sent to the state on April 22. Employees have been told they are eligible for positions elsewhere in the company and have started offering transition classes through Ventura County Rapid Response Services and Harbor Freight’s internal talent acquisition team, the company said. Harbor Freight was founded in 1977 by Eric Smidt, the current chief executive, and his father, Allan Smidt. The company has about 900 stores in 47 states and employs more than 17,000 workers in the United States.