Lowe's Announces Opening Dates for First Canadian Stores

TORONTO, Sept. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) announced today that its subsidiary, Lowe's Companies Canada, ULC (Lowe's), plans to open its first three stores in Canada the week of Dec. 10, 2007. The first of six stores expected to open during fiscal 2007 will be in Brantford, Hamilton and Brampton. A Toronto store is slated to open in late January. Lowe's has 18 additional sites in the pipeline.

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"Lowe's Toronto management team has been working hard for nearly two years to open the first of many stores we plan for Canada," said Don T. Stallings, president, Lowe's of Canada. "These first openings illustrate our steadfast focus on delivering an outstanding shopping experience, including the best prices, products and service to our new Canadian customers."

Lowe's announced in 2005 its intentions to open six to 10 stores in the Greater Toronto Area in fiscal 2007, with as many as 100 stores in Canada over time. The company opened its Toronto office in 2006 and has more than 100 employees in the office. Hiring fairs began Sept. 15 for store employees. Each new store will create up to 175 local jobs and represents an average investment of more than $18.9 million CDN ($18.5 million USD).

Lowe's currently operates more than 1,425 stores in 49 U.S. states, employing more than 210,000 people. Lowe's offers comprehensive benefits for regular full-time and part-time positions. For more information, visit www.lowes.ca/careers.

With fiscal year 2006 sales of $46.9 billion, Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE(R) 50 company that serves approximately 13 million customers a week at more than 1,425 home improvement stores in 49 states in the U.S. with plans to open stores in Canada in fiscal 2007. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe's is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For more information, visit lowes.ca.

SOURCE Lowe's Companies, Inc.