ATLANTA — Home Depot expects to add about 200 more rental departments in North America in its 2003 fiscal year, which begins this month, director of tool rental Tom McCormick told RER recently.

“We're getting more aggressive in tool rental expansion,” McCormick said. “Our customers love it and are coming to expect it, it's a very good business for us. It draws customers and promotes one-stop shopping for our customers, so professional and do-it-yourself customers can get merchandise as well as rent tools.”

McCormick said about 70 percent of the new stores Home Depot adds this year will have tool rental departments, and close to 100 percent of the roughly 200 stores it plans to open in fiscal 2004 will offer tool rental. Home Depot now has about 585 tool rental departments out of about 1,450 stores in Canada, Mexico and the United States, he added.

McCormick also said Home Depot will add rental departments to already existing stores in some locations.

The company also recently announced that it selected Texas as the first expansion state for its new Home Depot Landscape Supply stores. The company said it will open several of the new concept stores in Texas this year, beginning last month in Arlington and Dallas, and Grapevine, Lewisville and Plano this spring.

“Texans take great pride in their homes and property,” said Todd Williams, president, Home Depot Landscape Supply. “We can offer them the next generation landscaping products, supplies and services.”

The stores each will have heated/cooled space of about 12,000 square feet, including tool rental departments and covered greenhouses.

Atlanta-based Home Depot Rentals is No. 11 on the RER 100.