Ask most pro dealers about big box stores and their thoughts immediately turn to Home Depot rather than Lowe's (or, in the Midwest, Menards). But in places like Presque Isle, Maine, and Washington, N.C., it's the big blue box, not the orange one, that competes for pro and retail business. And over 2007, Lowe's has become 170 times more competitive. That's how many new stores Lowe's announced in 2007 it would open or actually opened in 2007. At this pace, Lowe's should reach the 1,500-store mark in the U.S. before winter ends.

 Here's the roster of new stores, sorted by state:

• Anniston, Ala.
• Buckeye, Ariz.
• Carefree, Ariz.
• Gilbert, Ariz.
• Phoenix, Ariz.
• Show Low, Ariz.
• Sierra Vista, Ariz.
• Paragould, Ark.
• Apple Valley, Calif.
• Bakersfield, Calif.
• City of Industry, Calif.
• Dublin, Calif.
• North Apple Valley, Calif.
• Paso Robles, Calif.
• Porterville, Calif.
• Puente Hills, Calif.
• Rancho Cordova, Calif.
• San Bernardino, Calif.
• South San Francisco, Calif.
• Tustin, Calif.
• Visalia, Calif.
• Fort Collins, Colo.
• Pueblo, Colo.
• Derby, Conn.
• Torrington, Conn.
• Wallingford, Conn.
• Newark, Del.
• Wilmington, Del.
• Apopka, Fla.
• Auburndale, Fla.
• Clermont, Fla.
• East Brandon, Fla.
• Fern Park, Fla.
• Haines City, Fla.
• Homestead, Fla.
• Lake Wales, Fla.
• Milton, Fla.
• Ocala, Fla.
• Palm Bay, Fla.
• Palm Coast, Fla.
• St. Lucie West, Fla.
• Winter Garden, Fla.
• Americus, Ga.
• Brunswick, Ga.
• Canton, Ga.
• Rincon, Ga.
• Chicago, Ill.
• Gurnee, Ill.
• Northbrook, Ill.
• Brownsburg, Ind.
• Elkhart, Ind.
• Zionsville, Ind.
• Jordan Creek, Iowa
• West Des Moines, Iowa
• Franklin, Ky.
• London, Ky.
• Maysville, Ky.
• Mount Sterling, Ky.
• Paducah, Ky.
• Leesville, La.
• New Orleans, La.
• Augusta, Maine
• Brewer, Maine
• Ellsworth, Maine
• Thomaston, Maine
• Easton, Md.
• La Plata, Md.
• Hagerstown, Md.
• Severn, Md.
• South Gate, Md.
• Leominster, Mass.
• Saugus, Mass.
• Wareham, Mass.
• West Bridgewater, Mass.
• Madison Heights, Mich.
• Rochester Hills, Mich.
• Woodhaven, Mich.
• Mankato, Minn.
• Blaine, Minn.
• Rochester, Minn.
• West St. Paul, Minn.
• Gautier,  Miss.
• Arnold, Mo.
• Bridgeton, Mo.
• Carthage, Mo.
• Kansas City, Mo.
• Neosho, Mo.
• Oak Grove, Mo.
• St. Robert, Mo.
• Wentzville, Mo.
• Bozeman, Mont.
• Lincoln, Neb.
• Fernley, Nev.
• Las Vegas, Nev.
• Concord, N.H.
• Conway, N.H.
• Hookset, N.H.
• Littleton, N.H.
• Manchester, N.H.
• Nashua, N.H.
• Rochester, N.H.
• Flemington, N.J.
• Paterson, N.J.
• Albuquerque, N.M.
• Albany, N.Y.
• Brockport, N.Y.
• Chester, N.Y.
• Clarkstown, N.Y.
• Hicksville, N.Y.
• New Hartford, N.Y.
• Lloyd, N.Y.
• Macedon, N.Y.
• Ticonderoga, N.Y.
• Belmont, N.C.
• Cape Carteret, N.C.
• Denver, N.C.
• Durham, N.C.
• Greensboro, N.C.
• Greenville, N.C.
• Hickory, N.C.
• Troutman, N.C.
• Winston-Salem, N.C.
• Weaverville, N.C.
• Brimfield, Ohio
• Cincinnati, Ohio
• Kent, Ohio
• Meridian, Ohio
• Reynoldsburg, Ohio
• Rocky River, Ohio
• Mustang, Okla.
• Avondale, Pa.
• Bethel Park, Pa.
• Carnegie, Pa.
• Gibsonia, Pa.
• Morgantown, Pa.
• Philadelphia, Pa.
• Whitehall, Pa.
• Fort Mill, S.C.
• Hartsville, S.C.
• Dayton, Tenn.
• Jefferson City, Tenn.
• Nashville, Tenn.
• Savannah, Tenn.
• Kingsport, Tenn.
• Abilene, Texas
• Amarillo, Texas
• Dallas, Texas
• Hutto, Texas
• Leander, Texas
• McAllen, Texas
• McKinney, Texas
• New Braunfels, Texas
• San Antonio, Texas
• Schertz, Texas
• South McKinney, Texas
• Bountiful, Utah
• Clinton, Utah
• Vernal, Utah
• Farmville, Va.
• Franklin, Va.
• Front Royal, Va.
• Stephens City, Va.
• Woodstock, Va.
• Federal Way, Wash.
• Lacey, Wash.
• Monroe, Wash.
• Port Orchard, Wash.
• Renton, Wash.
• Spokane Valley, Wash.
• Oshkosh, Wis.