Lowe's hammers home growth objective: national in a year.(Lowe's Companies Inc.)

M00RESVILLE. N.C -- Lowe's may generate half the revenue of leading home improvement retailer The Home Depot. but that hasn't stopped this No. 2 player from continued rapid expansion toward a goal of becoming a bona fide national chain this year.

At two recent investment conferences, executives from Lowe's unveiled plans to become national this year, entering the remaining states of Alaska and Hawaii. In fiscal 2004, Lowe's foot print expanded to the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Maine as part of the addition of 140 new stores, many of them focused on urban markets. Lowe's opened its 1,000th store in 2004, a rapid rise from a base of 325 units 15 years ago.

"By this time …