Georgia Tech students help Home Depot stay sharp

Home Depot will open an innovation center Thursday at Midtown’s Technology Square in which the young part-timers will study everything from implementation of the connected home to the practical application of 3D printing. Their research will guide the company in understanding what consumers of tomorrow will look for, as well as develop ways in which technology can make it easier for Home Depot to help customers in stores.

The move comes as the company increasingly stocks tech devices such as lights, thermostats and refrigerators that can be controlled by a phone among the jigsaws, hardwood flooring and lawnmowers for which the company is known.

Bringing in the Tech students also makes it easier to recruit top IT talent, said Martin Key, who is heading the center. Despite a Web business that has grown to $2.7 billion annually, tech-savvy students don’t associate Home Depot with technology. To them — especially Millennials who have delayed buying houses longer than past generations — Home Depot is where you go to get hammers.

“Our job is breaking through that barrier to get people to check us out,” he said.