The Spark to Change the World Begun in 1946, Lowe's Companies, Inc.

is a home improvement and hardware retailer driven by three basic principles: low prices, community awareness, and a focus on customers. Founded in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina by part owner, Carl Buchan, he later purchased the entity from his brother-in-law, Jim Lowe, with a vision of a chain of hardware stores and the idea of elimination of wholesalers to deal with manufacturers directly. Since its launch, Lowe's has portrayed an image for low prices that still holds true with sales soaring and locations spreading all-throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico ("About Lowes", n.d). With a strong mission, vision, values, purpose and motivation, Lowe's reaches its customers beyond the sales floor everyday by serving its community and beyond through scholarships, education programs, partnerships with poverty alienation organizations, etc. ("Lowe's Social Responsibility", n.d.). Devoted to contributing the greatest quality products and services and best prices in order to serve its customer's home improvement projects; as well as maintaining the reputation as a first choice in home improvement, Lowe's Companies, Inc. ("Our Vision and Values", n.d.) will achieve this goal through extensive concentration to customer and community needs ("Our Mission", n.d.). Linked to the retailer's mission and vision statement are its values and purpose to continuously give to such projects related to nature conservation, disaster relief, poverty alleviation, education and recreation, etc. The retailer's purpose is concentrated in the customer with its values tied to superior products through private brands such as Kobalt and Harbor Breeze, low prices, and distinguished customer service. With such devotion to providing for others on and outside the sales floor, Lowe's has achieved FORTUNE 100 status, along with, the award for ENERGY STAR Partner of the YearSustained Excellence Award

for four years since 2010. The entity has also achieved profits each year since going public (1961) such as in fiscal year 2012 with sales above $50 million ("About Lowes", n.d). Lowe's Companies, Inc. has created a resume for community involvement and workplace improvement at home and world-wide. As its mission of existence is completely fixed on aiding others less fortunate in any way possible, the retailer is known for a multitude of service projects and partnerships with such organizations as the UNCF, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund ("Lowe's in the Community", n.d.). The company has improved its workplace environment through Lowe's Build and Grow clinics, which allow parents to bring their children to a local Lowe's retail store to learn how to build things such as bird houses and toy cars. This program has enhanced the connection with customers with educational projects directed to their children ("Lowe's Build and Grow: Free Classes for Kids", n.d.). Additionally, Lowe's has saved lives through its health centers at corporate offices with benefits including no insurance or co-pay required and free health and wellness services, for instance, blood work undergone with employees, to flu vaccinations and allergy injections. Emergency medical care may even be given ("Health Centers Saving Lives", n.d.). The retailer takes part in providing disaster relief such as in the case of Hurricane Irene as well. To help provide assistance to those who lost much in the Great Flood of 2011, Lowe's pledged $1million, bestowed large truckloads of supplies (330,000 pounds) to residents in weathereddown communities, and presented 300 Lowe's Heroes--employees of Lowe's who participate in community service projects--to aid in providing hope and assistance ("Delivering Relief After Irene", n.d.). Related to energy usage, Lowe's has a never-ending goal to pursue ways to bemore energy efficient and environmentally friendly in its facilities in order to ensure the health of its community and employees. Despite the company expanding its store locations by

16% between 2007 and 2010, its average energy use per store has decreased by 13%. Its persistent in its effort to be more environmentally conscious and energy efficient with demandcontrolled ventilation, lighting controls, downsized outdoor signage usage, etc. ("Reducing Store Energy Use", n.d.). Besides energy efficiency, Lowe's has reached out to environmental conservation issues, for instance, with Canada's boreal forests and related forest management. Lowe's is continuously involved with the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement--an agreement which is a joint effort amid 21 significant Canadian forest product entities and nine prominent environmental organizations. The area of land pertained in the agreement consists of more than178 million acres of forest stretching from Newfoundland to the provinces of British Columbia ("Conserving Canadas Boreal Forest", n.d.). Lastly, related to education, Lowe's participates in providing scholarships every year to dependents of Lowe's employees and high school students, not to mention, grants and internships in specific fields ("Lowe's Scholarship Programs", n.d.). The retailer genuinely focuses on providing for others assists in a multitude of areas, but to name the least, it massively gives great effort to Habitat for Humanity and other related organizations with a focus in poverty alleviation and disaster relief ("SkillsUSA and Skills/Comptences Canada", n.d.). With so much community and global involvement, what is Lowe's motivation behind these efforts? The answer lies simply in its values, mission and vision. Lowe's is built around its customers. Without them, it would have neither purpose nor goals to achieve. Greater prices, superior products, and genuine services have no significance if they are not tied to consumers. Lowe's needs to have a firm and moral relationship with its customers in order for communities of residents, local and worldwide, to trust in its efforts to provide assistance related to education,

the environment, and hunger-relief. All-in-all, Lowe's Companies, Inc. is motivated to make a difference in the lives of all near and far no matter the issue. Lowe's has created such amazing success for itself through its core competencies of customer-focus, community service, low prices, and valuable services. It has a mission to forever provide for its customers and be a caring aide to unfortunate lives and a multitude of service organizations. No matter the issue involved or related organization, Lowe's has a heart for all. The retailer prides itself in its efforts to further the education of those in poverty and to strengthen its potential in energy and nature conservation ("About Lowes", n.d). Lowe's may be the spark that will slowly change the world for the better.

References About Lowes. (n.d.). Lowe's Newsroom. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from http://media.lowes.com/about-lowes/ Conserving Canadas Boreal Forest. (n.d.). Lowe's Social Responsibility. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from http://responsibility.lowes.com/environment/our-stories/conserving-canadasboreal-forest/ Delivering Relief After Irene. (n.d.). Lowe's Social Responsibility. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from http://responsibility.lowes.com/community/our-stories/delivering-relief-afterirene/ Health Centers Saving Lives. (n.d.). Lowe's Social Responsibility. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from http://responsibility.lowes.com/workplace/our-stories/health-centers-saving-lives/ Lowe's Build and Grow: Free Classes for Kids. (n.d.). About.com Freebies. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from http://freebies.about.com/od/familyactivities/p/lowes-build-and-growclinics.htm Lowe's in the Community. (n.d.). Lowe's Community Relations. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from http://responsibility.lowes.com/community-relations/ Lowe's Scholarship Programs. (n.d.). Lowe's Career Opportunities. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from http://careers.lowes.com/college_recruiting_scholarship.aspx Lowe's Social Responsibility. (n.d.). Lowe's Social Responsibility. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from http://responsibility.lowes.com/ Our Mission. (n.d.). Lowe's. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from http://www.lowes.com/cd_Community+Our+Mission_980509267_ Our Vision and Values. (n.d.). Lowe's. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from

http://www.lowes.com/cd_Our+Vision+and+Values_671793447_ Reducing Store Energy Use. (n.d.). Lowe's Social Responsibility. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from http://responsibility.lowes.com/environment/our-stories/reducing-store-energy-use/ SkillsUSA and Skills/Comptences Canada. (n.d.). Lowe's Social Responsibility. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from http://responsibility.lowes.com/community/ourpartnerships/skillsusa-and-skills-competences-canada/