Lowe's Companies, Inc.
Type	Public (NYSE: LOW)
Founded	1946 (North Wilkesboro, NC)
Headquarters	Mooresville, NC
Key people	Robert Niblock, CEO & Chairman Larry Stone, COO & President
Industry	Home Improvement
Products	Retail - Home Improvement
Revenue	$46.9 billion USD (2006)
Employees	210,000
Slogan	Let's Build Something Together.
Website	www.lowes.com

Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse (NYSE: LOW) is a US-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves over 13 million customers a week in its over 1,400 stores in 49 states. Vermont is the only state without a Lowe's store and with the exception of Wyoming, each of the other 48 states is home to multiple stores. (Wyoming is also home to a Lowe's distribution center). Beginning in 2007 Lowe's will start to operate in Canada with up to 10 stores opening up in Ontario. In 2009 Lowe's will start to operate in Mexico opening between 3 and 5 stores in Monterrey. Lowe's Companies, Inc. is 45 on the Fortune 500 list. The chain is now based in Mooresville, North Carolina, about 30 minutes north of downtown Charlotte. It is currently the second-largest hardware chain in the United States of America. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A public company usually refers to a company which is permitted to offer its securities (stock, bonds, etc. ... The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), nicknamed the Big Board, is a New York City-based stock exchange. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... North Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. ... Mooresville is a town located in Iredell County, North Carolina. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Drawing of a self-service store. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... For the tax agency in the United Kingdom of the same name, see HM Revenue and Customs. ... Image File history File links Green_Arrow_Up. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Indian Ocean Territory,[1] the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 2. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... For the album by the Kaiser Chiefs see Employment (album) Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. ... Look up slogan in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos and other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... Lowes is the name of several businesses. ... The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), nicknamed the Big Board, is a New York City-based stock exchange. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Drawing of a self-service store. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... A major appliance is a large machine which accomplishes some routine housekeeping task, which includes purposes such as cooking, food preservation, or cleaning, whether in a household, institutional, commercial or industrial setting. ... North Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area [1] Ranked... Nickname: Motto: El Trabajo templa el Espíritu Location of Monterrey in northern Mexico Coordinates: , Country Mexico State Nuevo León Founded 20 September 1596 Government  - Mayor Adalberto Madero ( PAN) Area  - City 572 km²  (220. ... The Fortune 500 is a ranking of the top 500 United States corporations as measured by gross revenue. ... Mooresville is a town in Iredell County, North Carolina, U.S.A. The population was 18,823 at the 2000 census. ... Nickname: Location in Mecklenburg County in the state of North Carolina Coordinates: , Country United States State North Carolina Counties Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Government  - Mayor Pat McCrory, (R) Area  - City  280. ...

History

A typical Lowe's storefront, this one in Santa Clara, CA.

Lowe's began as a single neighborhood hardware store in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina in 1946. Through growth and expansion, and later with the addition and rebranding of Eagle Hardware stores, Lowe's has grown to be the 2nd largest home improvement store after Home Depot with B&Q 3rd. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1138x738, 144 KB) Summary A Lowes store in Santa Clara, California. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1138x738, 144 KB) Summary A Lowes store in Santa Clara, California. ... North Wilkesboro is a town located in Wilkes County, North Carolina. ... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area  Ranked 28th  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 150 miles (240 km)  - Length 560[1] miles (901 km)  - % water 9. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products. ... B&Q is a British retailer of DIY and home improvement tools and supplies. ...

Organization

Lowe's is organized geographically into Divisions (such as Southeast, West, Northeast), Regions (usually designated with a two-digit number), Areas, Districts and then the individual store. A Lowe's store can have anywhere from 80 to over 400 employees depending on the size and sales volume. Lowe's is a Big-box store, that is, a retail warehouse environment, its primary competition is from Home Depot. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products. ...

Brands

As with large retailers across North America, Lowe's also owns and exclusively sells some of the brands it sells. Some of the brands found at the Lowe's stores are:

• Bosch (tools/appliances)
• Black & Decker (tools)
• Char-Broil (grills)
• Choicedek (composite decking)
• DeWalt (tools)
• Fridgidaire (appliances)
• Harbor Breeze (Ceiling fans and accessories)
• Husqvarna (power equipment)
• Jeld-Wen (doors)
• John Deere (power equipment)
• Kohler (bath/kitchen)
• Kobalt (tools)
• Larson (storm doors/windows)
• Maytag (appliances)
• Miracle-Gro (garden)
• Olympic (paint)
• Ortho (garden)
• Peachtree (doors/windows)
• Pella (doors/windows)
• Pergo (flooring)
• Portfolio (lighting)
• Roundup (garden)
• Quikrete (building materials)
• Samsung (appliances)
• Scotts (garden)
• Therma-Tru (doors/windows)
• TopChoice (lumber)
• Trex (composite decking)
• Troy-bilt (power equipment)
• Valspar (paint; formerly under the name American Tradition)
• Whirlpool (appliances)

Lowe's offers customers about 40,000 products in stock and more through a Special Order Service. Logo of Robert Bosch GmbH Robert Bosch GmbH [1] is a German corporation which was started in 1886 by Robert Bosch in Stuttgart, Germany. ... Black & Decker (NYSE: BDK) is a corporation based in Towson, Maryland, that is best known for power tools and home appliances. ... DeWALT is a world-wide brand of power tools for the construction and woodworking industries. ... Frigidaire is a major US appliance company owned by Electrolux. ... Husqvarna AB is a Swedish company that is one of the worlds largest manufactures of chain saws, lawn and garden equipment, and cutting equipment for the stone and construction industries. ... John Deere Logo A John Deere 7800 tractor attached to a corn planter. ... Former Headquarters of the Maytag Corporation, Newton, Iowa Maytag Corporation was a $4. ... Miracle-Gro is a popular plant food brand made by Scotts. ... Pergo flooring project Laminate flooring is a laminate flooring material made to look like wood flooring, but made up of either synthetic materials or of synthetic materials combined with natural ingredients and covered with a decorative applique. ... MTD Products, (Modern Tool and Die Company), of Cleveland, OH began in 1932, and is a family-owned, private company. ... Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is the worlds leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliance,with annual sales of approximately $18 billion, more than 73,000 employees, and more than 70 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. ...

Advertising and Sponsorships

Prior to 2006, Lowe's tagline was "Improving Home Improvement." In 2006, Lowe's adopted the new slogan "Let's Build Something Together." A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. ...

In 2006 Lowe's partnered with designer Marianne Cusato to develop and offer affordable house plans for the hurricane-affected gulf region. Lowe's is the exclusive retailer for both the plans and building materials for the Lowe's Katrina Cottage. They offer easy construction and affordability, as well as the possibility of expansion. Moreover, they meet all international building codes and exceed hurricane codes. ^[1]

Lowe's has a wide variety of television and radio commercials. A significant number of different racing-inspired commercials can be seen and are often played outside of television race coverage. Gene Hackman's voice can be heard on many commercial advertisements for Lowe's.^[2] Gene Hackman (born Eugene Allen Hackman[1] on January 30, 1930) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actor. ...

In 2006 Lowe's began sponsoring the radio broadcast booth of the New York Yankees. Frequently during every game Yankees announcer John Sterling states "We are coming to you live from the Lowe's Broadcast Booth. Lowe's: Let's build something together." Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 23, 32, 37, 44, 49 Name New York Yankees (1913–present) New York Highlanders (1903-1912) Baltimore Orioles (1901-1902) (Also referred to as... John Sterling may refer to: John Sterling (author) (1806–1844), British John Sterling (sportscaster) (born 1948), American This human name article is a disambiguation page — a list of pages that might otherwise share the same title, which is a persons or persons name. ...

Racing sponsorships

Lowe's purchased naming rights of Lowe's Motor Speedway (formerly Charlotte Motor Speedway) in Concord, North Carolina in 1999. Lowe's Motor Speedway is home to several auto racing events annually. The corporation also sponsors the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson in the #48 Chevy Monte Carlo SS/Impala SS and Busch Series driver Kyle Busch in the #5 Chevy; both teams are owned by Hendrick Motorsports. Previous to the current sponsorship deal with Hendrick Motorsports, Lowe's was the sponsor of the #31 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing from 1997 to 2001. Drivers during this period included Mike Skinner and Robby Gordon. Before that, Lowe's was the primary of the #11 Ford driven by Brett Bodine for Junior Johnson Motorsports, and later, Brett's own team, Brett Bodine Racing (after Bodine bought the #11 team from Johnson). Naming rights are the right to name a piece of property, either tangible property or an event, usually granted in exchange for financial considerations. ... Lowes Motor Speedway (formerly Charlotte Motor Speedway) is a speedway in Concord, North Carolina, north of Charlotte. ... Concord is a city located in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, a suburb of Charlotte. ... “Racing cars” redirects here. ... Jeff Burton (99), Elliott Sadler (38), Ricky Rudd (21), Dale Jarrett (88), Sterling Marlin (40), Jimmie Johnson (48), and Casey Mears (41) practice for the 2004 Daytona 500 The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ... The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series is NASCARs top racing series. ... James Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975, El Cajon, California) is a current NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race car driver who drives the #48 Lowes Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS and Chevrolet Impala SS owned by his teammate Jeff Gordon and operated by Rick Hendricks Hendrick Motorsports. ... Chevrolet, or Chevy for short, is a brand of automobile, now a division of General Motors. ... The NASCAR Busch Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR. It is NASCARs minor league circuit (often compared to Triple-A baseball), and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organizations big league circuit, the Nextel Cup. ... Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985 in Las Vegas, Nevada) is an American race car driver. ... Hendrick Motorsports is a group of NASCAR racing teams started by Rick Hendrick in 1984 under the name All Star Racing, racing only Chevrolets, racing in both the Nextel Cup and Busch Series circuits. ... Richard Childress Racing is a NASCAR team fielding Chevrolets for Kevin Harvick (#29 Royal Dutch Shell), Clint Bowyer (#07 Jack Daniels) Jeff Burton (#31 (Cingular Wireless/AT&T), full-time, and Scott Wimmer (#33 Holiday Inn part-time in the Nextel Cup series, as well as the #2 BB... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Skinners 2006 truck on display, courtesy of flickr contributor Mike Skinner (born June 28, 1957) is a NASCAR driver from Susanville, California who drives the #5 truck in the Craftsman Truck Series for Bill Davis Racing. ... Robby Gordon at Indianapolis Robby Gordon (born in Bellflower, California, on January 2, 1969) is an American racing driver who currently competes in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, owning his #7 Ford Fusion, sponsored by Jim Beam, and also owning his #55 Verizon Wireless/Motorola ride which competes part-time... Ford may mean a number of things: A ford is a river crossing. ... Bodine poses with his Ralphs Ford Sponsor a Driver. ... ... Brett Bodine Racing was a NASCAR racing team from 1996 until 2003. ...

Lowe's also sponsored Fernandez Racing in the Rolex Sports Car Series and later in the American Le Mans Series when the team switched championships. Super Aguri Fernandez Racings #55 car driven by Kosuke Matsuura Fernández Racing is a motor racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve. ... ... The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) is a series of automobile races. ...

Lowe's Canada

Lowe's Canadian unit will start up operations in Ontario with up to 10 stores by the end of 2007 and will be based in Ontario, headquarters of Home Depot Canada. Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area [1] Ranked... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area [1] Ranked... The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products. ...

The initial stores are projected to open in the second half of 2007, each creating up to 175 jobs. Each store represents an average investment of $20.5 million ($18.5 million USD).

A news release on Lowe's website stated that "we’re breaking ground on our first location in Hamilton, have identified additional locations in Brantford, South Brampton and Toronto and have another nine locations approved through our real estate committee process...”"Lowe's Updates Canadian Expansion Plans Nickname: Location in the Region of Peel, in the Province of Ontario Coordinates: , Country Canada Province Ontario Region Peel Incorporation 1853 (village)   1873 (town)   1974 (city) Government  - Mayor Susan Fennell  - Governing Body Brampton City Council (click for members)  - MPs Navdeep Bains, Colleen Beaumier, Ruby Dhalla, Gurbax Malhi  - MPPs Vic Dhillon...

Lowe's Mexico

Lowe's will expand to Mexico beginning in 2009. An expected three to five stores will be built in Monterrey, which is currently the third largest city in Mexico. The new operations will create up to 800 jobs, each store representing an investment of $18-20 million USD. Nickname: Motto: El Trabajo templa el Espíritu Location of Monterrey in northern Mexico Coordinates: , Country Mexico State Nuevo León Founded 20 September 1596 Government  - Mayor Adalberto Madero ( PAN) Area  - City 572 km²  (220. ...

Lowe's Benefits, Employment, and Culture

Lowe's offers comprehensive benefits to its employees including 401k, employee stock purchase plans, medical coverage, tuition reimbursement, and disability benefits. Lowe's also offers all employees and their spouses a 10% discount on store products. The 401(k) plan is a type of retirement plan available in the United States. ...

Six company holidays are standard including New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. All holidays save Thanksgiving and Christmas are working holidays, with full-time employees receiving an additional eight hours of holiday pay and part-time employees receiving four. This article is about January 1 in the Gregorian calendar. ... Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday that is observed on the last Monday of May (observed this year on 2007-05-28). ... An Independence Day is an annual celebration commemorating the anniversary of a nations assumption of independent statehood, usually after ceasing to be a colony or part of another state. ... Labour Day (or Labor Day) is an annual holiday that resulted from efforts of the labour union movement, to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. ... Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated in much of North America, generally observed as an expression of gratitude, usually to God. ... Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, at the first Christmas Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ...

Full-time hourly employees are entitled to two weeks of vacation after one year of service, while salaried corporate employees with prior experience often receive two weeks of vacation immediately. Lowe's also offers a comprehensive service reward to long-term employees, such as additional vacation time and a series of gifts, ranging from a two-year pin to a thirty-year Rolex watch. Lowe's strives to maintain equality in benefits between corporate and store level employees to maintain a one-company culture.

Lowe's offers a 410(k) plan for all employees with 90 days of service or greater. Employees are given a wide selection of mutual funds to invest in, as well as company stock. In addition, Lowe's contributes a baseline match to all employees following 180 days of service. Employees can contribute up to 50% of their paycheck, and the company will fully match the first 4.25%

Lowe's markets itself internally and externally as a customer-focused organization in contrast to Home Depot, a contractor- and professionally-oriented organization. The marketing strategy between Lowe's and Home Depot is similar to the strategy between Target and Wal-Mart, with Lowe's stressing a softer and kinder image, appealing to women. The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products. ... This article is about the United States retail company. ... Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ...

External links

• Lowes.com
• Lowe's Creative Ideas Magazine
• Lowe's Forum at Retail-Worker.com
• Lowe's Retire Rich 401k Details
• Business Week: A Sharper Edge for Lowe's
• Lowes stock chart performance
• Lowe's store locations

References

1. ^ Lowe's Katrina Cottages F&Q
2. ^ Gene Hackman -other works