As Military Appreciation Month comes to a close, a store in Jacksonville, NC, has reason to celebrate its achievements all year round; it has the highest population of self-identified military community (veterans, active duty, and military spouses) of all the stores across the Lowe's corporation. Situated less than 5 miles north of Camp Lejeune, the largest Marine Corps base on the East Coast, Store 0556 has approximately thirty-eight members of the military community working at the store, according to Store Manager Wayne Hart. He says that patriotism and desire to serve the country has created a special kind of culture.
Our store is proud to represent a population that varies from all parts of the world. As military families often move, we take pride in offering a culture that allows many people to feel at home. Also, many of our employees know of the sacrifices and demands that are asked of our military families. This allows us to have a unique insight into the challenges that face our military associates and the need for flexibility.
Lowe's has a longstanding commitment to honoring the military and maintaining the excellence and quality standards of our service members. That tradition continues today, and in 2024, it was proudly voted one of the 'Top Military Friendly' and 'Military Friendly Top 10 Spouse Employers' and currently employs over 26,000 veterans and military spouses.
Whether active duty, veterans, or military spouses, store associates agree that their military experience and discipline have significantly shaped their career prospects at Lowe's. Christopher Valencia, a Veteran who served in the Marine Corps for 11 years and merchandising assistant store manager, says Lowe's values align with his own, and making the switch to a citizen-style job was made easier by his time in the military, "A lot of the skills gained in service have helped me grow my career, i.e., Leadership, taking action, decision making, patience, communication and setting expectations."
A unique part of the military community's DNA is their sense of duty to each other, which, according to Chris, helps not only build a culture of camaraderie but also serves the large population of veteran customers in the area.
Most of the time, when a community of veterans of different branches, generations, male or female, are together, almost instantly, we are all on the same page. Due to our shared history and experiences, it goes a long way when working together to accomplish any goal.
This month, and all others, Lowe's is dedicated to ensuring that military members feel supported in their service to the country and their career endeavors at the company.