A work-family tradition in the making; 20-year Lowe's employee bakes a cake for each co-worker on their birthday
Barbara Hartley, a pricing signage coordinator at the Lowe’s of Milton, Florida, believes everyone deserves a special day. So when it comes to her Lowe’s family, she whips up a customized cake for their birthdays. For the past 10 years, she’s found the perfect recipe for success by bringing her co-workers together in celebration of others.
“Everybody just needs something to lighten their hearts up a bit,” Hartley said.Hartley started her career at Lowe’s 20 years ago at the Lowe’s of Pensacola. She baked cakes there too, but once she moved to the Milton store, she coordinated with HR Manager Mike Dwyer to keep up with the birthdays. Sometimes that means multiple cakes in one day; it’s about 150 cakes per year.
“Everybody gets their own cake…I make whatever they want,” Hartley said. “I love to bake, and it’s a chance to try out other recipes.”
Cheesecakes and carrot cakes are the top two favorites, and brownies make it on the list, too. She also has made some more unique items like unicorn cake and potato cookies.
So what makes her recipes work? Hartley cares deeply for her Lowe’s family.“I’ve been with a lot of these people a long time, and they are family to me,” Hartley said. “I feel very close to them.”
On September 25, Hartley celebrated her 20th year at Lowe’s, and the store team surprised Hartley with a cake of her own. That’s another Lowe’s family recipe to pass down to the next generation.
