MOORESVILLE, N.C., July 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Lowe's and
Daymond John, star of ABC's Shark
Tank and New York Times
best-selling author, are announcing the next round of Making
It…With Lowe's, a nationwide pitch program that gives diverse
entrepreneurs a chance to take their business to the next level by
selling on Lowes.com and in Lowe's stores nationwide.
Nearly one-third of small businesses in the U.S. were forced to
close due to the pandemic, and one-quarter of minority-owned
businesses have temporarily shut their doors.1 Although
the economy is re-opening, entrepreneurs continue to face
extraordinary challenges as they work hard to stabilize their
businesses. Lowe's is bringing back Making It… With Lowe's
at a time when it is needed most, providing opportunities for
diverse entrepreneurs to grow their businesses amid obstacles that
can feel overwhelming.
"Making It…With Lowe's shines a light on the remarkable
stories of diverse small business owners who are often overlooked
and underrepresented," said Daymond
John, star of ABC's Shark Tank, entrepreneur and
investor who will once again host and lend his expertise to give
advice to the program finalists. "Last year's program underscored
the importance of giving them an opportunity to break through
traditional processes. This year, as so many diverse small business
owners begin the recovery process, it is even more important to
provide them with a much-deserved space to succeed."
The first round of Making It…With Lowe's attracted
more than 1,300 product submissions and the top suppliers received
invaluable mentorship from Daymond
John and Lowe's merchants that helped them expand their
reach, grow their business and connect with new consumer audiences.
"As a company that began as a single store 100 years ago, we
know firsthand how important small businesses are to the
communities they serve. Through Making It... With Lowe's, we
can help diverse entrepreneurs reach their dreams of growing and
scaling their businesses, all while helping us find innovative,
clever and solution-driven products that we're proud to offer,"
said Marvin R. Ellison, Chairman and
CEO of Lowe's. "Making It… With Lowe's is an extension of
our commitment to underserved communities and helps us ensure our
products are as diverse as our associates and customers."
Today through July 30 at
midnight PST, applicants are invited
to apply at Lowes.com/MakingItWithLowes. Lowe's especially
encourages applicants who are members of the LGBTQ+ community,
minorities, people with disabilities, veterans and women to apply,
with innovative products both in and beyond home improvement
categories. Hundreds of entrepreneurs will be evaluated for the
opportunity to sell their product on Lowes.com, then 75 suppliers
will be invited to meet with Lowe's merchandising teams to be
considered for additional promotion. Consumers will be invited to
vote for their "fan favorite" among the top 15 suppliers. The field
will then narrow to the five top suppliers and the fan favorite,
who will pitch their products to Lowe's executives for an
opportunity to receive a truly unique mentorship and land on Lowe's
shelves and Lowes.com to reach millions of customers.
Making It… With Lowe's is just one part of the company's
efforts to support small businesses, and its overall efforts to
increase supplier diversity as part of its Total Home Strategy.
Last year, Lowe's committed $55
million to fund grants for minority- and women-owned small
businesses, as well as rural small businesses. Lowe's and partner
LISC distributed these grants to more than 2,700 small businesses,
making Lowe's the largest donor to LISC's Small Business Relief
& Recovery Program and COVID Rapid Relief & Resiliency
Fund.
As part of Lowe's continued support of small businesses, the
company will put the inspiring stories of Making It... With
Lowe's finalists on display during an in-person pitch event at
a Charlotte-area Lowe's store
later this year.
Visit Lowes.com/MakingItWithLowes to learn more about the
program.
About Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home
improvement company serving approximately 20 million customers a
week in the United States and
Canada. With fiscal year 2020
sales of nearly $90 billion, Lowe's
and its related businesses operate or service more than 2,200 home
improvement and hardware stores and employ over 300,000 associates.
Based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe's
supports the communities it serves through programs focused on
creating safe, affordable housing and helping to develop the next
generation of skilled trade experts. For more information, visit
Lowes.com.
1 "Small business continue to face closures in 2021,"
Small Business Majority, January 27,
2021.
Contact:
Amy
Allison
Lowe's Companies Inc.
amy.allison@lowes.com
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lowes-announces-the-return-of-making-it-with-lowes-nationwide-pitch-program-for-diverse-entrepreneurs-hosted-by-shark-tanks-daymond-john-301332256.html
SOURCE Lowe's Companies, Inc.