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Garrett Retz from Cardwell Do it Best Home Center in Indianapolis is attending the Spring 2016 class of the North American Retail Hardware Association’s (NRHA) Retail Management Certification Program, thanks to a $6,250 scholarship sponsored by Do it Best Corp. that will cover half of the course tuition.
The industry-focused retail management and leadership development program is a college-level course designed to train future retail leaders within the home improvement industry advanced retail management and leadership concepts and skills that will help them advance in their careers.
Last week, Retz attended class sessions at NRHA’s Indianapolis-based headquarters along with 13 other independent retailers from throughout the United States and Canada for the first of three separate sessions during the six-month program. Students will also receive individual business coaching and initiate a major business improvement project for the semester to help provide a return on investment in attending the course.
“Garrett is really excited to be in this class, because he wants to learn this business,” says store owner Jeff Cardwell, who will be Retz’s sponsor during the program. “Learning opportunities like this are extremely important, not only for my business, but for the home improvement industry. I look at this as an investment in the next generation. As an industry, we have to support more programs like this to build our pipeline of next-generation leaders, because these are the jobs that make up the backbone of our country.”
“Receiving this scholarship is a great opportunity, not only for me, but for the business and for the growth of this community,” adds Retz. “After attending the first class, I can tell I will learn so much from this course, because the knowledge comes from all angles. You learn from your classmates, and the instructors are extremely knowledgeable about the subjects they teach. As a whole, it was very beneficial, and I want to thank Do it Best Corp. for providing the scholarship for me to attend.”
“We’re delighted that Do it Best Corp. provided this scholarship for Garrett to attend the Spring 2016 RMCP class,” says Scott Wright, executive director of NRHA’s Retail Leadership Institute, which launched the program in 2013. “He is very deserving and will make the most of this opportunity to further his career so he can continue to help Jeff grow the business. This is just one of the many ways Do it Best Corp. continues to support the growth of their members, as well as the industry.”
For more information about the NRHA Retail Management Certification Program, contact Wright at 317-275-9417 or swright@nrha.org.
