Training Scholarship Recognizes Employee’s Work

A scholarship awarded to Karsten’s Ace Hardware store manager Chad Feucht is paying for half of his tuition for a management training program, while also recognizing Feucht’s potential as an industry leader.

Manufacturer Stanley Black & Decker gave Feucht a $6,250 scholarship to attend the North American Retail Hardware Association’s (NRHA) management training program this spring.

Karsten’s Ace president David Karsten met with NRHA president and CEO Bill Lee and Stanley representative Mark Gabert this month in Las Vegas and talked about the importance of the scholarship.

Karsten appreciates the Stanley’s recognition of Feucht’s talent, as well as the investment in developing him professionally, Karsten says. His company operates three home improvement stores in Arizona.

The scholarship is allowing Feucht to participate in the NRHA Retail Management Certification Program sooner than the company planned and is giving him opportunities to learn from non-Ace retailers from across the country, Karsten says.

Program scholarships given by manufacturers such as Stanley reinforce the value of independent home improvement retailers to the industry.

“What Stanley’s doing is really supportive of the independents,” Lee says.

NRHA staff, retailers, consultants and faculty from Butler University in Indianapolis teach the management certification classes. They use online learning, classroom time, case studies, group activities and business improvement project development to hone practical leadership and retail management skills in managers within the home improvement industry.