Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
Wrapping up three days of intensive learning, students of the North American Hardware and Paint Association’s Retail Management Certification Program (RMCP) class of 2025 took away skills and knowledge to grow store sales and profits in today’s changing retail landscape.
This year’s new, reimagined RMCP format included two in-person visits to Indianapolis, Indiana, and three virtual sessions. During the sessions, students took part in classes taught by a distinguished team of collegiate-level professors and retail professionals—many with doctoral degrees and decades of experience.
“All the knowledge and centuries of experience you get exposed to here at RMCP is incredible,” says Luke Rogers, RMCP student store manager Bridgeport Building Center in Bridgeport, Texas. “You get to learn and hone your skills to be a better leader, and the whole time you’re here, you’re just getting filled with knowledge.”
These classes and presentations are grounded in academic rigor and real-world application and cover a variety of topics, including operational strategy, leadership, employee engagement, change management, loss prevention and pricing.
At the start of the RMCP program, each student chose a Business Improvement Project that was tailored to a challenge or opportunity at their operation and created a strategic plan to solve that challenge or embrace the opportunity. During Visit 2, the students presented their Business Improvement Projects and received feedback from their peers, mentors and industry experts.
“I would recommend the RMCP program to any newer existing retail manager in the industry who is looking to take their business to the next level,” says Ryan Murphy, student and assistant warehouse manager at Koopman Lumber. “The program is filled with powerful virtual and in-person class sessions that really dig into the core aspects of the industry. Another invaluable piece I’ve gained from this program are the lifelong relationships with my peers and teachers.”
