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Past Students Share Value Gained From NHPA Retail Management Certification Program

Built for owners and managers in the home improvement industry, the North American Hardware and Paint Association’s Retailer Management Certification Program focuses on learning skills to grow store sales and profits in today’s changing retail landscape.

More than 300 retailers have been a part of the learning experience, gaining new skills that have allowed them to manage and drive their businesses to higher levels of performance. Hear from some of these past students below to see how the Retail Management Certification Program improved their leadership skills to benefit their operations.

“The Retail Management Certification Program was extremely beneficial. It allowed me to apply new strategies and execute a successful business improvement project at my company. The program’s support, structure, feedback and mentorship prevented this challenging project from fizzling out, and it was invaluable in ensuring the project’s implementation and success.”
—Jared Brown, Director of Business Intelligence, The Aubuchon Company

“The Retail Management Certification Program transformed my career journey. The program’s content is highly relevant to what is happening in the industry currently, and the networking opportunities are invaluable. Now, as a mentor for other Koopman Lumber employees who’ve become students in the program, I continue to see the benefits and the ROI that we get back from the program each year.”
—Coreen Pierce, Branch Administration Manager, Koopman Lumber

“When unexpected circumstances pushed me into a leadership role, I turned to the program in 2017 for guidance and the program helped foster both personal and professional growth. The Retail Management Certification Program is simply the best industry education program out there, I haven’t taken anything else that’s even close to it as far as the variety of topics covered and the depth you get into.”
—Travis Hellvig, Operations Manager, Hartford Building Center

“Participating in the Retail Management Certification Program was truly a transformative professional experience for me. Through engaging coursework and expert mentorship, I honed my technical management abilities and cultivated a deeper sense of empathy and understanding in my leadership approach. I have continued to grow and be challenged at different levels and have been able to meet those challenges more confidently and decisively.”
—Tina Green, Regional Vice President, Nations Best Holdings

“The Retail Management Certification Program exposes you to all the major functions of running a successful, independent retail business, and that makes it very rewarding. The program pays big dividends as its value far outweighs the initial costs. Since 2015, we’ve sent five additional employees through the Retail Management Certification Program as students, and we continue to see a great return on investment.”
—Jonathan Miller, Principal, Miller Hardware Company

“The Retail Management Certification Program has become a cornerstone of our commitment to developing leaders at Wilco, as we’ve enrolled 20-plus students into the program over the last 10 years. Its emphasis on skill development and actionable insights has elevated our team’s capabilities and led to a remarkable $15 million return on investment for Wilco. I highly recommend this program to any organization seeking to cultivate excellence and drive employee professional development.”
—TJ Colson, President, Wilco Stores

Ready to take the next step in your retail management journey? Class sessions start July 16 and seats are still available. Register today!

About Lindsey Thompson

Lindsey joined the NHPA staff in 2021 as an associate editor for Hardware Retailing magazine. A native of Ohio, Lindsey earned a B.S. in journalism and minors in business and sociology from Ohio University. She loves spending time with her husband, two kids, two cats and one dog, as well as doing DIY projects around the house, going to concerts, boating and cheering on the Cleveland Indians.

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