Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
True Value Company President and CEO John Hartmann goes undercover on the season six premiere of “Undercover Boss” airing on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
Hartmann traveled across the U.S., from Massachusetts to Oregon, working in disguise under the alias “Louis Lapresi.” While undercover, Hartmann visited several True Value locations and got his hands dirty on the front lines of the co-op. He took on various roles, from retail sales associate at a True Value store, to a forklift driver in stocking and receiving at one of the cooperative’s distribution centers.
“My ‘Undercover Boss’ experience was nothing short of incredible,” says Hartmann. “I had the opportunity to engage in several key jobs, and although I wasn’t great at each task, I learned along the way from my True Value associate mentors. I gained a newfound understanding of the jobs each of these hardworking professionals do each day.”
Hartmann joined True Value in the spring of 2013, bringing with him more than 15 years of corporate experience, including 11 years in the home improvement/hardware retail sector.
“When I joined the co-op, I spent several months traveling the country meeting with members and associates to learn what makes the operation tick,” Hartmann says. “’Undercover Boss’ was a great extension of that initiative, providing me further opportunity to engage with the people that make True Value successful.”
Created by Stephen Lambert and produced by Studio Lambert/All3Media America, “Undercover Boss” is a two-time Emmy Award-winning reality series that follows high-level executives as they slip anonymously into the rank and file of their own organizations.
