Lowe’s is a home improvement and appliance store chain that operates in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It is the second-largest hardware chain in the United States after The Home Depot and ahead of Menard’s. As of February 1, 2020, Lowe’s operated 2,002 stores.
The first Lowe’s store was founded in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina in 1946 by Lucius Smith Lowe (1879–1940). When Lowe died in 1940, his daughter Ruth Buchan took over the business. By the 1960s, Buchan’s sons James and Carl managed the company.
In 1979, Buchan successfully negotiated the purchase of a controlling interest in Lowe’s from Marshall Field’s for $55 million. When Buchan died in 1983, James Lowe (1922–2008) became CEO while Carl Buchan (1921–2007) remained as chairman until retirement in 1989. In March 2005, Robert Niblock was appointed president and CEO of Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
Lowe’s Corporate Office
1000 Lowes Blvd
Mooresville, NC 28117-8520
(704) 758-1000