Lowes Foods Manager Kenneth Brinegar was recently honored, receiving the Don Lyons Distinguished Leader Award. He and several employees took time Monday to pause for a photo. Pictured (front row, from left kneeling) are Sarah Edwards, Tina Yarnell, Veronica Bowman, Dottie Dorsett, Carol Post; (back row) Dean Billings, Brian Gentry, Kenneth Brinegar, Eugene Pruitt, Robert Jones, Al Wagoner, Judy Wyatt and Scottie Greene.

Brinegar earns leadership award from Lowes Foods

Sparta’s Lowes Foods (Store No. 2) Manager Kenneth Brinegar was honored recently with a company-wide leadership award. Brinegar is the first Sparta Lowes manager to receive the Don Lyons Distinguished Leader Award, which is given annually to one manager at one of 110 Lowes Foods stores, according to Division Director Bob Hayes.

The Sparta Lowes Foods store was honored as having the best customer service of any Lowes store. Brinegar noted that another award given to the store, called the Preferred Place to Work Award, shows that employee satisfaction is rated higher here than at any Lowes store. Brinegar, who has been working with the company for 21 years, worked his way up through the ranks. At the age of 13, a young Brinegar began his work career, starting out at Sparta Food Market, moving to Village Food Center, where he worked as a produce manager and later returning to Sparta Food Market, where he was a meat cutter. In 1984, Brinegar joined the staff of Lowes Foods as a stocker. Two months later, he was promoted to grocery manager. Six months following that promotion, Brinegar was promoted to assistant manager and finally was promoted to the position of manager in 1991.

As manager, Brinegar’s philosophy on customer service is based around a desire to treat each individual consumer with respect, which he hopes will ultimately result in the consumer returning to the store. He stated what makes the Sparta store unique is the fact the employees care about the customers.

“We treat our customers as if they’re our family,” Brinegar said.

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