Leonard G. Herring

Year Inducted: 2014

Leonard G. Herring was born in 1927 in Snow Hill, North Carolina. He graduated from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1948 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce. Herring worked with Weil Department Stores in Goldsboro as Finance Officer from 1948-1955. In 1955, he went to work for Lowe’s Companies as a Finance Officer and Pension Fund Trustee and was named Secretary and Treasurer in 1956.

Lowe’s had 15 stores and annual sales of $30 million in 1960. After the death of Carl Buchan, owner of Lowe’s, Herring and four other top executives, serving as a committee, ran Lowe’s from 1960 until 1978. Lowe’s Companies opened its stock to the public in 1961.

In 1978, Herring became president and CEO of Lowe’s. Under the leadership of Herring, Lowe’s was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Herring also decided to grow the company by increasing its do-it-yourself retail business while retaining the building supply market share. At the time of Herring’s retirement from Lowe’s, the company had 365 stores and annual sales of more that $7 billion.

Herring is a member of the First United Methodist Church in North Wilkesboro.

He has been involved in numerous boards and the Health Foundation. Since his retirement, Herring established The Leonard Herring Family Foundation which supports many local charities, non-profits, and organizations.