Community Service

At Rack Room Shoes, it isn’t always all business. Last month, the national footwear retailer closed its Charlotten, NC, corporate headquarters for the greater good, enlisting staff to volunteer for a company clean up day at nearby Shuffletown Park. The company took more than 200 employees to pick up trash, plant flowers and improve the park landscape.
Rack Room President and CEO Mark Lardie reports a lot of smiles and laughter throughout the day among employees who weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. “It was a fun way to celebrate who we are as a company,” he says. The event was part of Rack Rooms’ larger commitment to improve the communities in which its employees and associates live and work. “There is a certain camaraderie, goodwill and satisfaction that happens when you come together for the good of something greater than yourself, and even greater than your company,” Lardie adds. “I believe our team will benefit from the fellowship that was created in serving our city in such a tangible way.”