Gregory M. Bridgeford is to received the fifth Global DIY Lifetime Award at this year's Global DIY Summit in Berlin.

Decided by the board of European DIY Retail Association (EDRA) and the Federation of the European DIY Manufacturers (fediyma) as well as the Global Home Improvement Network (GHIN), Mr Bridgeford will receive his award at a ceremony held on June 8.

Mr Bridgeford joined Lowe’s in 1982 as executive assistant to the chairman and throughout his 32-year-career served in a variety of increasingly responsible positions including the senior vice president for merchandising, marketing, and business development. In his role as Lowe’s first head of international business he pioneered the company’s entry into Canada and Mexico, serving as a critical architect in the earliest stage of Lowe’s most recent acquisition of Rona in Canada.

Mr Bridgeford is one of the most well-liked and respected individuals in our industry. A welcoming statesman at home and abroad for connecting Lowe’s with the global home improvement community, he has hosted global visitors in North Carolina for more than 30 years. Mr Brdigeford initiated Lowe’s involvement in EDRA/GHIN and was a keynote speaker at the first Global DIY Summit in Brussels in 2011.