Lowe’s CEO visits Brownsville to launch $375k community project

BROWNSVILLE, Tenn. — To celebrate their centennial year, Lowe’s Home Improvement created a project called 100 Hometowns.

The corporation has chosen 100 towns in America to do community projects. Brownsville happened to be one of those places chosen, and their city hall will be relocated to the Brownsville Historic Bank building and remodeled.

“My formative years were here in this little small town,” said Lowe’s CEO and Chairman Marvin Ellison. “I felt that this would be a great reflection and a great tribute to this city, and also my father is still alive and still lives here. Just the ability to give back is important.”

Ellison says Lowe’s is contributing $375,000 to the new city hall renovation.

In total, the company will donate $10 million to hometowns nationwide.

“For us, the ability to give back over $10 million and to give back to the communities where we live and operate is a testament to what we think companies should do,” Ellison said.

Ellison graduated from Haywood High School and says he hopes this can be a reflection to everyone in Brownsville that anything is possible.

“What I want this to be is inspirational for anyone that lives here, about what they can do and how important it is to give back,” said Ellison.

Brownsville Mayor William Rawls says this upgrade was much needed and will do so much for not only the city, but it’s residents as well.

“Your cornerstone of your community is your city buildings and your county buildings, so this is a historical building that we will be renovating right here on the court square to be a place for economic development for the chamber, for Main Street, for those who want to come and bring businesses and development to Brownsville, Tennessee, so it’s a sense of pride,” Mayor Rawls said.

The police department will relocate to the old city hall building once the renovation is finished. Ellison says the building is set to be complete in 2022.

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