Corporate Responsibility

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Holdings received a SmartWay  Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for being an industryleader in freight supply chain environmental performance and energy efficiency.

In addition, 100% of Sears Holdings more than 20+ freight carriers are SmartWay program partners as well.

Organized labor was crowing this week about a protest, or was it a strike, involving 88 Walmart employees at 28 stores in 12 states who didn’t show up for work on Tuesday.

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens on Tuesday received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2012 SmartWay Excellence Award, the organization's highest recognition for demonstrated leadership in supply chain goods movement. The award — recognizing Walgreens as an industry leader in freight supply chain efficiency, performance and environmental sustainability — was announced at the American Trucking Associations Annual Management Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas.

Mooresville, N.C. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Lowe’s Cos. the highest honors for industry leadership in its WaterSense and SmartWay programs.

Lowe’s received the 2012 SmartWay Excellence Award for its environmental performance in the freight transportation industry. Last week, the EPA named Lowe’s the 2012 WaterSense Retailer Partner of the Year for its efforts to educate consumers about water-efficient products and practices.

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. — A group pushing to increase the number of people vaccinated against influenza has a deal with a Midwestern retailer to encourage vaccination in the region.

New York -- More than half (53%) of middle market executives believe that their companies are on solid ground, according to a survey by CIT Group Inc., a leading provider of financing to small businesses and middle market companies. (In order to be eligible to participate in the survey, respondents had to be in a leadership role at firms with revenues between $25 million and $1 billion, the majority of whose employees were based in the United States.)

Brooklyn, N.Y. -- West Elm, a division of Williams-Sonoma, announced that it will open a store at 180 University Avenue in Palo Alto, Calif., on Oct. 18.

The new Palo Alto store will include a collection of decorative accessories and art made by Etsy artists from the South Bay. It will be only the second West Elm store selling goods made by Etsy artists in the U.S.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway SVP human resources, Russ Jackson, has been named by Human Resource Executive magazine to the 2012 HR Honor Roll. Jackson will be recognized by the publication on Oct. 9 at a black tie awards dinner at the University Club of Chicago.

"Russ is a transformational architect within Safeway," said Safeway EVP, Larree Renda. "With his vision, insight and drive for results, he has built a human resources organization that is a powerful accelerator of change."