Kim BrattainFounder/ CEO, Kim Brattain Media · Award-winning Corporate and Documentary Film Producer

Jay Sloan - Habitat ReStore Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

6 Apr 2015 · 3 min

Watch on YouTube

3:00

The video is a collection of short testimonial remarks from several speakers honoring Jay Sloan, the longtime leader of the Asheville Habitat ReStore. Speakers describe Jay as outgoing, friendly, visionary, and decisive. They recount his first day in 1999, noting his professional appearance and the modest $183,000 in sales that year, and highlight the dramatic growth to over $2.4 million in recent sales. The remarks emphasize his people‑first philosophy: treating staff and customers with respect, creating clear merchandise displays, and ensuring a clean, organized shopping experience. Jay’s mentorship is illustrated through personal stories, such as his support for a volunteer with developmental challenges—securing housing, medical and dental care, and annual warm clothing. Colleagues express deep gratitude, stating that without Jay they would not be where they are today. The overall tone is celebratory and appreciative, underscoring Jay’s impact on business performance, volunteer empowerment, and community well‑being.

Chapters

Hey, how you doing? Good to see you too.
If I could describe Jay in a few words, I think outgoing, he's friendly, he knows what he wants, and you know, he's got good vision.
I will always remember that first day that he walked into the office. And I wondered, who is this guy? He's interviewing for a job for a little ReStore that we have here, and he's got on a banker suit. We don't dress like that here in Asheville. Jay came to us in 1999. We had sales that year of $183,000. This past year, we bumped up just north of $2.4 million.
You don't have to reinvent the wheel. You just have to take care of people. Merchandise, displaying it so people can see it and know how much it costs, and don't make people stand in line when they're wanting to give you their money. People don't want to buy dirty stuff. They'll buy clean stuff and pay more for it. All the dishes and glassware and all the linens and fabrics that come up here are washed and dried and folded and measured before they come up here for sale.
22 years ago when we started our ReStore, and the first day we opened, a gentleman about 45, 47 years old had some developmental challenges that were pretty significant. came by the store. That was his first day at the store. He has not missed one day volunteering. Jay stood by this young man. Jay found him better housing, proper medical attention, proper dental attention, and he makes sure each year that he gets warm clothes to wear.
If it wasn't for Jay, I wouldn't know where I would be right now. I'm very thankful for, you know, being able to know this man because he showed me a lot.
The best advice I can give to you is just treat your staff and treat your customers the way you want to be treated. They don't get rich working here, and they don't get paid to volunteer here, but there's something that makes them come back.
And about everything I do, I still hear Jay on my shoulder, you know, how would Jay deal with that? And thank you, and I'm gonna keep doing my best I can, thanks to you.