Laura Brewer received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Computer Information Systems with a minor in Supply Chain Management from Appalachian State University. Laura also received her master’s of business administration from her alma mater with a concentration in Data Analytics. Brewer has also obtained her graduate certificate of Supply Chain Management from UNC Greensboro. Laura began working for Lowe’s hardware in May of 2016 and has had a few different positions within the company. Brewer worked as a Supply Chain Data Analytics Analyst at Lowe's Hardware in Mooresville. In this position, she was responsible for the safety stock optimization in over 1,700 retail locations and 75 distribution centers. She managed inventory optimization exceptions as well as collaborated with supply chain planning teams to optimize outputs that aligned with inventory needs. Laura has also held an International Transportation Specialist position at Lowe's Hardware. In this role, she was responsible for the management of Lowe's 3rd Party Logistics Partners, specifically in the North China region. Laura compiled and analyzed data to evaluate KPI points. Laura also collaborated with diverse groups of partners overseas to direct and provide leadership towards identifying and resolving the root cause of complex supply chain issues affecting Lowe's international business units. Issues included data integrity problems, tariff topics, purchase order issues and other common anomalies. Before beginning her career at Lowe's Hardware, Laura worked at Merchant's Distributors Inc., located in Hickory, NC. During her 20 years there, she worked in almost every department, with 13 years in domestic transportation. She performed systems analysis, the implementation, execution and training for over 300 truck drivers on the new system as recommended by her analysis.
Laura is pursuing a DBA to become a professor at Appalachian State University.
In her spare time, Laura enjoys playing with her rescue dog, Vegas, spending time with her four step-daughters, and playing in a rock-n-roll band with her husband, Matt, and long-time friend, Wade. The band's name is Home Brewed and the band plays in many venues in the surrounding area. She currently resides in Lenoir, NC.
Laura’s research interest includes the financial impact of major changes within the supply chain including tariffs and the uncertainty during COVID-19 and how shifts in the supply chain can be mitigated.