The Michaels Companies Inc is the leading creative destination in North America, operating over 1,290 stores in 49 states and Canada, offering a wide range of arts, crafts, framing, floral, and home decor products. The company also owns Artistree, a manufacturer of custom framing merchandise, and MakerPlace by Michaels, a dedicated handmade goods marketplace.

The Michaels Companies Inc

At The Michaels Companies Inc, our purpose is to fuel the joy of creativity. As the leading creative destination in North America, we operate over 1,290 stores in 49 states and Canada and online at Michaels.com and Michaels.ca. The Michaels Companies, Inc. also owns Artistree, a manufacturer of custom and specialty framing merchandise, and MakerPlace by Michaels, a dedicated handmade goods marketplace. Founded in 1973 and headquartered in Irving, Texas, Michaels is the best place for all things creative. For more information, please visit www.michaels.com

Michaels Stores

At Michaels, our purpose is to fuel the joy of creativity ✨
 
Last week, three Michaels Resource Groups (MRGs) teamed up with Project Sunshine to host a celebration of Lunar New Year and Black History Month at the Harlem Hospital Center in NYC. 
 
This collaboration brightened the days of over 50 children undergoing pediatric care while teaching them about these two significant cultural moments. Kudos to our Black Organized Leaders of Diversity (BOLD), Hispanic/LatinX Association of Creative Engaged Resources (HACER) and Asia Connect MRG Team Members for living our purpose by sharing your time and cultures with the community, and thank you to our friends at Project Sunshine and the Harlem Hospital Center for the partnership.
 
Happy Black History Month and Lunar New Year to all! 🎉🏮🎨

More Than Just a Mural 🎨 ⬇️
 
Last week, Michaels Stores teamed up with Muralism. org to help beautify the city of Los Angeles while showcasing the incredible talents of adults with disabilities. 

Our leaders and Team Members joined the NoHo Arts District community to help fill in a giant paint-by-number-style drawing crafted by Muralism’s gifted team of artists with disabilities. To say we’re proud to sponsor this stunning mural honoring the rich legacy of the Tongva people is an understatement – as you’ll see below, the process is just as beautiful as the end result✨ 🖌
 
Beyond the mural, we’re excited to have this partnership extend to our Makers Like Me Disability Hiring Program. Once Muralism members complete the mural-making process, they’re connected with our team to interview for positions in our stores – making these giant masterpieces more than just murals, but celebrations of unity, inclusion, and the transformative power of art. 🎨 🤝🌟

For our first Team Member Spotlight of the year, we are excited to recognize Erin Ficker! Erin has been with Michaels for 13 years and is an excellent example of our internal growth.

She started as an Assistant Store Manager at the Silverdale, WA store in 2011 and was promoted to Store Manager a year later to the Gig Harbor, WA store. In 2016 she relocated to Texas to lead stores around the DFW area. She was then promoted to a Framing Market Manager position, and in 2021 she was promoted to her current role as District Manager in Kansas City.

About her current role, she says, “My favorite part of my job is supporting my team and my peers to the best of my ability. I also love that every day is a little different and I truly love meeting all the makers in our stores.”

Erin, you’re an example of the opportunities for growth at Michaels. Thank you for your commitment to our stores!

#Michaelsjobs #workplaceexcellence #bettertogether

Today our Black Organized Leaders of Diversity (BOLD) Michaels Resource Group (MRG) celebrates and honors the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, celebrated on the third Monday of January, is a day in which we try our best to give back to our communities, in the spirit of Dr. King’s legacy. We can use this time to make a great impact on the communities we live in by helping to spread knowledge and educational items to help work towards a more inclusive and just society. 

Chris Howard, Vice President Solution and Delivery at Michaels Stores, and the Executive Sponsor of our BOLD MRG shares his thoughts with us: 

“When I think about MLK Day and what it means to me, it inspires me. He stood up for what he believed in – against all odds, with humility, and with his insistence on nonviolent activism. He has inspired generations of Americans during his lifetime and after his assassination. His vision and ability to articulate and illustrate that vision to millions of Americans is something that continues to inspire me.

Dr. King painted a vivid picture one summer day in 1968 when he delivered his iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech in Washington D.C. In the speech, he powerfully anchored his vision to several well-known documents from our nation’s life and history.

Dr. King transcended color. He spoke to all Americans, because he understood that the country would easily rise together when it worked together. 

As I celebrate this time with family and friends, I say thank you, Dr. King, for standing up for what you believe in. Thank you for preaching and living nonviolence. Thank you for inspiring generations of human beings to stand for equality.” 

At Michaels, we believe that everyone has a seat at the craft table!  

Join our team today:  https://lnkd.in/gci787y

Trying to keep up with what’s IN and what’s OUT for 2024? Victoria Giardina at The New York Post has you covered!
 
💡 Check out the full list below, featuring visits to Michaels Stores and mindful creative projects like scrapbooking as what’s IN.
 
The new year is a perfect time to reconnect or recommit to your own creativity, and we’re ready to help with everything to create anything ✨

We are thrilled to recognize Duke Hahn as our next Team Member Spotlight! Duke recently celebrated 13 years with Michaels! Starting first as a Store Manager, Duke transitioned to the Talent Acquisition team recruiting for the Field. He was recently promoted to Manager – Talent Acquisition for our Field recruiting team.

What does Duke enjoy most about Michaels and his current role? He shares: “What I enjoy most about Michaels: The PEOPLE! We have a fantastic culture, and that culture is a direct reflection of the PEOPLE our organization is made up of! What I enjoy most about my current role: Changing the lives of others by helping them achieve career goals and dreams.”

Duke and his team live by the Michaels value “We Are Better Together” every day. He says, “We value each other’s strengths, support each other’s weaknesses, and WIN together!”

Thank you, Duke, for your years of leadership and growth! We appreciate all you do!

#Michaelsjobs #workplaceexcellence #bettertogether

Our Tech Team Members are the unsung heroes that make shopping online and in-store at Michaels a great experience for our customers.  
  
This was a big year of transformation for us in terms of building new platforms and products, all of which was made possible by their incredible dedication behind the scenes. 
 
Here are just a few highlights: 
  
🌟 A completely replatformed, user-friendly website 
🌟 A new online marketplace that provides an endless aisle of products for our customers 
🌟 An innovative platform, MakerPlace by Michaels, to buy and sell unique handmade goods and classes 
 
Thank you for working so hard to make it all possible!

#retailinnovation #retailtech #ecommerce

As we end the month of November, we are excited to announce Gary Mays as our next Team Member Spotlight! Gary has worked for Michaels at the Alliance Distribution Center in Fort Worth over 9 years. Currently, he is an Operations Manager for second shift and has held previous leadership roles in inbound, outbound, and training support departments.

He is also actively engaged in the Michaels Veterans Resource group (SALUTE), as a Program Lead, contributing his skills and leadership to foster a supportive and inclusive environment.

What does Gary enjoy most about Michaels and his role? “I thrive in the dynamic nature of my work environment, where each day brings a fresh set of challenges and opportunities. From meticulous planning to efficient processing and delivering high-quality products to our store partners, I find joy in navigating the diverse tasks and discovering innovative approaches for success.”
 
“We Are Better Together!” is a Michaels value that Gary and his team live by each day: “Embracing the power of teamwork, my team and I thrive in the collaborative environment of a distribution center. Recognizing that success is a collective effort, we celebrate victories together and continuously strive for improvement each day.”

Gary's best professional advice? “Demonstrate adaptability in navigating the ever-changing landscape. Embrace the uncertainty, as solutions may not always be evident. Your adaptability will be the key to overcoming challenges successfully." 

Memorable Michaels experience? “A highlight of my career has been contributing to the Michaels SALUTE veteran's team. As a military veteran myself, I bring a unique perspective to comprehending the challenges faced by fellow veterans. The opportunity to give back to this community within Michaels and collaborate with other SALUTE team members has proven to be an immensely gratifying experience for me.

Reflecting on my military experience, I cherish the camaraderie and memorable moments shared with fellow comrades—their presence made the journey immensely rewarding. I also honor the memory of those who did not return, forever grateful for the sacrifices they made for us.”

Why and how do you celebrate Veterans Day? “While it may sound cliché, throughout my military service, the most meaningful connections were always forged with the individuals on my left and right. I commemorate these bonds by reconnecting with my fellow servicemembers and engaging in community outreach to foster connections within the broader community.”

Gary, thank you for your leadership at Michaels and for your service to our country!

During the month of November, we want to honor our team members who have served in the military. We are excited to recognize one of our many veterans, Rich Buhay, in our new Team Member Spotlight! Rich started with Michaels in 2022 and is currently the Regional Facilities Operations Manager at our Jacksonville distribution center.

Rich enjoys “the challenges of having a seasoned building and having the maintenance team to keep it running and safe for the operations team to do their job in supporting the stores.”

“We put people first” and “We do the right thing” are Michaels values Rich lives by each day: “This to me means my team and I treat the operations team in our building as our customer. Our goal is to ensure all equipment is working properly and safely. We also do the right things to make sure we are working safely and efficiently every day.”

Rich says his best professional advice is to “uplift and empower your team, listen to their concerns, give credit whenever it is due (I don’t take the credit, I tell people that want to give me credit for something my team has done: ‘Don’t tell me, please tell them. It will mean so much more.’), express your gratitude for the job they are doing, make everyone feel valued, and do what you say you are going to do, and finally, the best advice I could give would be to smile at people."

Rich explains what Veterans Day means to him each year: “Veterans Day is a day to thank all those who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces for their bravery, commitment, dedication, and sacrifices (for leaving their families while out protecting us and to ensure that our great country remains free from those who want to harm us and our way of living.) These men and women are heroes in the eyes of some, but to most who are serving or have served, they are just doing their jobs, like you and I. They don't feel like heroes.”

"I celebrate Veterans Day because I want to show my gratitude to those who have served and are currently serving in the armed forces. It is important to say thank you for their service to our country. I do this by thanking the Veterans I see and by flying my American flag, my Navy veteran flag, and placing small flags around my yard.”

Rich is also a member of the Salute MRG ("Michaels Resource Group") and says, “Veterans struggle sometimes with adapting to civilian jobs, we (I) are here to help ease this struggle, whether it be by talking with fellow Veterans or by educating those within the company who don't understand the day-to-day struggles some are going through. Salute MRG is another way to connect with fellow Veterans and recognize and honor them for their service to our country. It also will help people at Michaels understand more about the military and the importance of our armed services.”

Rich, thank you for your leadership in our distribution centers, for your work with Salute MRG, and most importantly, thank you for your service to our country!

In the middle of peak season, we want to continue to recognize our outstanding Store Managers. Please join us in recognizing Michael DeLucia!

Michael started out with Michaels as a Seasonal Replenishment Associate and has risen through the ranks of Replenishment Manager, Assistant Store Manager, and is now the Store Manager of #1191 Chelsea in Manhattan NY, our company's flagship location.

Michael recently celebrated his 11th anniversary with Michaels on 11/15. He has grown every step of the way taking on assignments in many stores through the years such as Spring Valley, Secaucus, and Brooklyn Heights. He has developed several of his team members to go on to be Store Managers, paying forward the investment leaders have made in him.

What does Michael enjoy most about working at Michaels? He says, "Michaels is a place where I have literally grown up. What I love about Michaels is that it is a company that has supported me and invested in me.”

Michael, thank you for your years of growth and commitment to our stores!

COM:MICHAELS

The Michaels Companies Inc