Hawkins honored for a decade at Walmart

January 9, 2012

Bob Hawkins received recognition and a plaque for 10 consecutive years of service to Walmart. Staff photo/Miranda Fleming

Store Manager for our local Walmart, Bob Hawkins, was recently recognized for 10 consecutive years of dedicated service with the company.
Although the plaque he received recognizes a decade, Hawkins has actually been employed with the company since June 1991, only leaving Walmart for a short time to work in the ministry.
“I started at the old store across the street, just out of high school,” Hawkins said. “I worked as a part time electronics associate and in about four months was given the opportunity to run hardwood and paint as the Department Manager.”
Hawkins began working his way up the Walmart ladder, after a few years, he was promoted to support manger, still managing his department and closing the store down a couple of days per week.
“I was then hired as an Assistant Manager and was trained in Hays, Kans.,” Hawkins said. “We moved there for nine months during my training and then back to Guymon.”
Hawkins explained that at this point, he “retired” retired from Wal-Mart in 2000 to serve as a Small Groups Pastor a Living Word Fellowship in Guymon.
In 2002, Hawkins decided to go back to work for Walmart, but with no openings in Guymon, he took a Manager position for the Liberal store for two years, then in McPherson, Kan. as a Co-manager for the next 19 months, while training for a Store Manager position.
Hawkins found a Store Manager position in Henryetta, Okla., where he was employed for four years, before returning to Guymon as the Store Manager in Oct. 2009.
Hawkins has been married to Guymon native, Tandi Holland, for 21 years and the couple share four children, Brett (who also works for Wal-Mart in Henryetta, where he graduated and stayed), OPSU student, Brittney, Bradyn and Braeli, as well as their three-year-old grandson – Alex and grandson on the way – Kase.
“We’ve pretty much made full circle, I started out here and will probably end here, our store’s been great, we’ve done well out here,” Hawkins said. “We’ve won first in the Northwest Oklahoma Snowflake Tour, which is best in-stock, best merchandising and best atmosphere for two years in a row.”