McMillan enjoys people

Not one to sit behind a desk, Scott McMillan walks the floors of the store.

McMillan, 35, is the new manager of the Neighborhood Market scheduled to open July 18 in Pea Ridge. A native of Arkadelphia, he graduated from high school there in 1997, then from Ouachita Baptist University in 2005 with a degree in business administration/management information systems. He served in the U.S. Army from 1998-2006 as a combat engineer. He served a tour in Iraq.

In 2005, he began his career with Wal-Mart right after graduating from college. He was an assistant manager in training at the store in Hot Springs, then went to Arkadelphia, then to the Fayetteville store. He was co-manager in Rogers.

"I enjoy people -- customers and associates," he said. "I have high standards and strive for excellence. That's one of Wal-Mart's core beliefs -- to continue to improve on what we do day by day so we're taking care of our customers," he said. "I am on the floor -- walking with the associates, meeting and greeting customers, hearing what they have to say, good or bad. I want to continue to do what we do well.

"I'm definitely not one who likes to sit in the office all day long. I walk, I walk, I walk. I look. I observe. I talk and interact, to continue to improve," he said with a smile.

McMillan said he got his first job when he was 16 working at Wendy's. Before that, he actually worked at a pig house cleaning floors. He understands what it is to work hard. At 19, he went to basic training for the Army. Through college, he worked two jobs and maintained good grades. "I had a very busy itinerary," he said.

"I'm really humble about the fact that I served; I'm proud that I'm a veteran," he said. "It's not me that runs a great store, it's my associates and my management team."

McMillan said he likes to share his personal experiences and uses them to improve himself. He said he was in a work-study program when in high school.

"About 75 percent of management started as hourly," he said.

He said he enjoys hunting and fishing. "I'm an outdoors man, a jack of all trades. I was raised quail hunting," he said. "People who know me from work wouldn't recognize me when I'm not working."

"I want to be more involved in the community," he said. He participated in the pinwheel placement at Pea Ridge Police Department April 1.

McMillan and his wife, Hannah, live south of Pea Ridge. She is a pharmacist at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Fayetteville. They are members of Fellowship Bible Church.