Gregg Tangen, store manager for the soon-to-open Lowe’s Home Improvement in North Windham, is a man on the move. Not only is he busy looking forward to the new store, being built behind the Wal-Mart on Route 302 in North Windham, he is leading a team of interviewers seeking the best possible candidates to staff the home improvement giant.

Working out of the former Linda’s Flowers building in the Windham Shopping Center since Oct. 3, Tangen’s team of four upper-level managers has so far interviewed about 1,500 people for the 120 job openings at Lowe’s, which is set to open in mid-to-late January. The management team has first focused on management level positions and secondly on retail positions. And with the hiring period ending Nov. 30, Tangen said he still has 18 more positions to fill.

“We’ve had all sorts come in to apply,” Tangen said. “Retail people, office people, people tired of driving to Portland, other people tired of driving a long way in Maine winters. Contractors who are sick of Maine winters and want to work indoors. If you’re a plumber or roofer, it may be nice in the summer, but it can be pretty cold in the winter.”

Tangen said the candidates he’s getting are mostly high quality individuals who are either out of work or want to change careers.

“We have a lot of retired people. Some people need a job; some are looking to see what we offer. A lot of people, who live in the Lakes Region, are looking to leave other positions near Portland because of gas prices. People from all walks of life have come in,” Tangen said.

Tangen came to Lowe’s after working with other home improvement stores including Home Depot for 10 years and Rickel Home Center for 13 years. He and his family have just moved to Raymond after living in Shelbyville, Kentucky.

“It was the best decision I ever made to move to Maine. It’s the best place I’ve lived, and I’ve been all over. Maine has the friendliest people I’ve ever met. Even the person in the toll booth was nice,” Tangen said.

Some of the “interesting folks,” as Tangen describes them, who have come in for job interviews include former professionals wanting to switch careers, some who have left the military, and others who have left companies that have recently closed down in the Portland area.

He said people from all over the Lakes Region including Windham, Gray, Standish, New Gloucester, Naples, Casco and Bridgton have shown interest in working at the store.

“They’re coming from every place you can imagine,” Tangen said. “Pretty much a 15 to 20 mile radius.”

While location and availability are important to getting hired at the new Lowe’s, Tangen said the most important factor in who gets hired is the applicant’s interpersonal skills.

“The key is personality. Being able to greet our customers and making them feel comfortable is crucial. You have to be personable,” Tangen said. “Ultimately, you can teach people what we sell and do for the customer, but you can’t teach personality.”

Tangen has been impressed with the caliber of most applicants but says a few of the younger job seekers have been of lesser quality.

“Some of the young kids have come in with their pants halfway down or in shorts. They should at least try to be presentable, somewhat professional,” Tangen said. “Probably four or five people have worn suits. That shows to me they respect the fact we’re looking for professionals.”

Those lucky applicants who are hired at Lowe’s will get either a healthy hourly wage (with the lowest being $7.50 an hour) or a “pretty good salary” in the mid-$20,000s to mid-$30,000s before commissions. Tangen said part-timers and full-timers get the same base hourly wage, given they have an equivalent level of experience.

“We pay part-timers the same as full-timers because they’re every bit as important to the customer,” Tangen said.

Lowe’s hiring process involves three total interviews, each lasting about 30 minutes. Department managers perform the first two interviews and then Tangen, as store manager, does a final interview.

“With the way our interview process is set up, with the applicant already having talked to several different people before getting to me, I’m confident when they’re sitting in front of me that they are qualified. We have a team approach here. I’m only as good as my people, and I want their input just as much as mine,” he said.