Lowe's executive apologizes for saying a drill was perfect for Hispanics with "small hands"

A Lowe's executive apologized for an in-house company video in which he described a compact power drill as "perfect" for Hispanic customers with small hands. Joe McFarland, executive vice president of stores, said his comment was "careless and ignorant."

The comments, first reported by The Washington Post, came Monday during a pre-recorded video presentation broadcast to Lowe's employees touting a $99 DeWalt 12-volt cordless drill. McFarland is shown in the video wearing a camouflage vest and extolling the virtues of the drill, when he added, "Some of our Hispanic pros with smaller hands, this is perfect for them."

The video was broadcast to managers gathered in Lowe's conference rooms, the Post reported. It soon sparked concerns among employees in the company's online forums, the newspaper added. 

Latino Victory, a progressive political action committee, said in a tweet that McFarland should be "ashamed."

In his Tuesday apology, McFarland said the incident had brought about "a key reflection moment" for him.

• Racism