Howard Edward Butt
| Howard Edward Butt Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 9, 1895 |
| Died | March 12, 1991 (aged 95) |
| Residence | Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. |
| Nationality | United States |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | CEO of the H-E-B grocery store chain |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth |
| Children | Howard E. Butt Jr. (deceased) Margaret Eleanor Butt Charles Clarence Butt Mary Beth Butt (deceased) |
| Parent(s) | Florence Thornton Butt Charles Butt |
| Relatives | William H. Crook (son-in-law) |
Howard "Harry" Edward Butt Sr. (April 9, 1895 – March 12, 1991) was an American businessman, and CEO of the H-E-B grocery store chain, which was founded by his mother, Florence Thornton Butt, in 1905.
Butt was youngest of the three sons born to Charles Butt, a pharmacist from Memphis, and Florence Thornton Butt. When the family moved to the drier climate of Kerrville, Texas due to his father's tuberculosis and in 1905, his mother opened a small grocery store below their apartment. Howard managed the store while in high school and then after graduation, moved to California where he harvested grapes. After service in the navy during World War I, he returned to Texas in 1919 to once again manage the family store.
In 1922, he switched the store from the traditional "credit-and-delivery" setup to "cash-and-carry" and expanded its lineup from basic groceries to include personal care products. His first attempt at expansion - establishing a feed store in Kerrville and three satellite stores in nearby towns - ended in failure. In 1926, he tried again and opened a second store in Del Rio, Texas, 150 miles to the southwest along the Rio Grande which was successful. 1928, he borrowed $38,000 and realizing that he had to be where there was more population, he purchased a further three stores in the Rio Grande Valley some 300 miles to the South near the Mexican border. His southern strategy paid off and he moved the company headquarters to Harlingen, Texas where he opened up a distribution center and established the Harlingen Cannery which packaged Texas-manufactured produce. Thereafter, the company grew rapidly expanding into Laredo (1929), Corpus Christi (1931), Austin (1938), and San Antonio (1943).
In 1935, he changed the name of the company to H.E. Butt Grocery. In 1940, he moved the company headquarters to Corpus Christi where he had opened a central bakery four years earlier. In 1946, he shortened the company name to H-E-B. In 1952, H-E-B opened its first supermarket in Corpus Christi then a new retail store concept where a shopper could purchase meat, fish, produce, baked good, and personal care items under a single one roof. Butt gradually transitioned control of the company to his two sons. In 1971, his eldest son, Howard E. Butt Jr., resigned from the presidency to become a minister and his second son Charles Butt took over the leadership role. Howard Edward Butt Sr. remained as chairman until 1991 when he died at age 95.
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