Early Life
Howard Butt III is a member of the Butt family, who founded H-E-B in 1905 in Kerrville, Texas. His great-grandmother, Florence Butt, started the company, and it has remained family-owned since its inception. Howard Butt III's father, Howard Butt Jr., and uncle Charles Butt (current chairman) have both played significant roles in the company's history. Howard Butt Jr. was initially groomed to run the grocery chain.
Rise to Success
Howard Butt III serves as the CEO of H-E-B and has been instrumental in the company's continued success. He took over as CEO in 2021. H-E-B has over 440 stores in Texas and Mexico. The company has grown to be one of the largest grocery retailers in the United States by revenue and employee count. H-E-B has also been recognized as a top employer. Under his leadership, the company has invested heavily in the community, donated 5% of pre-tax earnings to civic and charitable organizations, and spent on emergency preparedness and disaster relief. In 2024, H-E-B's revenue reached $46.5 billion. The Butt family owns approximately 90% of the company.
Key Business Strategies
H-E-B's key strategies include a focus on customer service, innovation, and community engagement. The company is known for its private label foods and customizing stores to specific locations. H-E-B also has employee ownership programs. The company is expanding, especially in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and investing heavily in e-commerce fulfillment and delivery services.
Philanthropy
H-E-B donates 5% of its pre-tax profits to charitable groups. Charles Butt made a $20 million personal gift to support 20 food banks across Texas. In the wake of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, the Butt family and H-E-B committed $10 million to help build a new elementary campus. The Butt family, H-E-B, and the H.E. Butt Foundation committed $5 million in funding to nonprofits providing aid and recovery support to communities in Texas that were impacted by flooding.