Joseph Hardin Coulombe (June 3, 1930 – February 28, 2020)[1] was an American entrepreneur. He founded the grocery store chain Trader Joe's in 1967 and ran it until his retirement in 1988.[2]
Joe Coulombe | |
|---|---|
 Coulombe in 1986 | |
| Born | Joseph Hardin Coulombe June 3, 1930 San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Died | February 28, 2020 (aged 89) Pasadena, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Stanford University (BA, MBA) |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of Trader Joe's |
| Spouse | Alice Steere |
| Children | 3 |
Early life and education edit
Coulombe was born in San Diego, California, and grew up on an avocado farm in nearby Del Mar.[3][4] After serving a year in the U.S. Air Force, he attended Stanford University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in economics in 1952 and a Master of Business Administration degree in 1954.[4][5] Coulombe was a member of Alpha Kappa Lambda.[6]
Career edit
Coulombe started his career at Rexall, a chain of American drugstores. In 1958, he was asked to test the launch of Pronto Markets, a store brand to compete against 7-Eleven. After running six Pronto Markets in the Los Angeles area, Rexall asked Coulombe to liquidate them; he decided to buy them out instead.[2] In 1967, Coulombe changed the name Pronto Markets to Trader Joe's. He led the chain to success and sold it in 1979 to German billionaire Theo Albrecht, co-founder of the Aldi supermarket chain.[2][7] Coulombe continued with Trader Joe's as chief executive officer until retiring in 1988.[2]
Coulombe served on the corporate boards of Cost Plus World Market, Bristol Farms, True Religion, and Imperial Bank.[4][8]
Personal life and death edit
In 1952, Coulombe married Alice Steere, whom he met at a party while they were students at Stanford. Alice served on the board and is a life trustee of the Los Angeles Opera.[9][10] They had three children, Joe, Charlotte, and Madeleine. Coulombe and his family lived in Pasadena, California.[4]
Coulombe was a board member of the Huntington Library,[11] the Colburn School, and the Los Angeles Opera.[4]
On February 28, 2020, Coulombe died at his home in Pasadena, at age 89.[12][4][1]
References edit
- ^ a b McLellan, Dennis (February 29, 2020). "Joe Coulombe, founder of Trader Joe's, dies at 89". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ a b c d He Brought Trader Joe's to Main Street Archived August 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine February 2006
- ^ Rogers, John (March 1, 2020). "Joe Coulombe, founder of Trader Joe's grocery chain, dies at 89". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Smith, Kevin (February 29, 2020). "Trader Joe's Founder Joe Coulombe dies at age 89". eastbaytimes.com. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ "Trader Joe's founder Joe Coulumbe dies at 89". KTLA. Associated Press. February 28, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ "Alpha Kappa Lambda and Its Connection to Trader Joe's". franbecque.com. April 23, 2015. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ Kowitt, Beth (August 23, 2010). "Inside the secret world of Trader Joe's". Fortune Magazine. Archived from the original on May 31, 2014 – via CNN.com.
- ^ Kowitt, Beth (August 23, 2010). "Meet the original Joe". Fortune Magazine. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2010 – via CNN.com.
- ^ Haithman, Diane (October 8, 2006). "Holding onto a high note". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Our Board". laopera.org. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ "Trustees and Governors". huntington.org. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ "Trader Joe's founder dies at age 89". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. February 29, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
External links edit
- Joe Coulombe at IMDb
- Rich, Alan (October 6, 2005). "The Tastemaker". LA Weekly.