Bio Sketch: George D. Bartell, Chairman
George D. Bartell, Chairman & CEO Bartell Drugs
SEATTLE--With over 30 years of experience in the drugstore industry, George D. Bartell continues to build on the foundation of innovation and industry leadership established by his father and grandfather.
George D. Bartell was elected president and CEO of Bartell Drugs in 1990 and chairman and CEO in 2001. He is only the third person to head the family-owned company—the nation’s oldest drugstore chain, which was founded in 1890.
Bartell grew up around the family business and learned the trade as his father did before him, from the ground up. His first regular job was at the chain’s Fourth and Pine location in the heart of downtown Seattle, where he held jobs ranging from shelf stocker to cashier. By 1983, he had worked his way up from store manager to assistant vice president, where he dealt primarily with real estate, merchandising and pricing.
Bartell has held firm to the company’s traditional emphasis on customer service, a philosophy that has been passed down in the Bartell family for three generations.
“My grandfather was a strong believer in the “golden rule,” and he instilled that belief in my father and his employees,” Bartell says. “It is this belief that is at the very core of our commitment to quality customer service.”
Under Bartell’s guidance, the company has grown into a 58-store chain, operating in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties in Washington State. It is not unusual to see him in one of the company stores talking to customers or employees.
“Listening to our customers – and responding to their needs whenever possible – has been important to our company since the very beginning,” Bartell says. “As a family-owned, privately held company we have the flexibility to try new services that can enhance our customer’s experience.”
Among family-owned businesses in the state, Bartell Drugs is considered one of the most successful. In 2006 the company was recognized as the “Best in the Northwest” in the large business category at the Washington Family Business Awards, sponsored by the Family Enterprise Institute at Pacific Lutheran University.
Outside of the family business, Bartell has been active in a variety of civic and professional organizations. He serves on the board of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, held a seat on the board of the Woodland Park Zoo Society and the executive committee of the Pacific Northwest chapter of the Young Presidents Organization. He is active in the Pacific Northwest chapter of World’s President Organization and serves as co-Vice Chairman of the Chain Drug Consortium, LLC.
At his home in Bellevue, Bartell is an avid gardener and enjoys reading, bike riding, hiking and spending time with his wife, June, and their two children.
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Media Contacts
Theron Andrews, V.P. of Marketing,
Bartell Drugs, 206.763.2626
Barry Bartlett
Bartlett Group Public Relations,
206.335.4694, barry@bartlettgrouppr.com
