FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 17, 2018
SEATTLE—Bartell Drugs, the country’s largest and oldest family owned pharmacy, announced that it has hired a new CEO today, only the fifth in the company’s 128-year history.
Kathi Lentzsch comes to the company with more than three decades of retail experience with executive positions in leading companies including Pier 1 Imports and Cost Plus World Market. As Senior Vice President of Merchandising with Williams Sonoma/Pottery Barn, she led the turn-around and repositioning of Pottery Barn, (a division of Williams Sonoma) into a well-known premium home brand. Her latest position was as Interim CEO at Gump’s, a luxury specialty store and direct-to-consumer retailer based in San Francisco. She also previously served as President/CEO and Board Member for Elephant Pharmacy, a Berkeley, California-based pharmacy that complemented western medicine with alternative remedies, patient education and health consultations.
“Kathi’s experience as a CEO and the breadth of her retail experience will be ideal for leading Bartells,” said Bartell’s Board Chairman, George D. Bartell. “She brings a record of transforming businesses through innovation and entrepreneurial agility. This will be instrumental in growing the Bartell’s brand as the local chain expands its reach in the Puget Sound region.”
Bartell Drugs has been family owned since its inception in Seattle in 1890. Since then, it has led the way in convenient and friendly pharmacy and retail experiences for generations of Puget Sound customers. The company continues to base its business on providing a personalized shopping experience for neighbors in the King, Snohomish and Pierce Counties it serves.
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About Bartell Drugs:
Family-owned since 1890, Seattle-based Bartell Drugs is proud of its more than 128-year history based here in the Northwest. Four generations of the Bartell family have continuously focused on the future — and how the drugstore chain can better serve its customers. With exceptional customer service, locally made products and a focus on your overall wellbeing, Bartell Drugs is here to help. Operating 67 locations in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties, it is the nation’s oldest family-owned drugstore chain. For more information on Bartell Drugs, visit www.bartelldrugs.com.
Media Contact:
Ric Brewer, Senior Communications Manager, Bartell Drugs, 206-933-9416 or ric.brewer@bartelldrugs.com