Joe Coulombe (Trader Joes Founder) Biography, Wiki, Age, Wife, Children, Cause of Death, Family, Net Worth, Brother, Wife (Alice Coulombe) and Obituary
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Joe Coulombe Biography – Joe Coulombe Wiki
Joe Coulombe born Joseph Hardin Coulombe was an American entrepreneur, who founded the grocery store chain Trader Joe’s on August 25, 1967.
Coulombe grew up on an avocado ranch in Del Mar, California, near San Diego, where three generations of his family shared a home. He served a year in the Air Force and later attended Stanford University where he received an undergraduate degree in economics and a master’s in business administration in 1954.
In 1958, Coulombe joined Rexall Drugs, where he was tasked with creating a group of convenience stores similar to 7-Eleven. He worked without pay in a grocery store to better understand the business. The new chain was called Pronto Markets, and when Rexall eventually decided to shut it down, Coulombe bought the locations and ran the stores himself.
In 1967, 7-Eleven was opening more locations in California. Rather than taking them on, Coulombe decided to launch a new, vastly different chain. He started Trader Joe’s with a store in Pasadena, California. He sold Trader Joe’s to German supermarket company Aldi in 1979, although he remained CEO until 1988.
Coulombe left Trader Joe’s in 1989 and went on to hold top executive roles at Thrifty’s, Provigo, and Sport Chalet and serve on the boards of Imperial Bank, Cost Plus World Market, Bristol Farms and True Religion Jeans.
Joe Coulombe Age
Coulombe was born on June 3, 1930, in San Diego, California, United States. He died on February 28, 2020.
Joe Coulombe Wife
Coulombe was married to his wife Alice Coulombe since 1953. They met at a party while in college. The couple married in 1952, when they were both in graduate school.
Joe Coulombe Children
Coulombe and his wife, Alice Steere, had three children: Joe Coulombe, Charlotte Schoenmann, and Madeleine Coulombe.
Joe Coulombe Death
Joe Coulombe died on Friday, February 28, 2020, at his Pasadena, California home at the age of 89.
Trader Joe’s CEO Dan Bane told NPR, “Joe was the perfect person at the right time for Trader Joe’s. He was a brilliant thinker with a mesmerizing personality that simply galvanized all with whom he worked. He was not only our founder, he was our first spokesperson. He starred in captivating radio ads for years, always signing off with his unique, ‘thanks for listening.’ Joe developed a cadre of leaders that carried on his vision and helped shape Trader Joe’s in the early years.”
Joe Coulombe Cause of Death – How Did Joe Coulombe Die
According to his son who is also named Joe Coulombe, he died at his Pasadena, California home following a long illness.
Joe Coulombe Family – Joe Coulombe Brother
Coulombe’s father is named William Coulombe. He has a brother naed Karl Coulombe. He is survived by his wife, Alice Steere Coulombe, his three children and their spouses: Joe Coulombe and his wife Wendy; Charlotte Schoenmann and her husband Stuart; and Madeleine Coulombe and her husband Nigel Simpson. He is also survived by six grandchildren: Daniel and Julia Coulombe; Genevieve and Gabriel Schoenmann; and Odette and Valerie Simpson.
Joe Coulombe Net Worth
Information about Joe Coulombe’s net worth is being updated.
