
Scott Hartman, who has been president and CEO of Rutter’s for 34 years, has led the convenience-store industry in modernization while also maintaining the merit of the family business that began as a horse-drawn carriage milk delivery business in 1921.
In return, CSP has named Hartman its 2025 Retail Leader of the Year.
“When people talk about cutting-edge companies in the convenience space, there is no operator more leading-edge than Rutter’s,” said Mitch Morrison, vice president of retail relations and longtime CSP emcee of the Retail Leader of the Year dinner. “They are always opening new trails for others, whether it’s in technology, store design, made-to-order foodservice, business models or rewarding their employees with pacesetting frontline wages.”
“Honestly,” Morrison added, “I don’t know of any chain that is better than Rutter’s. And I don’t know of any executive who is as intellectually curious, community-minded and operationally adventurous as Scott.”
Hartman is among the most-liked and appreciated people in the convenience-store industry, Morrison said. For several decades he has been a frequent contributor to the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), always offering himself to help other operators, reporters and the association.
York, Pennsylvania-based Rutter’s operates 88 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia.
- Rutter’s is No. 78 on CSP’s 2024 Top 202 ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by store count.
Over the years, Rutter’s has been among the first to introduce many technologies to the industry. It was the second c-store chain to launch a website and the first to develop a mobile app. It was also a pioneer in touch-free restrooms and made-on-site foodservice programs, to which it is consistently adding new limited time menu items.
A year ago, Rutter’s raised its minimum wage to $18 per hour, which is a 75% increase to the convenience-store chain's starting rate in 2019.
Today, the chain is rolling out gaming, travel centers and liquor where permitted.
Rutter’s has been the winner of the CSP Intouch Insight Mystery Shop award four times in six years, taking home the best combined scores for categories such as coffee, restrooms and employees in a mystery shop and revealed audit.
CSP will celebrate Hartman’s leadership and achievements with family and friends at a formal dinner and award presentation during the NACS Show in Chicago in October. Click here for more information.
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