While Rutter’s started as a family farm in 1747, it has come a long way from selling milk off the back of a horse-drawn carriage in Pennsylvania. Now, the 92-location convenience-store chain is opening sports bars, rolling out private-label beer and blending tech-driven innovation with small-town roots.
At the helm is third-generation president and CEO Scott Hartman, who grew up stocking shelves and now leads one of the most forward-thinking chains in the country.
“When I stop learning, I’ll be retired the next day,” he said.
Hartman isn’t afraid to take big swings, turning ideas from overseas into reality back home, rethinking what convenience means and leading a chain that’s as focused on the next breakthrough as it is on honoring its legacy.
“We're always out there seeking the next opportunity to make our stores different and stand out,” Hartman said. “That's where we can have fun because we're breaking new ground, and my team really likes to do that.”
It’s not your typical convenience store—and that’s exactly the point.
“When I stop learning, I’ll be retired the next day.” –Scott Hartman, Rutter’s
Convenience is different for everyone, and that mindset is at the forefront of Rutter’s strategy. That’s why the chain has tapped into so many different business concepts while still being a convenience store at its core.
“We're not just going to be a convenience store that's going to sit on a corner and sell gas and a few other items within the store,” said Chris Hartman, vice president of fuels, marketing and development at Rutter’s and Scott Hartman’s son. “We're going to do lots of different things.”
Rutter’s gained its liquor license in 2016 and introduced gaming in 2019. Without the need for additional licensing, Scott Hartman found a way to bring these concepts together and formed a sports bar and gaming lounge (pictured below) in 2024. Its Milton, Pennsylvania store features a selection of alcohol, more than 20 65-inch TVs, live sports tickers with real-time updates and five video gaming terminals. In addition to the entertainment space, Rutter’s 14,000-square-foot location offers made-to-order food, beer caves, fuel and more.
Scott Hartman said he got the idea from a gaming room he was fascinated by at a Tesco store in England, and it’s common for him to collect ideas no matter where he is or what he’s doing.
“If he sees something when he's out, he'll bring it back and say, ‘I need you guys to look into this,’” said Suzanne Cramer, vice president of human resources at Rutter’s. “And we're all like, ‘this is craziest idea.’ But somehow, someway, even if it's a year, two years, three years later, that idea, or whatever it was that he brought back, suddenly is something that's actually a piece of the business now. It's unbelievable to me how he can see that and look forward and know that one day that's going to be a piece of the business.”
He grabs ideas, tailors them to Rutter’s and puts them in action, said Dan Vucovich, retired senior vice president and U.S. president of The Hershey Co., Hershey, Pennsylvania.
“That culture of constant improvement is really admirable because they just keep pounding them out,” said Pat Cordle, retired vice president of field sales at BIC, Shelton, Connecticut. “And their success, of course, a result of that.”
Rutter’s is also always testing new foodservice offerings, Cordle said. Rutter’s offers fresh, made-to-order meals made with local ingredients. It continuously updates its menu and offers sandwiches, coffee and a variety of hot and cold options.
Rutter’s menu innovations and limited-time offerings have included the Hangover Burger, which combines a beef patty, eggs, bacon, cheese and a hash brown patty between two buns; the Peanut Butter Burger topped with onion rings, cheddar cheese, Reese’s peanut butter sauce and barbecue sauce; the Donut Breakfast sandwich made with a grilled sweet glazed doughnut instead of bread; Kickin’ Chicken and Waffles; Grilled Mac & Cheese; and Oreo Funnel Cake Fries. The chain also introduces seasonal items like Crab Cake Sliders during Lent and collaborates with brands like Hormel to feature Spam-based dishes.
In the beverage cooler, Rutter’s still sells its own branded milk in many flavors, from strawberry to chocolate peanut butter. In 2021, the chain introduced its first private-label beer and has launched a new variety every year since.
“I would say most customers that go to a Rutter’s store go there for the food first, and everything kind of falls in after that from a convenience perspective,” said Chris Hobson, CEO of Core-Mark, Westlake, Texas. “All the other categories grow because of that.”
Sara Hartman remembers her father, Scott Hartman, proudly teaching the family about Rutter’s history during her childhood.
The business began in 1747 with the Rutter family farm in York, Pennsylvania, which is still in operation. Then in 1921, George Rutter, Scott Hartman’s grandfather, and his brother, Bud, founded Rutter's Dairy—also in York—in 1921, selling milk and other dairy products door-to-door via horse-drawn carriage for 8 cents a quart.
The first Rutter’s ice cream parlor opened in 1938. Further expanding the business, the family’s second generation formed CHR Corp. to house a c-store chain called Rutter’s Farm Stores.
The first Rutter’s Farm Store opened in York in 1968 (pictured below), and Scott’s Hartman’s father, Stewart Hartman, was the first president. The chain now has 92 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia.
- Rutter’s is No. 79 on CSP’s 2025 Top 202 ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by store count.
Scott Hartman’s Dad, Stewart Hartman, exposed him to the business at a young age. He started working at Rutter’s stores when he was 12. However, as an adult, Scott Hartman’s father wanted his son to make his own decision about working for Rutter’s.
Scott Hartman graduated from George Washington University School of Business—where he met his wife of 41 years, Cathy Hartman—with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1981. He earned his MBA in finance and financial management services from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business in 1983.
Scott Hartman then spent seven years working at Price Waterhouse Management Consultants, where he advanced to the role of senior manager before leaving the firm in 1990 and returning to the family business.
His family told him to take it seriously since the farm dates back to 1747, he said. They told Hartman, “Never sell the farm, and don't sell the business. You have to go make it a success and be one that they all talk about,” he said.
At Rutter’s, he began as CFO and vice president of operations. In 2003, he became president and CEO of Rutter’s Holdings, operating the c-store business; Rutter’s Dairy, selling products in five states; and M&G Realty, a commercial real estate holding company.
“You either love a family business, or you don't,” Scott Hartman said. “Family businesses do come with challenges. Anybody who thinks they're easy, they're not. But finding your way through the dynamics of family business … that's very special opportunity. I'm enjoying watching it continue to grow and make a difference.”
Scott Hartman may not be the loudest person in the room, but he is often the smartest, his son said.
“Scott is someone who knows a lot about a lot,” said Jere Matthews, vice president of operations at Rutter's.
He learns by actively listening.
“He's okay with sitting back and contemplating what's going on,” said Chris Hartman. “And I've heard, over the years from a number of other leaders within our industry that, there'll be a two-, three-, four-hour meeting, and someone will say something, and he'll be thinking about it, listening, contemplating, understanding everyone else's point of view, and then he'll finally give his view on it.”
Chris Hartman said it’s one of his dad’s best skills, to sit back and listen in order to bring fresh ideas to the company and industry.
Chris Hartman (pictured below) takes after his father in that way.
“I try to sit back, I try to listen, I try to learn all the time, whether it's from [my dad] or from other folks,” he said. “And then I also try to think about what the next step is, what we can do next as a company, what I can do next as a leader within the company and how I can get better every day. Those are all the things that he really instilled in me.”
Frank Gleeson, who will start as president and CEO of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) in January, said Scott Hartman once answered the question of how he became successful with, “I hang around smart people.” It wasn't too long after that that people were hanging around him because they realized he was smart, Gleeson said.
Scott Hartman describes his leadership style as “still evolving.”
“I have this philosophy that when I stop learning I'll be retired the next day,” he said.
That leadership style has reached a wide range of people because of Scott Hartman.
“I've been very lucky to have Scott as a mentor,” said Matthews. “He's challenged me along the way. He's encouraged me along the way, and that has helped me progress throughout the organization. I've learned a lot from him. I've experienced and achieved things that I never would have thought of without his mentorship.”
Matthews said he’s also learned making mistakes is inevitable and a way to learn.
“[Former Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, or Coach K] once said, ‘my hunger is not for success. It's for excellence. And if you attain excellence, success comes naturally.’ And I think Scott [Hartman] follows that too because the company's been very successful under his tutelage,” said Matthews. “And it's because he encourages, or really demands, excellence, which is not a bad thing.”
Excellence is not the same as being perfect, Matthews said.
Scott Hartman’s leadership style encourages collaboration and a shared vision, Matthews said.
“If you have everybody working in the same direction with a shared vision and lockstep, you can move mountains quickly, and he's proven that can be done,” Matthews said.
While his standards are high, he proves that those expectations are achievable by leading by example, said Cordle, formerly of BIC. He wouldn't expect something from someone that he wouldn't do himself.
“He moves quickly, and he shoots for the moon,” said Vucovich, formerly of Hershey. “And even if he's off by a little bit, he's still heads and shoulders farther ahead than anybody else.”
“If you have everybody working in the same direction with a shared vision and lockstep, you can move mountains quickly.” —Jere Matthews, Rutter’s
Much like his ability to sit back and listen before reacting, Scott Hartman deals with challenges in a calm, thoughtful way.
When COVID broke out in the U.S. in March 2020, retailers had to quickly enact and accept federal and state government mandates.
“You saw him under fire and stay calm, cool, rally everybody in this organization to go ahead and make sure that they were fully compliant and they were putting consumer safety and employee safety first. There is no recent period with that much stress, that much chaos. And Scott made the very best of it,” said Vucovich.
At the time, Rutter’s was not only open—it was essential.
The pandemic solidified what Scott Hartman always thought, “that we were critical infrastructure, that America could not operate without us as convenience-store operators,” he said.
And he’s proud of that accomplishment.
“We saved America by having fuel, food and all the things that they needed during the biggest crisis in my lifetime,” he said. “And so that reaffirmed how important what we do for our customers and American public.”
Scott Hartman took the crisis in stride, all while delicately balancing running an essential business with safety at top of mind.
“We have frontline workers,” said Cramer, Rutter’s vice president of HR. “These are people that, at the time, were putting themselves at risk just going to work every day. [Scott Hartman] did a really great job of rallying not only our executive team but making sure first and foremost that our employees are safe and that we're doing everything we can to protect them but also staying open for our customers and being there when they needed something.”
Just as Scott Hartman once got his start stocking shelves in Rutter’s stores, he now makes it a priority to give others the same chance to grow.
Rutter’s employees can choose their own destiny, said Cramer.
“You define who you're going to be,” Cramer said. “He gives the opportunity to anyone who shows that they want it. I think it's part of the entrepreneurial spirit that he has. He's just really good about giving you the tools you need to be successful and the platform to go along with it.”
Scott Hartman also doesn’t micromanage, Cramer said. He gives the team autonomy with decision making. He balances that with keeping the big picture in mind and making sure that strategic decisions align with that.
“He's got this great ability to look deep into a topic. And yet at the same token, he doesn't lose sight of the big picture,” said Cordle.
Scott Hartman stays in touch with employees, and he said that he learned that by consulting at Price Waterhouse. Employees understand that they can call him, and he also tries to reach out to them.
“He's had folks that have worked at Rutter’s now for years, decades, actually,” said Cordle. “They set high standards, and they go after them. And yet, year after year, decade after decade, these folks are still all working together. He's very proud of what they've accomplished.”
However, the ability to trust a team of 3,000 people doesn’t happen overnight.
Scott Hartman hires leaders, gives them autonomy to make strategic decisions and supports them with deep expertise across marketing, finance, legal and more, enabling him to offer informed help without micromanaging, Craig Panter, CEO of Cullinan Group, said.
He trusts his team not blindly, but because he puts in the work to hire the right people with intention and purpose. That trust flows downward, as those leaders then hire and support the frontline employees who run the stores.
“It's easy to build silos between the various departments, and that's something that Scott doesn't tolerate,” said Matthews. “When a decision has to be made by one department, they take into account how that may affect another department. And that's what's made it successful.”
No matter what role or status a person has, Scott Hartman treats them with the utmost respect, said Hobson. He takes calculated risks and is fair and humble, he adds.
Scott Hartman regularly meets with these employees, listens to their ideas and frustrations and acts on their feedback. It’s a leadership model built on accountability and trust at every level, a full-circle system where every voice matters and no detail is beneath the attention of the person at the top.
“Scott has a lunch where he sits down with team members and some of our store managers and just listens to them. They get to tell him what's going on out in the stores,” said Cramer.
He also takes the time to pop into stores and talk to employees without them knowing who he is, she said.
Wages are also taken seriously. Rutter’s has paid an $18 hourly minimum wage since the beginning of 2024. That’s a 75% increase to the chain’s starting rate in 2018.
“When the economy gets a little tough, the first thing some companies will do is cut the workforce,” said Matthews. “And that's one thing Rutters has never done, due to Scott's thoughtful planning.”
That team is the four-time winner of CSP’s Intouch Insight Mystery Shop, an audit that assesses c-store chains on a variety of operational capabilities, such as coffee, restrooms and employees.
“[Scott] will be the first person to tell you his team does most of the work, and they're brilliant,” said Panter. “But he's the leader that picks them and nurtures them and supports them.”
“He’s the fountain of all knowledge… He’s always wanting to learn more and see what’s going on so that his business can be the best it can be.” —Frank Gleeson, NACS
Under Scott Hartman’s leadership, the team operates Rutter’s Children Charities and fundraises a variety of other ways.
In 2023, Rutter’s and Rutter’s Children’s Charities donated $1.8 million. In 2024, it surpassed that with $2.1 million, fueled largely by events like the annual golf outing which alone has raised more than $3.7 million since 2003.
Each Rutter’s store has a donation canister that’s collected and distributed monthly. Rutter’s provides weekly food donations to local food pantries, and donations exceeded $400,000 in 2024. Rutter’s also contributes to scholarship organizations, educational improvement organizations, and pre-kindergarten scholarship organizations.
“He doesn't just set this thing up and sit back and watch as it might be maybe sprinkling a little bit… he's right out there, shoulder to shoulder with all the folks who are helping raise some funds for the charities,” said Cordle.
All year round, Rutter’s gives back, Vucovich said. They don’t trumpet it—it’s part of their DNA, he said.
“They’ve grown from a dairy into a retail behemoth. That doesn't happen by accident. It happens by getting the small things right. It happens by making sure that you help people out when there's natural disasters or shortages or problems. Rutter’s and the Hartmans step up and want to give back,” said Gleeson.
“We saved America by having fuel, food and all the things that they needed during the biggest crisis in my lifetime.” –Scott Hartman, Rutter’s
One of Chris Hartman’s favorite things about working with his dad is his competitiveness.
“He is a believer in really trying to be No. 1 and first into a lot of different businesses, and when you have that passion, whether you're early in your career or late in your career. There's that drive that really filters down to the rest of the organization,” Chris Hartman said.
In terms of winning in business, it’s not about what others are doing; it's about what Rutter’s can do more of, Hobson adds.
Over the years, Rutter’s has been among the first to introduce many technologies to the industry.
Rutter’s was the first to develop a mobile app and the second c-store chain to launch a website.
From his early days, when he returned to the company, he was involved in integrating a back-office system with forecourt control to integrated payments at the pump, Panter of Cullinan Group said.
Rutter’s launched its loyalty program in 2009, offering fuel savings in partnership with Detroit-based GasBuddy. In 2014, it launched its VIP Club, and customers could use their phone number or reward number instead of swiping a card. It also featured foodservice tech that kept a customer’s previous 12 orders on file. Today, Rutter’s is partnered with Paytronix for its custom app and integrated rewards program.
Rutter’s was also a trailblazer with touch-free restrooms and made-on-site foodservice programs, to which it consistently adds limited-time menu items. Rutter’s leverages kiosks for self-ordering and offers online ordering and delivery.
“He was one of the pioneers on bringing customers from the pump to the store,” said Panter. “I think the omnichannel view of the customer and being able to touch them from a technology perspective, whether it was in their hand on a phone, at the pump with a screen or at the counter with an advanced customer ordering kiosk.”
As NACS chairman in 2006, Scott Hartman did a technology tour in Asia, where he got to see technology that was not yet in the market at places like Samsung, Panter said. One thing he saw was a smartphone before they were available in the U.S. He thought about how tech like this would impact the business. That’s how he was able to predict that cell phones would be integrated into consumers’ lives, connect to their cars, show them ads and even tell them gas prices, he said.
He also pushed other leaders in the c-store industry to adopt a technology plan.
“If you look where the industry is now compared to 20 years ago, when he started that preaching, it has come a long way,” said Panter. “Twenty years ago, there were zero standards. Now there are a ton of standards almost across the board for everything you can imagine. I don't think without Scott, you’d have that.”
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.