History of H-E-B in Timeline

H-E-B is a privately held supermarket chain headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with over 435 stores in Texas and Mexico. It also operates Central Market, a high-end grocery chain. H-E-B is one of the largest private companies in the U.S., ranking 6th on Forbes' 2022 list and boasting a 2022 revenue of $38.9 billion. Recognized for its customer experience, it ranked 3rd in Forbes' 2024 'Customer Experience All-Stars'. Progressive Grocer named H-E-B Retailer of the Year in 2010. H-E-B donates 5% of pretax profits to charity and has an official mascot named H-E-Buddy.

November 26, 1905: Founding of C.C. Butt Grocery Store

On November 26, 1905, Florence Butt founded the C.C. Butt Grocery Store in Kerrville, Texas.

1919: Howard Butt Takes Over the Store

In 1919, Howard Edward Butt, Florence's youngest son, took over the family store after returning from World War I.

1927: Second Successful Store Launch

In 1927, Howard Butt launched a successful second store in Del Rio, Texas, followed by the purchase of three grocery stores in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

1971: Charles Butt Becomes President

In 1971, Charles, Howard E. Butt's younger son, became president of H-E-B.

1994: Introduction of Central Market Concept

In 1994, H-E-B introduced its Central Market concept in Austin, offering organic and international food selections.

1996: First Store Outside of Texas

In 1996, H-E-B opened its first store outside of Texas, a 24,000-square-foot H-E-B Pantry store in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

1997: First Mexican Store Opening

H-E-B opened its first Mexican store in Monterrey in 1997.

1998: Settlement with Centeno

H-E-B settled a lawsuit out of court with Centeno in 1998 for $6.5 million over unfair pricing practices.

2000: Discontinuation of H-E-B Pantry Store Format

In 2000, the H-E-B Pantry store format was discontinued.

2000: Excellence in Education Awards

Since 2000, the Excellence in Education Awards is an annual charitable program maintained by H-E-B to recognize teachers, administrators, and schools in Texas.

2003: Closure of Louisiana Store

In 2003, H-E-B closed its sole Louisiana store.

2004: Launch of H-E-B Plus! Stores

In 2004, H-E-B launched three H-E-B Plus! stores in Austin, Corpus Christi, and Waco, expanding into nonfood categories.

2005: Additional H-E-B Plus! Locations

In 2005, H-E-B added three additional H-E-B Plus! locations in Corpus Christi, Round Rock, and San Antonio.

2006: Annual Sales Reached $13 Billion

By 2006, Charles Butt had grown H-E-B's business from annual sales of $250 million in 1971 to $13 billion.

2006: Opening of First Mi Tienda

In 2006, H-E-B opened Mi Tienda in South Houston, a Latino-themed store.

2006: Medicaid Fraud Lawsuit

Since at least 2006, according to the lawsuit, H-E-B allegedly submitted to Texas Medicaid inflated prices on thousands of claims for prescriptions it filled so the company could obtain higher reimbursements than allowed.

October 17, 2008: Opening of Alon Market

H-E-B's Alon Market opened in San Antonio on October 17, 2008.

2009: Awards Contributions

In 2009, the Excellence in Education Awards totaled $500,000 in contributions.

2010: Craig Boyan Named President and COO

In 2010, Craig Boyan was named H-E-B's president and COO.

2010: Expansion Plans and Store Designs

In 2010, H-E-B announced plans to build 19 new stores in Texas and offered consumers the opportunity to vote on possible designs for new stores.

2010: Opening of Joe V's Smart Shop

In 2010, H-E-B opened 'Joe V's Smart Shop', a low-cost grocery chain.

2010: Retailer of the Year

In 2010, H-E-B was named Retailer of the Year by Progressive Grocer.

2011: Opening of Second Mi Tienda

In 2011, H-E-B opened a second, larger Mi Tienda location in north Houston.

2011: Forbes Ranking

In 2011, H-E-B was #12 on Forbes's list of "America's Largest Private Companies".

2012: $1 Billion Annual Sales in Mexico

In 2012, H-E-B crossed the $1 billion annual sales mark in Mexico.

July 2015: Expansion of Market Concept

In July 2015, the Market concept was expanded with the opening of a new Spring Creek Market in Spring, Texas.

2017: Largest Private-Sector Employer

In 2017, the Austin Business Journal rated H-E-B as the largest private-sector employer in the region.

2017: Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, H-E-B donated $100,000 toward relief efforts. Its campaign drive for customer contributions totaled $1,000,000. H-E-B's Mobile Kitchen and Disaster Relief Units distributed 10,000 hot meals to volunteers and victims in the affected areas in Texas.

February 2018: Acquisition of Favor Delivery

In February 2018, H-E-B acquired Favor Delivery as a wholly-owned subsidiary, with the merger details not disclosed.

2018: Martin Otto Becomes COO

By 2018, Martin Otto, formerly the CFO and chief merchant, had become the COO of H-E-B.

2019: Charles Butt's Role

As of 2019, Charles Butt is chairman and CEO of H-E-B.

2019: Top Retailer Ranking

Based on 2019 revenues, H-E-B is the 19th-largest retailer in the United States.

2019: Technology Center Announced

In 2019, H-E-B announced plans to build a technology center at its headquarters.

2019: Investment in Self-Checkout Technology

In 2019, H-E-B invested millions of dollars to replace cashier stations with self-checkout kiosks or smartphone apps, following the trend towards self-checkout technology.

May 24, 2022: Donation After Robb Elementary School Shooting

After the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022, H-E-B and the Butt family donated $10 million toward building a new school.