Lynne Fruth
President , Fruth Pharmacy
ARIANNA WHITEHAIR
“ I like to say that I didn ’ t choose my career , it chose me .”
Lynne Fruth , president and chairman of the board for Fruth Pharmacy — a regional chain of retail pharmacies — stepped up to the challenge of saving her family ’ s business with little experience and a lot of determination .
Fruth graduated from West Virginia University in 1980 with a bachelor ’ s degree in education and received her master ’ s in education from Marshall University in 1996 . Her degree , specialized to focus particularly on learning-disabled and low achieving students , showcases Fruth ’ s never-ending love of a good challenge and passion for helping others .
“ I grew up believing I could do anything , and to this day , I still believe that ,” Fruth says .
Fruth credits her parents , Jack and Frances Fruth , for playing a big part in shaping her ambition , drive for success and strong work ethic . From them , she learned the importance of not only striving for individual achievement , but the importance of being a team player .
“ In a time where parents seem to be promoting their own children and wanting them to receive all the credit and recognition , I am so thankful that my parents instilled the value of teamwork and everyone ’ s contribution ,” she says .
After her father ’ s passing in 2005 ,
Photo by . Photo by Ed Lowe .
Fruth Pharmacy was facing a crisis of leadership . Knowing the business would not survive if this continued , Fruth took a leap of faith and never looked back . Just nine months after beginning work as a full-time employee with the pharmacy , Fruth became president . “ I was the one who possessed the passion to carry on this family business ,” she says .
The road to success , however , was not without setbacks . “ I had to figure out how to cut costs , restructure our debt and improve operations ,” says Fruth .
When panic struck in 2009 after the pharmacy ’ s New York-based bank went dark , leaving Fruth without any operational cash , her tenacity was put to the ultimate test . “ To make payroll , Fruth Pharmacy needed $ 3 million in three days ,” she recalls .
After making some tough decisions and utilizing her fine-tuned leadership skills to push her team in the right direction , Fruth came out of this nearly devastating setback stronger and more united than before . “ From this experience , I learned to never give up ,” she says .
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 , Fruth Pharmacy was ready to do what it does best — serve its community . “ When the pandemic began , I told our pharmacists that the work they would do during the pandemic would be the most impactful work of their
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