Retailer, leader and entrepreneur are all words used to describe Joe Scarlett. Motivator, communicator, inspirer and, now, hall of famer round out the resume of one of the city’s most influential business professionals.

Scarlett, retired CEO of Tractor Supply Company and the Founder of the Scarlett Leadership Institute of Belmont University, was inducted as the 2009 laureate of the Nashville Business Hall of Fame, hosted annually by Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee to recognize city’s outstanding contributors to business and philanthropy. Nearly 300 guests joined the celebration, held Oct. 27 at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel and sponsored by Tractor Supply Company and Mars Petcare US.

“I am usually standing on the stage giving recognition for someone else’s good works,” Scarlett said during his acceptance speech. He added that he was “thrilled to be chosen” by JA to be this year’s Nashville Business Hall of Fame inductee.

JA Board Chair Dave Olender, who serves as vice president of strategic alliances for Gaylord Entertainment Company, opened the evening with a welcome to the friends, family, colleagues and supporters of Scarlett who were in attendance.

Harry Chapman, renowned for his long-running career on NewsChannel 5, served as the event emcee. Chapman now works as director of development and major gifts at Belmont University, where he and Scarlett have developed a friendship.

            The program featured stories about Scarlett and lessons he has taught (called “Joe-isms” by those who work closest to him) from his former colleagues and students. Mars Petcare US Director of Marketing John Anton and Curbs Records Director of A & R John Ozier, alumni of the Scarlett Leadership Institute, spoke of the valuable education they received from Scarlett and the program.

            Ozier, who claimed to be as much as 30 years younger that his SLI classmates, told of how Scarlett helped him to feel confident in the program regardless of his age. “He told me, ‘John, you deserve to be here.’ I have grown as a leader because of this program,” he said.

Jim Wright, current chairman and CEO of Tractor Supply Company said, “For the years that Joe served Tractor Supply he spoke of our Values and our Mission at virtually every meeting. He held the organization to the spirit and letter of our Values.” Values, he added, which align with JA’s belief in collaboration, passion, conviction and commitment to entrepreneurial education.

Scarlett’s children, Tara Scarlett and Andrew Scarlett, both students in the SLI program, spoke of the priceless lessons in business, ethics and responsibility they learned from the man who served as mentor, role model and father.  

The event served as more than just a tribute to Joe Scarlett. The Nashville Business Hall of Fame dinner raised funds and awareness for JA, to provide entrepreneurship and financial literacy programming to Middle Tennessee students.

“Joe is passionate about business ethics and the principles of a strong free-enterprise system. These are the very things JA stands to teach our kids, so it only made sense to include Joe in our Nashville Business Hall of Fame,” said JA President Trent Klingensmith.

He added that the event garnered enough funding to provide JA programs to 2,500 students this year. The organization plans to reach 30,000 by the end of the 2009-2010 school year.