Founder Profile
Don Rowlett
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Don Rowlett?
Don Rowlett is a founder of Ross Stores, Inc., which was founded in 1982 with Morris Ross, Bill Isackson and Stuart Moldaw.
- Company founded
- Ross Stores, Inc.
- Founded
- 1982
- Co-founders
- Morris Ross, Bill Isackson and Stuart Moldaw
Background
Apparel and off-price merchandising executive.
Founding Story
Don Rowlett was the retail operator in the 1982 investor group that bought the Ross chain. He is credited with shaping the early off-price merchandising approach: buying branded goods opportunistically and selling them well below department store prices in low-cost stores. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Sources
This profile does not yet cite a source specific to Don Rowlett. The sources below document the company company rather than the person, so check them against the claims above.
- Ross Stores 2025 Form 10-K (Ross Stores, Inc.)
- Ross FY2025 results release (Ross Stores, Inc.)