Press release from Better Business Bureau:
Thomas (Tom) Bartholomy has announced that he will be retiring as President/CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving the Southern Piedmont and Western North Carolina on January 31, 2024. The BBB, with offices in Charlotte and Asheville, has been led by Bartholomy for 22 years. Bartholomy began his 41-year BBB career in his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1982.
In 2000, the year prior to Bartholomy joining the BBB in the Carolinas, the local BBB had 76,000 people check on a company before doing business with them and 2,800 consumers filed complaints. In 2022, more than two million people checked on a company through BBB.org and 24,000 filed a complaint. Of those people filing complaints, 93% found a successful resolution to their problem via the BBB’s process. More than 22,000 local people also posted a customer review about their experience with a business in 2022, a service that was not offered until more recently.
Additionally, the BBB is supported by local, ethical businesses that become Accredited once they meet BBB standards for marketplace conduct. In 2000, the BBB had 1,593 accredited businesses, and now the BBB has more than 6,600 Accredited Businesses. An increase of 314%.
In 2016, Bartholomy coordinated a successful merger of the BBB’s in Charlotte and Asheville. In 2022, the Asheville market was serving double the amount of businesses and consumers than it had been prior to the merger.
Best known in the 37 counties of North and South Carolina covered by his offices, Bartholomy has been regularly seen talking about the latest scam alerts to both print and broadcast stations. These efforts have not only brought the BBB into the homes of many, but it has allowed him to spearhead the BBB’s mission to create an ethical marketplace by arming consumers with information they need to protect themselves from becoming victimized by scammers.
Bartholomy has also been active in the local community by serving as president of the Rotary Club of Charlotte. During his year as president, the Rotary Club embarked on a successful effort to conduct 100 community service projects to celebrate the Club’s 100th Anniversary.
When asked what he believes contributed most to the success of the local offices, Bartholomy said, “We have an awesome staff that is dedicated to our mission and we get to work for an amazing Board of Directors.”
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