W. Howard Lester | Led Williams-Sonoma, 75

W. Howard Lester, 75, chairman emeritus of the gourmet-cookware retailer Williams-Sonoma Inc., died Monday from cancer at his home in Indian Wells, Calif.

Mr. Lester, who worked at San Francisco-based Williams-Sonoma for 32 years, purchased the company with a partner in 1978, when it was generating $4 million in annual sales and had four stores.

During his time as chief executive officer, from 1978 to 2001, and later as chairman, Mr. Lester took Williams-Sonoma public and expanded it to 600 stores and more than $3.4 billion in sales, the company said in a statement.

He took the CEO reins again in 2006 after the company cut its sales forecast because of weaker growth at its Pottery Barn chain. By the time he retired in May, the company had pulled out of the recession and posted a 17 percent increase in sales for the first quarter.

- Bloomberg News