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125 years in Everett: The Sievers family’s quiet commitment to their hometown

Published 6:00 am Monday, June 1, 2026

From a wood shingle company to real estate and storage operations, HOSCO spans four generations 

In 1901, Everett was a young mill town of barely 8,000 people. Timber drove the economy and the railroad represented the future. 

That same year, four Sievers brothers moved from Iowa to open The H.O. Seiffert Company, a wood shingle business on the land where they are still headquartered today.

125 years later, the company also known as HOSCO remains family-owned and operated, with leadership now in the hands of its fourth generation. 

“We are a company that happened to last a long time in one place, because we kept showing up for the same community,” says Joe Sievers, the company’s current President and fourth-generation family member.

From lumber on Hewitt to modern Everett

HOSCO’s evolution closely mirrors Everett’s own transformation. When lumber and fuel gave way to a new post-war economy, the second generation pivoted into retail called the Seiffert Center. 

When retail began to shift out of downtowns in the 1970s, the third generation, led by Ray Sievers, made a decisive move into commercial real estate – a transition that helped shape the company HOSCO is today. 

Its portfolio includes apartments in Stanwood, small office space in Seattle, other commercial real-estate investments and most importantly, Everett Downtown Storage, the largest locally owned self-storage operation in the city. 

Everett Downtown Storage: room to live 

Everett Downtown Storage is the face of HOSCO that most locals know best. With locations serving downtown Everett residents and small businesses, it’s become a quiet workhorse of the city by helping families through moves, helping small business owners store inventory, and helping longtime Everett residents hold onto what matters most. 

“Our slogan is ‘Giving you more room to live,’ and we mean it,” Sievers says. “Downtown is where we belong.”

Looking ahead

As Everett prepares for a new stadium, light rail, continued downtown investment and a growing population, HOSCO is planning its next chapter with the same long-term perspective that has guided the company since 1901. 

The Sievers family talks openly about “Generation Five” the children and grandchildren who may one day take their turn as stewards of the company.

“Our job is to hand this business to the next generation in better shape than we found it,” Sievers notes. “We have a long, proud history in Everett, and hope to create the future with ‘room to live’ over the next 125 years.” 

For more information, visit everettdowntownstorage.com or call 877-502-1214.