Their menu has changed over the years, but they still offer cottage cheese as a side.
Your grandmother bought windshield wipers there for her cherry-red Dodge Dart in 1972.
They’ve been unclogging your pipes since you bought your first home.
The area’s longtime businesses are scattered from one end of Snohomish County to the other.
For some, family ownership now extends into a second, third or fourth generation.
Other businesses have welcomed new owners, who recognized the strength of a company’s reputation and kept the name.
This month, The Herald Business Journal profiles a half-dozen longtime businesses: Greenshields Industrial Supply in Everett, 1953; Vintage Cafe in Everett, 1976; Work n’ More, with locations in Everett, Lynnwood and Arlington, 1976; Werner Paddles in Monroe, 1970; Day and Nite Plumbing, Lynnwood, 1954; and Edmonds Auto Parts and Marine Supply, 1972.
It’s admittedly a sample. There are scores more local businesses that have celebrated a 25th, 50th or 63rd anniversary.
Among the oldest: Bargreen’s Coffee Co. in Everett began delivering beans in a horse-drawn wagon in 1898. Macomber Farms in Granite Falls was founded 1906.
In fact, the county boasts more than three dozen of century-old farm operations.
- Related
This might be a ‘boring business,’ but it sure has longevityFeb 27, 2019
It’s as rare as a carburetor: an independent auto-parts storeFeb 28, 2019
Over the decades, these Lynnwood plumbers have seen it allMar 5, 2019
Werner Furrer needed a paddle, so he made one — then anotherMar 2, 2019
An Everett restaurant has defied the odds for 43 yearsMar 4, 2019
If you work outside, you likely know this longtime outfitterMar 1, 2019
Some of these legacy businesses were born in garages. Others were scraped together with help from a bank or family loan. Their founders added elbow grease and too many 12-hour days to get off the ground.
Less than 25 percent of U.S. companies are still in business after 20 years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Beyond a quarter-century, the percentage dips into the single digits, by some estimates.
And while they may have been around for ages, that doesn’t mean they’re not up-to-the minute. Greenshields Industrial Supply can help outfit your trenchless technology excavation business.
Many of Werner Paddles’ products are made from carbon fiber, the same material used by Boeing and other aerospace companies to create the newest generation of air frames and wings. The Vintage Cafe serves a mean Cosmopolitan. Work n’ More offers hard hats in traditional yellow and hot pink.
They’re out there, so stop in.
Janice Podsada; jpodsada@heraldnet.com; 425-339-3097; Twitter: JanicePods
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