< PreviousByron’s sons, Paul and Rick, joined the family business in the 1970s, and the third generation of family members, David and Eric, are currently at the helm of operations as president and executive vice president. Bargreen Ellingson was founded in 1960 as a partnership between the Bargreen and Ellingson families. The Bargreens had built a name in the northwestern U.S. and saw the advan-tage of joining forces with Byron Ellingson who dominated the Tacoma market. By the 1980s, the Bargreen family relinquished their interest in the company, and the Ellingsons were free to advance the company as they wished.While, at the outset, the goal was to sell beer, coffee and the glasses and mugs in which these were served, there was a desire to be more to its customers, and that is when Bargreen Ellingson expanded to provide more complete hos-pitality solutions.“We wanted to sell the bars that they built, so we got into the construction side of the business. We purchased a millwork company because everybody was building bars back in the day, and they were building them all out of wood. We also got into the stainless side of the business because we wanted to scale the hospitality offering we had,” Ellingson said. From left to right:Eric Ellingson, David Ellingson, Arnie Schatz, Michelle Friedman, Paul Ellingson FEBRUARY 201820 One only needs to look at the company’s history to see the staggering expansion that has taken place under the second and third generation of Ellingson family members. Every year, the company has grown in size, sales and employees. Today, it has more than six hundred employees and has $250 million in annual revenue.Bargreen Ellingson continues to modernize and plan for the future. It has expanded its social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, where it showcases recipes and its high-ly-anticipated ambassador program.“We have an ambassador program where we partnered with seven chefs in seven cities: Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Denver, Boise, Turtle Bay, Oahu and Vancouver, B.C. And we have really focused on sending those customers new, creative, inventive ideas and have them share what they are doing with the equip-ment and technology,” noted Ellingson. Bargreen Ellingson recently added Corporate Chef Nick to the team, since his expertise complements its existing offerings. For those who wish to test equipment before purchase or require a forum in which to teach or learn, its fully-equipped test kitchen facilities are a great asset. A videographer was also added to the team to create videos meant to inspire and engage its cus-tomers on a larger scale. Behind the growth of Bargreen Ellingson is the culture which is defined by its values which inform the processes across its operations. “We’ve been culture-driven since before it was the cool thing to do,” Ellingson stated.“If you have a culture that believes in investment in people and processes, good judgment, pursuing change, hiring smart, making sure you bring in the best people you possibly can for the job that you have, we believe that it is more about finding the right people that have the right cultural elements, and then we’ll find the seat on the bus for them,” said Elling-son. “It’s on us to make them successful.” The culture at Bargreen Ellingson is rein-forced by its employee-driven initiatives such as the Copper Pot Award and the Copper Pot Fund. The Copper Pot Award is for the branch of the year, and with twenty branches, it proves to be highly-contested. The Copper Pot fund is not competitive, but rather an employee assistance fund. “We started the Copper Pot Fund about a month ago. What is does is immortal-FEBRUARY 201822 izes what our employees and what our culture has been doing for a long time. Whenever one of our employees encounters a pothole or some kind of hiccup in life, be that a medical issue, a housing issue, a family issue, we take pride in stepping up and helping our employees out,” said Ellingson. For all these reasons, Bargreen Ellingson has received Foodser-vice Equipment and Supplies magazine’s dealer of the year rec-ognition twice, in 1991 and again in 2008, the first company to have received the honor more than once. With capacity to support additional growth, the future of the company is boundless. Ellingson sees potential in several markets, chiefly regional chains in the food service industry, as well as assisted living and property developments and notes that demographic trends will require greater resources in this area. “Property managers don’t care about hospitality, but if you look at what’s happening to retail in general, it’s less and less about the garment industry and its more and more about food service, coffee shops and fast casual restaurants. And there are a lot of developments happening around the Seattle area and the country at large that are being driven less by restaurateurs and more by property developers,” Ellingson explained. “Our big goals are to focus more on the bid division and get more aggressive at educating those property developers about what it means to have a partner that is invested in the long-term success of those operations.” Acknowledging that people will always need something and somewhere to eat, Ellingson sees no reason for Bargreen Elling-son’s growth to waver. The plan is to continue to add locations to provide new opportunities to serve generations to come.“Our goal is always to be the dominant regional player, wherever we do business, and that takes a ton of investment. It takes investment in inventory; it takes investment in training and in people and again a culture, because people want to work at a place where they feel valued,” said Ellingson. “We have really focused on sending those customers new, creative, inventive ideas and have them share what they are doing with the equipment and technology.” For most Americans, coffee is a big deal. The delicious dark brew ushers in new mornings, punctuates well-deserved breaks and fuels our productivity in a very real way. As a result, navigating the modern maze of choice is a mission, even for aficionados. Unless you’ve discovered Seattle Coffee Gear, that is. Seattle Coffee Gear ships your favorite coffee and all its paraphernalia across the U.S. in only one to two days. Based in Seattle, as its name suggests, this wunder-kind is no newbie to getting you exactly the cuppa you love with the least hassle possible. It is powered by an eclectic group of creatives as zany as any double espresso, and they’re rocking the American coffee scene.The company was the brain child of co-owner and CEO, Victor Gehlen, who left a success-ful corporate job in 2005 to pursue his love of the magic bean. After months of hard work, he launched the online shop in 2006. Although he sees this step as entrepreneurial rather than brave, one can’t help but admire this giant leap of faith into the great unknown. After a few months in business, Victor realized that the business needed new direction; his mother-in-law, Gail, was the perfect candidate. With her small-business expertise, she proved to be invaluable and established the business’ roots firmly to suit its new-found market. She also features in the company’s YouTube videos. With her practical approach, Gail helped Victor to look at his products like potential clients would. The duo exhibits and tests every single machine they offer for purchase in their retail Written by Pauline Müller 25 BUSINESS IN FOCUS stores. “Most machines are manufactured in Italy, some in Aus-tralia and a few come from other parts of the world,” says Victor.It took about three years for the business to really take off, but once the team started offering more information to clients and opened the first retail store, they were well on our way to where they are today. Throngs of local customers started calling in once the team enabled physical access to their products. The first Seattle Coffee Gear store helped to bridge the informa-tion gap that existed and so did the 2000-plus YouTube videos the company created to inform customers on each product. The videos give customers the opportunity to have immedi-ate access to tutorials on all the machines in the comfort of their homes and businesses. Seattle Coffee Gear investigates beyond manufacturers’ glamour and shows customers the pros and cons of each machine, leaving them more confident about their purchase and able to make an informed decision. Extra Focus SCG Ad.qxp_Layout 1 11/9/17 4:38 PM Page 1Whether or not you buy a machine from Seattle Coffee Gear, its well-trained staff can help you make the coffee you love. The company offers a vast array of top-quality brewing equipment, beans and loads of free advice. Its passionate baristas love initi-ating novices and guiding people to brewing their own perfect coffee. There are many ways to create a really decent brew and you don’t necessarily need a big, fancy machine; it could be as simple as picking up a pour-over or learning how to choose your beans differently. “It really is quite simple to do at home once you know how,” shares Victor.While Seattle Coffee Gear’s main focus is the home coffee enthusiast, about a quarter of its market comprises cafés and bakeries. The team helps small business owners get their foot in the proverbial door of the start-up market. It supports them in buying commercial equipment as well as assists in setting up the entire coffee service, which includes guidance on good menu choices. Indeed, the company has an entire product department that tests new products year-round, and the team chooses every new product meticulously. It must work and last really well; it must be unique; and of course, it must result in a really awesome cup of coffee. The team sources beans from the very best roasters across the country. “Most of our beans come from tropical growing regions of South America and Africa,” explains Victor. “We primarily work with big roasters like Stumptown, “The company offers a vast array of top-quality brewing equipment, beans and loads of free advice.”FEBRUARY 201826 Extra Focus SCG Ad.qxp_Layout 1 11/9/17 4:38 PM Page 1Intelligentsia, Olympia and others who do the selection of beans elsewhere, then return to roast and blend it to suit its flavor profile. This allows us to offer a large, good quality selec-tion to satisfy the American palette.” Seattle Coffee Gear especially prides itself on its lightning-speed shipping capability. It ships nationwide in record time, which means no matter where you live, you can have the best beans and everything you need to brew them in no time at all. In fact, the company has a brand new warehouse, complete with all the necessary software and staff to ensure same-day shipping on all orders placed by 4pm, arriving within one to two days.When asked what drives his love of coffee, Victor recalls the old-fashioned coffees of his childhood in Montana. “I couldn’t believe what people were paying for really decent coffee when I came to Seattle,” he says. He embarked on a journey of con-tinuous improvement, perfecting his favorite beverage, and thanks to his innate curiosity, coffee in Seattle will never quite be the same again. A visit to any Seattle Coffee Gear store stands testament to that fact. The experience is one of holistic enjoyment where all the senses are engaged, with shiny modern design, earthy fragrances, and rich tastes and textures. Forty different coffees are set up each in their own grinder. Customers select three beans to grind for a micro pour-over, so they can taste each bean prior to purchase.Here, fresh-roasted beans simply don’t get any fresher. Monday is roasting day, and the beans arrive in the Seattle and Indiana warehouses by Thursday. Seattle Coffee Gear can have those same fresh-roasted beans in your coffee machine by as early as Saturday. And remember, if you’re not sure how to use your machine, Gail is personally waiting on YouTube to give you an easy instructional for your machine.A few good questions to consider when choosing a good machine include whether you prefer a more traditional machine, whether you fancy yourself as a bit of a barista, or whether you just want to press a button. Interactive tastings take the edge off navigating the specs while exploring the novelty of it all with the help of an expert right next to you. To prevent the decision-making process from becoming an arduous task, Seattle Coffee Gear retail stores focus on grouping different types of machine into sections, where customers can try them out. One of its outlets even offers barista training for customers who purchase equipment.When it comes to making the magic happen, the company’s team of go-getters create a robust work environment. “Brilliant people don’t try to sit back and be nice and never stir the pot. Create perfect espressos, cappuccinos, and more from fresh ground beansTHE LARGEST VARIETY FROM A COMPACT MACHINERev_SaecoAd_210x145mm.pdf 1 11/17/17 6:29 PM“Forty different coffees are set up each in their own grinder. Customers select three beans to grind for a micro pour-over, so they can taste each bean prior to purchase.”Create perfect espressos, cappuccinos, and more from fresh ground beansTHE LARGEST VARIETY FROM A COMPACT MACHINERev_SaecoAd_210x145mm.pdf 1 11/17/17 6:29 PMThey want things to happen, and they want to create results. We cherish and enjoy that,” says Victor. He believes wholeheartedly in the brilliance and creativity of his team. “We may be small, but we can do anything bigger companies can. Therefore, Amazon’s not going to win, we’re going to win,” he adds. No wonder the company has made the Inc. 1000 list five years in a row.Customers can rest assured that Seattle Coffee Gear’s creativity reaches all the way to its responsibility to the planet. There’s no such thing as shipping with Styrofoam peanuts for these guys, that’s for sure. Instead, the business employs cornstarch packing peanuts and paper. “We always try to choose what is better for the environment. The higher cost is worth it in the long run,” Victor assures.The highlight of its environmental stewardship is that Seattle Coffee Gear is a certified refurbisher for Philips, whose Saeco kitchen appliance line is shipped here from across the U.S. for refurbishment. The company refreshes 30,000 units annually and the number is growing. Its technicians also refurbish many of its coffee machines, preventing tons of waste material from ending in landfill. Whatever can’t be refurbished is disassem-bled for parts, while the company also recycles sundry plastics and metals. The company’s yield rate on machines that go back into use is a whopping 90 percent, making this its fastest-grow-ing department.As for Victor, his management style is a positive one. He believes that one can always do better and demands this from his team. He also believes in creative managers who inspire people. He believes in being unique, and that listen-ing, good communication, and allowing room for every-body’s quirks is essential. “In Seattle, most people don’t work for money, so you have to ensure that they want to work at the company. Let people do big things and give them a reason to get up every day. A positive work environment is paramount,” he says.The best part of Victor’s visions is that the rest of the Seattle Coffee Gear crew shares his ambitions for growth. The company eventually wants to expand its store footprint from three to 30, and also has its own delicious product line brewing. With so much passion and creativity under the hood, who wouldn’t want to wake up and smell the coffee every day?“We may be small, but we can do anything bigger companies can.”29 BUSINESS IN FOCUS Next >