Company History
1950
Joe Greene is joined by his son-in-law Todd, and together they form the Greene-Todd Company. The new company specializes in supplying hotels and fine dining establishments with fine china, tableware, and holloware. They proudly offer brands like Homer Laughlin China, World Tableware, and Oneida.
1960
The company moves into a newly constructed facility at 407 Dexter North with 10,000 square feet of showroom, office, and warehouse space right down the street from KING TV. Flatware is stored in a basement vault, and the limited loading area is a challenge for trucks, but the company continues to grow and thrives in the new location.
1970
Greene-Todd is purchased and Smith & Greene Company is formed. The company works hard to grow locally and regionally, with customers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska. In the mid-70's, growing sales demanded additional space, and two new warehouses were added within a several mile radius of the main office. Will-call customers often chatted with their salesperson while their items were assembled from all three locations. First year sales for the newly formed company approached $1 million dollars.
1981
In July of this year, the company moved a short distance away to 1000 Fairview North, on the shores of Lake Union. Our new facility included over 20,000 square feet of showroom, offices, and warehouse, and allowed us more space to support a growing client base. The new location included an expanded inventory selection including a wide variety of kitchen equipment and tabletop items. Chefs and managers from downtown area restaurants often stopped by the store to pickup supplies and get advice from a veteran sales force.
1986
A new branch office, including showroom and warehouse space opens in Spokane, Washington to better serve Eastern Washington, Idaho, and Montana.
1990
The company moves to a new distribution facility in Kent, Washington, an industrial area just south of Seattle. Our corporate offices and distribution center still reside here, at 19015 66th Avenue South in Kent. The building includes over 50,000 square feet of warehouse, showroom, and office space. This new location also houses "Smitty's on the Greene" our virtual restaurant and design showcase where restaurateurs can come to view equipment samples, fixtures, and finishes in a restaurant setting. Annual sales in 1990 approached $10 million.
1997
As our customer base and geographic reach continue to grow, we open a location in Portland, Oregon marking our first expansion into another state. This new office continues to help serve the breadth of clients in Oregon, as well as the rapidly growing Vancouver, Washington area.
1999
Smith & Greene Company introduces a full CAD design department specializing in space planning, kitchen layout, and mechanical and electrical spot plans. Initial customers of this new department include rapidly expanding chain franchises, as well as a wide variety of local and regional restaurant and institutional customers.
2007
The company continues to grow and expand by adding a smallwares division to better serve our replenishment customers. We add a full complement of disposables, janitorial, and bar supplies to our already broad selection of over 4000 inventory items. Our customer base includes over 1000 active customers, doing business locally, regionally, nationally, and inter-nationally. Annual Sales top $45 million