Bartell family honored with 2016 'Washington Family Business Award Legacy' award

SEATTLE — The Bartell family, owners of the Washington chain of Bartell Drugs stores, won the Seattle Business Magazine “2016 Washington Family Business Award for Legacy” presented at a special event held Wednesday night at the Westin Hotel.

The Bartell family was in the running with a number of multi-generational, distinguished family business enterprises nominated from all over the state. Eleven other family enterprises (averaging over 77 years of continuous family ownership each) from across the state were also in contention for the award.

Bartell Drugs has been continuously owned by the Bartell family since its origin in Seattle’s Central District. Pioneer George H. Bartell, Sr., opened his first drugstore in 1890, nine years before Washington became a state. Since then, the family has grown it into the oldest and largest family-owned drugstore in the United States, currently with 65 locations in western Washington.

The chain continues to grow with two additional stores set to open in 2017 in Seattle’s Greenlake neighborhood and one on the Eastside’s Snoqualmie Ridge, always focusing on convenience, service and local flavor.

The third and fourth generations of the Bartell family was on-hand for the presentation event, including George D. Bartell, chairman of the Bartell Drugs’ Board; Jean Bartell Barber, sister of George and vice chair of the Board; and Evelyn Merrill, senior manager, digital, for the company.