Editor’s note: MyEverettNews.com is working to introduce our readers to more independent business owners here in Everett, Washington. We want to highlight their businesses, tell their stories and invite you to shop locally and help move Everett, Washington forward. If you know of a business we should feature, send us a suggestion via email: news@myeverettnews.com. Leland Dart – Publisher
Clay Erickson is the 4th generation owner of Erickson Furniture.
The store carries name brands and is the oldest Lazy-Boy dealer west of the Mississippi.
Erickson Furniture has an amazing selection including the largest selection of recliners in Snohomish County.
“I’m an Everett guy,” Clay Erickson said with a smile. “I started sweeping the floors here when I was ten years old, went to Everett High School and then WSU, coming back here after graduation in 1991.”
Clay’s Great-Grandfather August Erickson opened the first store in Everett in 1912. As the family grew so did the family furniture business with the name becoming Erickson Brothers Furniture. At one time there were stores in Stanwood and Mount Vernon in addition to Everett. Also at one point there were three locations in Everett (a main store and two smaller locations).
“I’ll always remember the date, April 15th, 1980,” Clay said. “That’s when a fire burned the main store to the ground.”
Inventory was moved to the other two locations but in 1985 Erickson Brothers Furniture decided to close operations. But that’s not the end of the story.
“My Dad (Jim Erickson) purchased the Old Prairie Market at 2015 Broadway and opened Erickson Furniture,” Clay told me. “My older Brother Mark and I went to work with him and built that business to what you see today.”
Mark retired in 2007 but his son Chad is working on the sales floor marking the 5th generation of Ericksons to make their mark selling furniture in Everett, Washington.
I asked Clay what he wanted people in Everett who haven’t visited the store to know.
“We have the largest collection of recliners and reclining products in Snohomish County, we’re the oldest Lazy-Boy dealer west of the Mississippi and we’re a full line furniture store,” he explained. “That means we also have lamps, pictures, floral displays and more and can literally furnish every room in your home, plus we offer hundreds of choices in custom orders for fabrics, materials and finishes.”
He says their furniture ranges from middle prices to the lower upper end and seventy-five to eighty percent of their inventory is made in north America. They also handle all deliveries locally with their own employees and not contractors.
“Our general manager has been here thirty-four years, multiple sales people have been here more than twenty years and we pride ourselves on product education,” Clay said. “Knowledge of products is essential. We know furniture is not a cheap investment and we can tell a person buying a dresser why a certain glide is better than another. We help people make an informed decision and actually fit people to chairs and sofas to make sure they’re going to be comfortable in that furniture for years.”
The Erickson family have been in the furniture business for generations but multi-generational families have also been shopping at Erickson Furniture. “We have Grandma, Mom and daughter come in together to shop for furniture as their families grow,” Clay said.
Everett, Washington is extremely important to Erickson Furniture who supports Everett events and causes. Clay spoke of various fund raisers over the years for the Everett branch of the Boys and Girls club as well as long-time sponsorship of the Everett Aquasox, Everett Silvertips and numerous non-profits here in Everett.
This weekend Erickson is marking their 111th Anniversary. The store is located at the corner of 20th and Broadway. They’re open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM and Sunday 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM. You can find out more online at their website. The phone number is (425) 259-3876.
September 30, 2023
Everett, Meet the Owner