United Retail Merchants, now called URM Stores, was founded in 1921 to supply independent grocery stores across the Northwest. After more than a century in business, URM has become one of the largest private companies in Washington.

The retailer-owned company has survived the Great Depression, a world war and hundreds of changes in the grocery business.

There are many landmarks in the century of URM:

1960: URM builds a 7-acre, $1.6 million warehouse on North Freya to supply member-owner stores across four states.

1968: URM becomes the distributor for Western Family Foods products, giving independent grocers access to a well-known regional brand.

1975: Major warehouse expansion and truck service facilities are added, which now maintains more than 60 trucks, plus trailers and related

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