EVERETT — Whistle Workwear started 20 years ago in Puyallup, but one of its busiest stores has always been the location in Everett.
That’s why the business moved into a new location at 10203 Evergreen Way, filling the storefront once occuped by Pacific Fabrics. At 18,800 square feet, the new store is more than three times the size of the former site just a short distance away in the same shopping center.
“This has always been one of our highest volume locations,” Scot Deide, Whistle Workwear’s co-owner. “We found we needed more room to cater our local customers.”
The chain has eight stores from Bellingham to Olympia that specialize in work boots, rain gear, safety and work apparel. It was started in 1995 by Del Deide, Scot’s father who remains a co-owner.
With the expansion, the Everett store will now employs 18 full- and part-time workers up from 14. And the store is looking to add a few more employees.
The inventory at the new store has also been expanded. The Everett store will carry a selection of Western wear for men and women, new workwear from Timberland Pro, a new section devoted to women and scrubs and expanded safety gear and Dickies workwear. The store also expanded the offering of footwear to almost 300 different styles of shoes and boots.
“If you’re an outdoor person, there’s a lot of crossover type gear and lifetstyle clothing as well,” Scot Deide said.
One of the things that the business brought with it during the move is its personality. The store has added a Model A with the extra space.
The store kept falling-through-the-ceiling Joe, the legs of a mannequin wearing jeans and boots that looks like a worker dropped from the roof.
And Stanley the Bear came along with the move and is situated near the entrance.
“I can’t tell you how many times people have taken their pictures with Stanley,” store manager Russ Weaver said. “I can’t count that high.”
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