
Swansons Nursery announced on Aug. 30 a new employee ownership group. As Swansons approaches its 95th year in business, three longtime employees have stepped forward to purchase the Seattle, Wash.-based garden center. Swansons’ new ownership group includes Brian Damron, president; Leslie Bruckner, general manager; and Gabriel Maki, nursery buyer. Together, Damron, Bruckner and Maki have worked at Swansons for a combined 42 years.
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“We at Swansons are proud to have been a part of the history of Seattle, growing as the city continues to grow around us, and we are honored to continue serving our community as we move forward,” Damron says. “We’re so grateful for our customers and their many years of loyal patronage, and we looking forward to seeing them at Swansons in the near future.”
Known for its quality and service, inviting shopping experience and gardening expertise, Swansons will continue to have an unwavering commitment to its customers and community, with the continued mission to be a partner to its neighbors – in Ballard and beyond – as they make their environments more beautiful, the company said.
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Photo courtesy of Swansons Nursery. From left: Gabriel Maki, Leslie Bruckner and Brian Damron.
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