Chapter 2
A Dream Beckons

Before Harbor Foods was a company, it was a dream, one carried across oceans by a young Swedish immigrant named Carl V. Erickson. In the early 1900s, Carl left his home in Vallsta, Sweden, inspired by letters from his brother Anders describing the opportunities in Aberdeen, Washington. Like many immigrants of the time, Carl was drawn by the promise of the American Dream: a place where hard work and grit could build a better future.

Carl’s journey began in 1909, traveling by ship from Gothenburg to Liverpool, then by steamship to Ellis Island. After a brief stay in Minnesota, he made his way west to Aberdeen, where he worked various jobs from timber cutting to cooking in logging camps. Aberdeen, a bustling port town surrounded by forests and industry, became Carl’s new home.

In Aberdeen, Carl met Ethel Swanson, a fellow Swedish-American, and they married in 1922. A year later, Carl and his friend Eric Adolphson purchased a small wholesale business, naming it West Coast Produce Company. With just $600 each, they began distributing butter, eggs, and cheese to local grocers and logging camps. This modest operation laid the foundation for what would become Harbor Foods.

The Great Depression hit hard. Many customers defaulted on credit, and sales plummeted. But Carl’s frugality and resilience kept the business afloat. He trademarked the Wynooche brand for dairy products and involved his sons, Bob and Jim, in the business from a young age, teaching them the value of hard work and integrity.

Carl’s sons eventually joined the company full-time, bringing fresh ideas and expanding the product line. By the 1950s, West Coast Produce was thriving, and Carl had become sole owner. The business was renamed Harbor Wholesale Grocery, Inc., marking a new chapter in its evolution.