About Natural Foods Center

Our story

Natural Foods Center was founded in 2002 by Lowell and Kathy Zenk. They built the business around a simple idea: that the Pacific Northwest’s natural-food brands and independent grocers deserved a distribution partner who took their work seriously, and that growers, producers, and emerging brands could trust to handle their goods with care.

In 2021, the Zenks retired and sold the business to Guy Hardin. Guy came to natural foods the long way around — 33 years in commercial construction, with work on Seattle-area high rises, Microsoft campus buildings, the Mariners’ stadium, and the KeyArena rebuild. He wasn’t looking for a quiet retirement. He was looking for a hands-on business connected to Pacific Northwest farmers, brands, and the people who eat the food. The disciplines that put up a high rise — careful planning, the right people, attention to the small details — turned out to fit logistics and distribution just fine.

The mission stayed the same: quality natural foods, moved with care to independent grocers, brand partners, and fulfillment clients across Washington and the Pacific Northwest.

What we do today

We warehouse and distribute natural, organic, specialty, and gluten-free foods. We deliver direct to independent grocers along the I-5 corridor. We partner with Pacific Northwest brands to move their products to retail shelves. And we operate as a 3PL — handling Amazon FBA prep, DTC fulfillment, and LTL shipping for emerging CPG companies. All from our Mukilteo business office and Granite Falls warehouse.

Our commitment

Two decades of relationships with Pacific Northwest brands and retailers don’t happen by accident. We treat every shipment, every brand partner, and every store relationship the way we’d want ours to be treated — with attention, with care, and with the understanding that small things done well are what build a business that lasts.