WOODINVILLE- After 15 years in Seattle's Pike Place Market, Molbak's, one of the Northwest's leading nurseries and garden centers, has decided to sell its Seattle Garden Center location.

Cushman & Wakefield is the listing agent for the property.

In an effort to return the nursery to its roots, the focus will shift to the 10-acre nursery and retail store in Woodinville and nearby, the company-owned greenhouses where many of its plants are grown and acclimated for the Northwest climate.

“While we have truly enjoyed operating in the Market, we need to focus on serving customers at our Woodinville store. The sale will generate funds that will be used to retire debt and reinvest in the Woodinville store,” says owner Jens Molbak.

The decision to focus on a large, single location has led Molbak's' CEO, Kern Gillette, to announce that he will leave the company in mid-April. Gillette joined Molbak's two and a half years ago from Cinnabon, the 400-unit chain formerly based in Seattle. At the time, Molbak's was planning a multi-store roll-out strategy.

Upon Gillette's departure, Jens Molbak will assume the role of chairman and chief executive officer. Molbak also founded Bellevue-based Coinstar Inc. The $600 million dollar Nasdaq company operates kiosks that offer automated coin counting and other electronic services in grocery stores across the nation.

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