Ben Bridge established in 1912 with a commitment to you and beautiful jewelry. Each year company contributes over $600,000 to non-profit ventures in and around the communities that do business because they care about people and the communities in which people live and work. Ben Bridge also cares deeply about the merchandise they carry and the reputable practices of the industry in which they do business.
Over ninety years ago, Samuel Silverman, fine guild watchmaker, opened a store in downtown Seattle. After marriage to Silverman’s daughter Sally in 1922, Ben Bridge joined the firm as a partner. When his father-in-law moved to California in 1927, Ben purchased Sam’s interest and renamed the store Ben Bridge Jeweler. Under the leadership of Ben’s sons; Herb and Bob, the company opened a second store in the early fifties, and in 1968, Ben Bridge Jeweler expanded into Seattle’s Southcenter Mall, opening the first of its mall stores. The late seventies and early eighties showed tremendous growth for the company.
The Washington market expanded to include nine stores, and in 1980 the company opened its first out-of-state store in Portland, Oregon. The 1982 calendar marked the entry of Ben Bridge Jeweler into the vast California market with the opening of the Hillsdale store in San Mateo. The remainder of the 80’s and 90s reflected a steady, planned growth with an average of 3-4 stores per year opening in such diverse markets as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Honolulu, Anchorage, Las Vegas, Dallas, Houston, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Tucson, Spokane, and Denver.
Today, the company is managed by Ben’s grandsons, Ed (President and Co-CEO) and Jon (Co-CEO and General Counsel) together with Co-Chairmen Herb and Bob Bridge (Ben’s sons). They assisted by a team of corporate officers including Mary Todd-McGinnis, Cathy Hall, Peter Ludlow, Steve Wilson, Jerry Gronfein, and Shari Schindler. Three members of the fifth generation, Rebecca, Marc, and Lisa Bridge (Ben’s great-grandchildren) currently work in the business.
