Steele made his mark at Niwot Market

Editor’s note: BizWest is profiling inductees into the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

NIWOT — The late Robert Merrill “Bert” Steele is among nine individuals to be inducted into the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame.

The hall’s Class of 2025 will be honored Wednesday, Sept. 17 at the Jewish Community Center, 6007 Oleg Ave. in Boulder. Other inductees include Ron Brambila, Kena Guttridge and Mark Guttridge, Josie Heath and Rollie Heath, Dee Perry, and Art Stapp and Debbi Stapp.

Under Steele’s stewardship, the Niwot Market he founded in 2002 became more than a grocery store — it became a meeting place, a lifeline for local farmers and a place for small businesses to colocate and grow. He championed local agriculture, provided high school students with their first job opportunities and gave tirelessly to many community events.

Steele, who died Aug. 7, 2023 at age 72, originally started in the grocery business in 1978 by taking over Steele’s Market in Fort Collins, which his father, Merrill Seth Steele, founded in 1942.

Bert Steele’s daughter Alison and his son Seth now co-own the store, with Alison managing the store and Seth managing the delicatessen.

Steele’s love of sports dated back to his time as a wrestler at Fort Collins High School, and a wrestling scholarship at Niwot High School was established in his memory.

Visitors to Niwot Market see a bench dedicated to Steele, which features the tailgate from a red Chevrolet pickup truck. Steele was known for driving a classic red Chevy pickup in parades in Niwot as well as the car shows he sponsored on summer Friday nights.

Tickets for the induction ceremony are available at halloffamebiz.com.

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