In 1987, the upstart Costco company relocated its corporate headquarters to the city of Kirkland, Washington, located on the outskirts of Seattle (via Seattle Business Magazine ). The move to a bigger space was necessitated by the company's rapid growth, but unbeknownst to executives at the time, it would also prove to have a significant marketing benefit. Several years later, Costco found itself in need of a name for its new private-label brand. According to the Kirkland Reporter, "Seattle Signature" was a leading candidate, but Costco ran into obstacles with getting it trademarked. That's when one ingenious staff member suggested swapping out "Seattle" for "Kirkland," as a nod to the location of the company's headquarters (via CNN Business ). "We liked it," Costco's co-founder Jim Sinegal said. "We cleared it for every country and every product category that we would have. That made it simple." It's probably a good thing Costco came out with its private label when it did. Not long after the brand's debut, the company relocated again, this time to the city of Issaquah, which doesn't quite roll off the tongue the way Kirkland does.