Published November 2002

Goldfinch Bros.’ work seen in houses, high rises

By Kimberly Hilden
SCBJ Assistant Editor

Goldfinch Bros. Inc. may have a 110-year-old history, but it’s not resting on its laurels, say Geoff and Greg Goldfinch, brothers and managing partners of the Everett firm.

Since its founding in 1892 by their great-great-grandfather Harry B. Goldfinch, Goldfinch Bros. has grown from a small paint and glass store on Rucker Avenue to a large commercial and residential glass and glazing subcontractor, with a retail outlet and Web presence.

And that’s thanks to building relationships with general contractors around the Puget Sound region and paying attention to quality and service, they said.

In the past 30 years, the company’s commercial division has grown in leaps and bounds, Greg said, with work coming from recent large projects such as Fisher Plaza in Seattle and Providence Everett Medical Center’s Pavilion for Women and Children and clients such as Microsoft and Quadrant.

“We definitely see commercial installation as one of the company’s trends and focuses,” said Greg, adding that the firm bought a 16,000-square-foot facility on 3.5 acres on Holly Drive three years ago to house its commercial fabrication operations.

“That was a huge move for the company,” Greg said. “Dedicating that kind of space for it has been a very good thing, very beneficial to the performance of the commercial division.”

While commercial installation is a major focus for future growth, the company hasn’t forgotten the value of its other products and services, Geoff said.

“Locally, we have viewed the service and replacement business as a vital part of the company to service the needs of the community with an approach that is very service-oriented: quality, consistency and fairly priced,” he said. “In a down economy, we recognize that as a need, that doesn’t go away.”

That sense of service extends into the retail store, which has seen five generations of the Goldfinch family at the helm, and a year-old Web site, where potential customers can learn more about the company’s suppliers, request more information or e-mail staff members directly.

“It is gaining momentum,” Geoff said of the site. “We’re starting to see it utilized more all the time, seeing activity on the retail side and the service side as well.”

Also, the company, which employs 75, recently added staff to its residential division to meet a growing demand for technical know-how when it comes to selecting and installing today’s windows, which have come a long way from the old standard aluminum-framed variety, the Goldfinches said.

“Windows and glass are asked to do more, not only in U-value (the measure of the rate of heat loss through a material), but in shade coefficient. With that, they have lots of styles and colors to choose from,” said Greg, who handles the commercial division while Geoff oversees operations.

Both took over leadership of the company four years ago following their father’s retirement, Geoff said, noting that a sixth generation of the family recently entered the business, with his 18-year-old son, Joe, working part-time there while attending school.

The two brothers know that such continuity, more than a century’s worth, is a rarity nowadays, and they credit the community they live and work in for helping their family business succeed.

“It’s the people of Everett and Snohomish County who have allowed our business to exist for 110 years, and for that, we are grateful,” Geoff said.

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