In 1917, five of the Goodfellow family’s brothers enlisted in World War I, including Jack, Bert and Jim (far left and second from the right). All served in France, answering the call of duty to serve their country.

On November 11, 1918, Jim, Jack, and Bert Goodfellow sat together in a café in France on Armistice Day. Although they didn’t realize it, these young American soldiers were not far from where their ancestors had lived centuries earlier under a different name. They looked at one another with deep affection and relief. No more fighting. World War I was over.

They felt a glow of optimism. After having just won “the war to end all wars,” the brothers could finally look toward the future. What might they do next?

Their parents had instilled in them the importance of character and hard work. These values guided their actions when America entered World War I in 1917 and Jim and his brothers enlisted. These values surfaced again during their reunion in France.

What if they started a family business based on these values?

Their Pacific Northwest home was changing fast. Washington had become a state in 1889. The railroads were giving way to the automobile. Hydroelectric power had been lighting up homes in Seattle since 1905. There was work to be done to build a nation—much of it in construction. If they focused on what their parents had taught them about a strong work ethic, treating people well, and serving their community, they thought they had what it took to make a go of it and decided to start a construction company to help build their nation.