Glass, door business flourishing since 1892

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, April 18, 2007

G oldfinch Bros. Inc. is a longtime fixture in downtown Everett.

It’s one of the city’s most historic businesses, founded in 1892 by brothers Henry and Joseph Goldfinch, who opened the store as a handyman venture and gradually moved into glass and paint sales.

Today, five generations later, two brothers are carrying on the family tradition on bustling Rucker Avenue.

Geoff and Greg Goldfinch, 49 and 47, have been at the helm since their father, Rodney Goldfinch, retired about 10 years ago.

Before taking over, they had about 20 years of on-the-job training.

“He was a really good teacher,” Geoff Goldfinch said of their father. “He taught us the business; he taught us about integrity; and he taught us about caring about the customer.”

While Goldfinch Bros. stopped selling paint in 1995, the business has grown dramatically by specializing in the sale and installation of windows, doors, skylights, mirrors and custom-made glass accents.

Goldfinch Bros., one of many local vendors featured at the Everett Home and Garden Show this week, does jobs large and small.

They can replace a broken pane of a small window or outfit an entire house with windows, doors and other glass designs.

Doors and windows with interior wood trim are becoming increasingly popular among homeowners, Geoff Goldfinch said.

Walking through the large downtown Everett warehouse, Geoff Goldfinch noticed a particularly special Marvin window ready for installation in a local home.

“Did you notice this one with the cherry interior?” he said to Greg Goldfinch. “Absolutely beautiful.”

Though pine and fir are typical for interior window trim, some homeowners are going for special woods to create one-of-a-kind spaces defined by woodwork.

“People want to try to differentiate themselves in their interiors,” Geoff Goldfinch said. “People are looking for high quality fit and finish.”

Goldfinch Bros. also offers made-to-order products such as tabletops, beveled glass and mirrors, and insulated glass units, as well as laminated, tempered, heat-resistant and tinted glasses.

More than 100 employees work for Goldfinch Bros., which also includes a 15,000-square-foot commercial warehouse in south Everett, and the downtown shop and showroom encompassing about 18,000 square feet.

While the showroom is only a fraction of the downtown space at 1,500 square feet, the Goldfinch brothers have used it to the fullest, featuring a variety of windows, doors, glass and hardware options that customers can open, close and adjust.

On the outside, Goldfinch Bros. is billed as a “glass and glazing” company. Glazing, it turns out, is not a technique for applying glaze to glass.

It’s a traditional word for a technique that’s more akin to window installation.

“Glazing is the process of setting a piece of glass,” Geoff Goldfinch said. “It creates some interest,” he said of the name.

Goldfinch Bros. commercial jobs include a variety of large projects spanning the region, from extensive glasswork at the Providence Pavilion for Women and Children in Everett to government buildings in Seattle, where they’ve installed bomb-resistant glass.

“You have to think in modern ways,” Greg Goldfinch said of their business philosophy. “Most people in Everett don’t know what we do.”

Geoff Goldfinch, whose son, Joe, 23, works at the commercial end of the business, is particularly proud to carry on the legacy of one of the longest-running family businesses in Snohomish County.

Greg Goldfinch’s son, Sean, 10, is still too young.

“We’re looking at 115 years,” Geoff Goldfinch said. “Hopefully, we’ll be here that much longer.”

Reporter Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037 or sjackson@heraldnet.com.