Excellence on Main Award

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Goodfellow Brothers

Award: Economic Vitality

Year: 2019

City: Wenatchee

In Spring 2016 the Wenatchee Downtown Association hosted its biannual Possibilities Tour, an initiative that showcases vacant downtown properties and provides vision and resources for rehabilitating historic spaces. On this particularly tour, the Dore Building’s new owner group led by Rory Turner guided the participants up a set of spooky stairs to the neglected upper floor. Amidst pigeons flying out from the rafters, Chris Martin was able to see the possibilities of this key downtown building.

Chris manages Pacific Rim Land Inc., a real estate development company and was on the Possibilities tour representing Goodfellow Bros., a fourth generation, family-owned general contractor company that was started in Wenatchee nearly 100 years ago and now boasts an impressive portfolio that spans the Western United States. Despite the company’s reach, they are committed to their Wenatchee roots and were looking for a new office for their Washington-based employees.

Goodfellow Bros. chose to start their search in downtown Wenatchee because of the district’s restaurant scene. As Chris puts it, “There is an aura of change and growth in the air downtown. Millennials opt for urban environments and the offerings they provide.”

The project kept the company’s employee wishes in mind throughout the design and construction phases. Goodfellow Bros. purchased the upper floor of the Dore Building and set to work tackling the challenges and unusable spaces left behind by previous owners. Two years and $2.9 million in private investment later and the upper floor of the building is a beautiful and dynamic work environment enjoyed by nearly 50 employees.

At a time when downtown Wenatchee is facing the proposed exodus of the downtown PUD campus and the 400 employees who occupy that location, Goodfellow Bros.’ investment in the district has been particularly impactful on the restaurants and other businesses that rely on the regular foot traffic that downtown employees provide. Goodfellow Bros. has proven their dedication to their hometown community, which in turn has embraced the company with open arms. Chris notes that not a week has gone by when he hasn’t met someone with a story about how Goodfellow Bros. has played a role in their or their family’s lives. With their investment downtown, it’s safe to say that Goodfellow Bros. will continue making an impact on Wenatchee for generations to come.