In The Beginning
The Galloway Family has been serving the Pacific Northwest since 1947. Jim Galloway graduated U of I where he was co-president with Joe Carr (his future brother-in-law). The business started just after WWII where Jim & Joe built some of the military barracks in the Islands of the Pacific. They both had carpentry experience and enlisted right after Dec 7, 1941. He met his wife Beverly (Joe's sister) in San Francisco while on leave with Joe where she was doing her share with helping the troups. They married and settled in Baker, OR where they started a residential remodeling company and business was OK.
Indoor plumbing had become available and very popular. A path from the house to the privy ment a possible job prospect. The government was backing very low interest loans for this needed transition and also for home improvements. Interior and exterior remodeling kept their company busy.
Roofing, siding, windows, garage/carports, patios, and patio covers were very popular and exterior remodeling eventually became their primary work. The winter weather compromised their ability to stay busy during those cold and snowy months. An idea for clearing snow from parking lots for his suppliers was discussed. Metal was welded together and a cable lift was attached so trucks could back up without the plow on the ground. Several local businesses jumped on board for this needed service. Plows were welded together and mounted on a few of the trucks. Winter snow removal services were off and running.
In the late 1960's, during The Great Winter of 1968 when removal of snow was necessary from both businesses and residential roofs, business really took off. Several of their trucks were equipped with snow plows and the phone rang off the hook. More Recently In 1995 they bought their first sweeper/vaccuum truck and now have several clients for regular parking lot cleaning service. They were the first to provide degreasing of motor oil spots meeting Washington State guidelines in the area.
About Us
Galloway Company was started in 1947 by James W. Galloway in Baker, Oregon after his completion of duties in the Pacific Islands during the war. His experience with construction of housing units and the building air strips and barracks on the islands lead to the founding of this business. After moving to Spokane in 1954, residential remodeling became the specialty of his company. It was the beginning of the Aluminum Siding boom or "Tin Man" era.
In these same times the Asphalt and Fiberglass Composition roofing was born. In using only the highest quality of materials produced by the best manufactures in the country, and hiring only the most qualified and experienced installers available, gave Galloway Company the reputation of excellence. The referrals from customers assured the continuation of this growing company. There was a problem though and that was the winters in Spokane. This compromised the ability to provide roofing and siding services for clients during the winter months. The slow down of construction in the winter would cause hardship for the employees and their families. Thus was the beginning of the snow removal business.
In the mid 1960s, Jim had an idea to have a snow plow blade attached to the front of one of the trucks. It was installed on the front of a 1950, 2 wheel drive GMC pickup truck. The first snow plow customers were the same businesses that were the suppliers of materials for Galloway Company throughout the better part of the roofing and siding year. Word of mouth, and adjacent businesses requests for snow removal services, provided a need for another truck and plow, and another, and another... The second main business service was born and helped Galloway Company, as well as the employees, during the wintery season. Customers would also request traction sand for their parking lots. The same truck could be used for this too. This created another need for service and that was the clean up of all the sand from the parking lots in the spring. The snow plowing clients would request cleaning up of the sand after winter. Thus was the beginning of the parking lot sweeping business. Today liquid Calcium Chloride is the main deicing material sprayed from Galloway's half dozen deice trucks. It is much more efficient, less messy, and works to -20 degrees. Sand is seldom used anymore but many clients now want regular parking lot sweeping for appearance and also reducing slip and fall injuries. One service a month is usually sufficient.
The 90s brought about another needed service and that was parking lot degreasing and cleaning up of motor oil spots. E P A would now require that greasy and oily lots could not be just washed down into the sewer drains. It had to be cleaned up with, then absorbed into something that was acceptable for the waste incinerator. After the oil, chemicals and degreasing detergents are absorbed and disposed of, pressure washing of the lot is acceptable by the environmentalists. Thus was the beginning of the parking lot degreasing and cleaning service business.
Jim Galloway's son Tom has worked with the company throughout his entire life excluding his 4 years as a union carpenter and going though the carpenter's apprenticeship program from 1976 through 1980. Jim semi-retired in 1984. Although Jim wanted to slow down, he still wanted to maintain his company and stay active in the snow removal business for his clients. At that time Tom began his own company and would continue to employ the company workforce. You could say a type of subsidiary was born. Today Tom's business is maintaining the same reputation for excellence that his father started over 60 years ago. Galloway Property Maintenance specializes in commercial and residential parking lot and lawn maintenance including snow removal services, parking lot sweeping, seal coating, asphalt repair, striping, mowing and fertilizing. Oh yes, they still do roofing too. For more detailed information on the service you are interested in, please click on the appropriate menu link.