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5. S.G. Morin & Son - Founded 1906

In 1906, Sylvester G. Morin, a brick mason by trade, founded S.G. Morin General Contractors. This young entrepreneur thrived in Spokane's robust economy and quickly gained a reputation as a leader in his industry.

S.G. Morin photo
Superintendent S.G. Morin stands with his crew at one of the original Sacred Heart Hospital additions in 1903. Later, he formed his own company.
In the early years, S.G. played a major role in the building of Spokane's downtown corridor. Later, as mining and related industries drove the market place, S.G. became one of the first to utilize slip forms to construct silos for commodity storage, many of which are still in use today. In 1922, he was elected president of the Northwest Master Builders Association and played an integral part in Spokane's evolution into a central corridor of trade and business of Eastern Washington.

The Depression was a difficult time for contractors, but S.G. Morin realized that and focused his operations where there was still opportunity bridges. The Spandrel Bridge over Flathead Lake in Montana is one example of the many bridges he constructed during this tumultuous time.

Having thrived while many did not in the 1930s and 1940s, S.G. Morin Construction's resourcefulness was once again tested during World War II. Construction was literally at a standstill as the nation's resources were allocated for the war effort. Realizing the young men fighting overseas would need housing when they came home, S.G concentrated his resources on affordable housing by building and refurbishing apartments in downtown Spokane, a venture that maintained his construction company as well as provided a long-term investment.

In 1954, William S. Morin joined his father's company and S.G. Morin & Son Construction was formed. The younger Morin was a civil engineering graduate from Washington State University.

It was the late 1950s and 1960s when the family business grew and prospered the most. In the 1970s, under Bill Morin's leadership, S.G. Morin & Son Construction developed and constructed over 400 apartment units in North Idaho and Eastern Washington, many of which are still family-owned and managed by the firm.

In the 1980s, Bill's two sons, Bill Jr. and Gregg, joined the firm and have been entrusted to lead the company into the new millennium. The company now builds both private and public works projects from schools and hospitals to industrial and office buildings.

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