Different interests keep four brothers afloat at Farwell Pools

Duane Farwell, owner of Farwell Pools and Construction, said people are astounded that four brothers can manage to work together at the same company.

Farwell said the men make it work because they each are content with their roles.

"One of the things that has made that possible for us is we all have different interests," Duane Farwell said. "While many businesses cultivate competition, I diffuse it."

While Farwell is the owner of the company at 3818 Highway AB in Madison, the business is run in a way that gives his brothers a sense of ownership.

"They have the feeling that they are way more than employees," Farwell said. "It's a nice environment. They can treat it like their own without the responsibility of making the dollars match."

Celebrates 40th year

The company, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, was started in 1968 by Farwell and his father, Coyt Farwell. It was a natural progression for the father and son, who was 27 at the time and the oldest brother in a family with four boys and four girls.

Duane Farwell had grown up around his father's work as a self-employed electrician, plumber and pump installer.

"We were learning as we went," said Duane Farwell, now 66.

Despite the humble beginnings, Farwell Pools and Construction has been sending employees all over the country for training for many years as the business continues to grow.

Coyt Farwell was semi-retired at the time the pool business was launched and it wasn't long before Duane Farwell was running the company. The two eventually had a 50-50 ownership but Duane Farwell eventually bought out his father, who died in 1988.

Started in garage

The business was started in Coyt Farwell's garage and then in 1974 it was moved to a new building, which now stands at Highway AB and Coyt Road. The company's growth has led to major renovations and an expansion that is just winding up.

Over time, Duane Farwell's brothers joined him one by one.

Al Farwell, who had excavating experience, started digging for the pools. Dale Farwell is job foreman and also has been in charge of the renovation and expansion. Don Farwell is a truck driver for the company and works on the installation crew.

Duane Farwell and his wife, Camilla, have five children — two girls and three boys.

Two of their sons -- Dan and Jim -- currently work in the business doing service on pools.

Other family connections at the company include a nephew -- Tracy Farwell -- works on the installation crew.

Another nephew's wife, Sara Abbott, works in the office. Camilla Farwell's cousin, Mary Carlson, runs the office.

Other family members have pitched in from time to time.

Resolving issues

While Duane Farwell has the final say, employees try to resolve issues through discussion and suggestions are considered.

"We develop a consensus," he said. "The best idea wins."

The company has an informal board of directors made up of family members and a succession plan has been drawn up.

Duane Farwell's youngest son, Jim, 31, went to UW-River Falls and Madison Area Technical College. He then worked for the family business before working for another construction company. He returned to Farwell Pools and Construction a few months ago.

He thought the other experience would help him at Farwell where he always figured he would end up.

He worked at the pool company as a teenager, helping his brother Dan, who is about 10 years older, with his service calls. Sometimes he would help the pool installation crew.

Jim Farwell said he feels like he gets heard and is comfortable bringing issues to his father's attention, knowing his father will consider the merits of his suggestions.

"He'll do something about it or he won't," he said.

Missed the family

He missed working for the family business.

"I can do what I need to do and nobody is really standing over my neck," he said.

"If I have an idea, I can do it."

Dale Farwell, 59, one of Duane Farwell's brothers, started working at the company essentially from the beginning but had to take a little more than a year off when he was drafted and sent to Vietnam.

He had training from Madison Area Technical College in mechanical design.

"But I pretty much decided I didn't want to spend the rest of my life behind the desk," said Dale Farwell, who previously worked with his father in his earlier businesses.

While some might think four brothers at one company is a crowd, Dale Farwell, who is the youngest of the eight siblings, said the arrangement works well because nobody really wants the other person's job.

Building pools involves a number of tasks, especially for a company that doesn't sub contract much of the work.

"Everybody just sort of grabbed something that they like and that's really what makes it work," he said.

Pamela Cotant is a freelance writer.