OUR STORY
Origins In Siberia
In the late 1800s, an infant boy was left at the doorstep of the Laer family in Siberia. He was taken in and raised as their own. That moment marked the beginning of the Laer name in our bloodline.
From that point forward, the Laer name became associated with survival, responsibility, and family commitment.
Life in Siberia required resilience. Families lived off the land. They farmed. They worked. They endured long winters and limited resources. Hard work was not optional. It was necessary.
That foundation shaped every generation that followed.
A Generation Shaped By War
Our grandfather, Joseph, was drafted into World War II when his son was only one year old. He never returned.
Our grandmother raised six children alone. My father was the only boy among five sisters. Responsibility began early.
Work was not a choice. It was survival.
By the time he was seven years old, my father was working to help support the family. Formal schooling became secondary to helping provide for those at home.
That discipline did not weaken him. It strengthened him.
It shaped how he later raised eighteen children of his own.
Eighteen Children And A Work Ethic
Our father carried forward what he had learned. He worked as a coal miner. He farmed. He provided.
He and our mother raised eighteen children in Siberia. Twelve daughters. Six sons.
We grew up understanding responsibility. We grew up understanding effort. We grew up understanding that nothing is guaranteed.
Food came from what we grew. Stability came from what we built with our hands.
That mindset became permanent.
Today, our immediate family extends beyond two hundred members. The work ethic remains unchanged.
The Decision To Leave
In 1989, our family made a life-altering decision. We renounced our Soviet citizenship.
We left Siberia. We relocated temporarily to Moscow. We were expelled from the Soviet Union. We spent time in Austria. We waited in Rome. Finally, we were sponsored to come to the United States.
Originally, our belongings were sent to California. Instead, we came to Washington to be near family in Puyallup.
We arrived with limited resources but unlimited determination.
Within a week of arriving, we began working in siding.
What began as a necessity became a craft.
Building Laer In America
We started in siding because that was the work available to us. Over time, skill became reputation. Reputation became referrals. Referrals became relationships.
We did not build this company through advertising campaigns. We built it through consistency and trust.
Today, Laer focuses primarily on residential siding and exterior finishes, working closely with homeowners and national builders throughout Washington State and Northern Idaho. The foundation remains the same as it was generations ago.
The Legacy Continues
If you would like to learn more about our work or discuss a potential project, we welcome the conversation.