Archie James Allen and his brother Lester, founded the Allen Brother Plumbing and Heating Company in 1932. Archie and Lester did much of the original work on Camp Dodge, including the outdoor swimming pool which was then the world’s largest pool. In the early 1940’s, Lester left the company and Archie changed the name to A.J. Allen Plumbing and Heating Company. Archie’s first large job was to build the Naval Air Station in Ottumwa, IA which was commissioned March 3, 1943. “There’s really only one way to do a job and that’s to do it right. We’ve built a reputation in Iowa as a company that can do the job right every time. We offer all of our clients a professional staff, quality workmanship and experienced management.” – Archie J. Allen About that time, Archie’s sons Jack and Dick joined the company working in the field as apprentices. After the war, Archie’s youngest son,