From a small family house in Arlington, VA to offices across the country, our steady growth over the past eight decades can be attributed to the longstanding relationships we develop with our clients. Scroll through our timeline to see how we've evolved.
Chairman Russell Hitt is born April 12, 1935. Pictured here: HITT co-founders Warren and Myrtle Hitt with Russell, age three.
W.A. HITT Decorating Co. began as a small, family-owned business run from the dining room table of Warren and Myrtle Hitt's home in Arlington, VA.
W.A. Hitt Decorating Co. started out of the Hitt home with six employees. The first job for the company was an enclosed porch at the residence of Grayson Ahalt in Falls Church, Virginia.
W.A. Hitt Decorating Co. earns its first $100,000 year and reaches 20 employees by 1939.
HITT Decorating—Contracting Co. continues to grow and is incorporated in 1943; the effects of wartime are felt with continued labor shortages in the workplace.
W.A. HITT Decorating Co. changes to HITT Decorating - Contracting Co. Inc. and moves to 1400 Wilson Boulevard.
Lewis Baker, HITT's longest tenured employee of 52 years, is hired.
From 1939 to 1945, many HITT employees left work to fight in World War II. A North American B-25 Mitchell hung in the warehouse of HITT's former headquarters as a tribute to past employees who served in World War II. This plane was also used in the film Forever Young starring Mel Gibson and Jamie Lee Curtis.
A plaque at the entrance of HITT's headquarters office commemorates all of the HITT employees who served during World War II.
HITT Decorating—Contracting Co. Inc. begins house construction in the northern Virginia area and the industry moves from plaster to drywall.
The peanut M&M is introduced.
HITT Decorating—Contracting Co. Inc. reaches $1 million in revenue and the company grows to nearly 60 employees.
Russell Hitt starts in the office full-time after working in the field since he was 10 years old.
HITT Decorating—Contracting Co. expands its reach to Baltimore, MD and moves its office to a new location at 921 North Quincy Street.
Neil Armstrong walks on the Moon; HITT would later build the NASA HQ in 2014.
HITT Decorating—Contracting Co. Inc. is awarded its first large-scale commercial projects for Quadrangle Development at 2023 M Street in 1972.
HITT Contracting Inc. reaches $50 million in revenue and grows to more than 100 employees. For the first time a receptionist, labor director, safety director, marketing director and a project accountant are hired.
Page Communications in Vienna, VA becomes HITT's first $1 million project.
Founder Warren Hitt passes away.
Co-President Jim Millar starts as a laborer.
Co-President Brett Hitt starts in the office as an assistant project manager.
The first annual Subcontractor Appreciation Day is held in 1984.
HITT Decorating—Contracting Co. Inc is changed to HITT Contracting Inc.
HITT Contracting Inc. opens two new regional offices in South Carolina and Georgia while headquarters expands its own campus with the addition of a Paint Department.
HITT Contracting Inc. completes the first "dirt-to-done" project, Dulles Airport Midfield Terminal.
HITT Contracting Inc. moves to 2704 Dorr Avenue in Fairfax, VA in 1993.
HITT Contracting Inc. breaks ground on its first campus project for AOL in Dulles, VA.
Subcontractor Relations Department is created; HITT reorganizes teams into market sectors.
HITT opens regional offices in Atlanta, GA and Charleston, SC.
At 530 employees and 96 cars and vans, HITT Contracting Inc. outgrows its former location and relocates to 2900 Fairview Drive in Falls Church, VA.
HITT makes ENR's Top 100 General Contractors List in 2001.
Co-founder Myrtle Hitt passes away. To commemorate her legacy and contributions to the commercial construction industry, the American Subcontractor Association of Metro Washington named its lifetime career achievement award “The Myrtle Hitt Pinnacle Award.” Each year, the association honors those who have followed in Myrtle's footsteps in lifetime advocacy of the construction industry.
HITT Institute holds its first training class.
Revenues grow to more than $500 million.
HITT is named a "Best Place to Work" by the Washington Business Journal and a "Great Place to Work" by Washingtonian Magazine in 2005.
HITT opens a regional office in South Florida.
HITT Headquarters moves to its new, green building at 2900 Fairview Park Drive in Falls Church, VA.
With ten office locations nationwide, HITT Contracting Inc. continues to expand from a family-owned and managed firm to become one of the 50 largest general contractors in the United States.
HITT rolls out its Hospitality sector focused on construction of some of the world’s most recognizable luxury hotel brands.
HITT celebrates its 75th anniversary.
HITT opens a regional office in Denver, CO.
HITT wins ABC National Eagle Award for Kaiser Permanente.
Atlantic Plumbing is named Washington Business Journal's 13th Largest Construction Project.
Brett Hitt is 1 of 5 leaders recognized as a Most Admired CEO by Washington Business Journal in 2013.
HITT celebrates its 20th anniversary of Subcontractor Appreciation Day.
HITT wins CREBA Award for Service Provider of the Year.
HITT wins Washington Business Journal's Best Places to Work for the 10th year in a row.
The Washington Post names HITT Contracting Inc. the DC area's #6 Top Workplace in the large companies category.
Russell Hitt was honored with the Virginia Tech Myers-Lawson School of Construction Award and selected for induction into the 2015 Arlington Business Hall of Fame.
HITT Contracting receives a Pyramid Award in the Healthcare - Less than $10 Million category of ABC’s Excellence in Construction Awards for the GWU Hospital Breast Care Center in Washington, DC.
HITT acquires Trademark Construction in Texas. The new office operates as Trademark HITT, continuing the traditions of quality construction held by both companies.
HITT takes on The Big Apple! After an acquisition of Americon Construction in New York City, the newly formed Americon HITT is poised to serve Clients in Manhattan and beyond.
HITT earns the title of #1 Top Workplace among large companies by The Washington Post.
16 HITT projects earn Excellence in Construction Awards from the Associated Builders and Contractors
For the first time, HITT grew to 1,000 team members nationwide.
HITT celebrates its 80th year in business, toasting to the hard work and dedicated team members and partners that got it there.
HITT expands westward with a new office in San Jose, CA. Poised to tackle corporate interiors and mission critical construction, the team is expanding our reach even further.
HITT ends its 80th year with a history-making transition in leadership. From here, we’re looking ahead to tackling new challenges and elevating the business of building.
HITT opens two new offices and breaks into ENR's Top 50 General Contractors list for the first time.
HITT opened its Richmond office to serve the capital city’s diverse needs in both historic and urban settings.
HITT announces the groundbreaking of Co|Lab – a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to bringing ideas to life and building change within our industry.
HITT breaks into ENR's Top 50 General Contractors List for the first time, ranking at #43.
HITT awarded Best Corporate Responsibility Program by NAIOP DC.
HITT Raleigh was founded to meet the growing demand for construction work in the region.
HITT opens Co|Lab, grows by two new offices, and is named ENR Mid-Atlantic's Contractor of the Year.
For the fifth year in a row, HITT was ranked as a Washington Post Top Workplace by our team members.
ENR Mid-Atlantic named HITT Contractor of the Year in recognition of our continued success and expansion over the last decade.
Co|Lab, HITT’s innovation space, opened as the first LEED v4 BD+C Platinum Commercial Project in the Washington, DC area.
HITT celebrates its subcontractors by hosting 13 Subcontractor Appreciation Days across the country.
HITT's growing list of office locations expands to 12 with the addition of Dallas and Los Angeles.
Consistently name a Top Workplace amongst large companies by The Washington Post, we see our people as one of our greatest assets.
The HITT Way and Mission are on our walls so we see them every time we walk by. For service to client and community, they are our guide for everything we do.
Always take the high road, no matter how difficult the circumstance.
Good enough is never enough, if we can do better.
Produce a work ethic that continually reflects positively on HITT.
Our words and actions are a reflection on us; be gracious and humble.
Lead by example for those that come after us to carry forward.
Manage aggressively and stay flexible.
Your customer doesn't know how much you know until they know how much you care.
Done is Done!
Knowing that I am going to hang out with these guys all day. That is why I get out of bed in the morning. Well, that and my love of coffee.
Ronnie Holmes
HITT Institute Safety Instructor
As one of the five pillars of our Corporate Responsibility Program, we take our commitment to the community seriously. As part of our program, we've identified causes centered on education, health and wellness, and community building that align with our values and allow us to maximize our impact.
HITT South Florida has participated in the Mercedes-Benz Corporate Run for the past three years. As one of the largest corporate races in the United States, the event is a fun way to promote running and walking as a means to a fit, healthy lifestyle.
For over 15 years, HITT volunteers have helped make dramatic improvements to a chosen DC public facility.
The Pub Games are an annual fundraising event to benefit the Spanish Education Development Center.
The Race for Every Child is a fun-filled event that raises funds for families with specialized medical care needs.
Through the WBC, HITT donates building supplies and volunteer manpower to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods.
Sometimes things get a little cheesy at our annual chili cook-off.
Summer cornhole tournaments are one of the newer ways in which we take a break and have fun together.
Lindsay, Sarah, and Jacqui bring home the women's basketball gold at the 2014 JDRF Real Estate Games.
Safety is always top of mind, even at Corporate Interior's team retreat.
