Coleby Cyrtmus

When Site Operations Vice President Coleby Cyrtmus started at HITT back in 1988, our office boasted two fax machines and a daisy-wheel printer. “I never actually saw a fax machine before I got to HITT. Within about a year we were putting one on every job,” recalled Coleby. For the 1980s, that made us pretty cutting-edge. We strive to maintain that focus on innovation, with Coleby playing a key role in the evolution of our field operations.

In our 80 years, HITT has experienced notable periods of accelerated growth. In particular, the 1990s brought about huge changes to our portfolio. Seemingly overnight, the scale of projects shifted from basic half-floor fit-outs to more complex 13-floor fit-outs. “It seemed like every year we were hitting some kind of milestone for biggest, fastest, or highest dollar project in our history,” said Coleby.

There was no guide or model to tell the team how to manage that kind of growth. Instead, they took calculated risks and used innovative thinking to scale operations. Coleby and other superintendents came together to bounce ideas off one another, digging into the details and finding solutions as a team.

That approach, coupled with empowerment from company leadership, paid off. The can-do and will-do attitude Coleby and our field team embodied during those years cemented HITT’s reputation in the construction community for getting the job done right and on time, every time.

Along the way, Coleby has instilled that same gritty approach in the next generation of site operations team members he’s mentored. Before HITT University or the Futures program, Coleby and others, including fellow Site Operations Vice Presidents RJ Trottier, Ken Whetzel, Dave Underwood, and Luke Kane, launched a series of classes to educate team members in topics such as drywall, hardware, and architectural layouts.

“I’ve always felt teaching was most critical element—sharing the things you’ve learned along the way helps team members get up to speed more quickly and saves them from having to make the same mistakes as others,” said Coleby.

“Coleby brings so much to the company,” explained Executive Vice President Steve Richbourg. “He’s a carpenter by trade, a builder by passion, a teacher by default, and truly an advocate for everyone on his jobsite. He cares about his people and his projects, and  supervising and inspiring as he leads. I’m not only proud to have Coleby on our team, I’m proud to call him a friend.”