Sollitt: A Family Company Since 1838
Sollitt
A family of Master Builders since 1650
Cathedral Builders at York England 1689- 1830
Renovation work halted 1830 after arson
| John Sollitt - Mason | 1689 | 1689 | 1689 |
| Thomas Sollitt - Mason | 1732 | 1732 | 12 |
| John Sollitt - Mstr Carpenter | 1773 | York | 40 |
| James Sollitt - Mstr Stone Mason | 1806 | York | 24 |
John Sollitt
John Sollitt born 1813 moves to North America after York Minster fire. John Settled for a year in Hamilton, Canada & in 1838 began building in Chicago.
1838-1840: Worked for Azel Peck
1840-1845: Updike, Peck & Sollitt
1846-1850: Updike & Sollitt
1851-1870: Sollitt & Sons
- Brothers Thomas and William follow in 1836 and 1838
- William goes to California in 1849-1856 rejoins company in 1857
- 1875 – Sollitt Boys Ralph, Thomas & Sumner take over the company as Sollitt Brothers
Sollitt becomes Builder of Choice in Chicago
Sollitt Brothers begin the Reconstruction of the City
October 8, 1871 Chicago Fire
100,000 left homeless 3.3 square
miles burned 68% of structures
1875 the next generation of Sollitt boys, Ralph
Thomas and Sumner take over the company and
Reinvent it as Sollitt Brothers Construction
Sumner Sollitt named AGC President 1927
As Sons grow into manhood Ralph and Sumner split the company in 1913 into Ralph Sollitt & Sons
Construction Company and
Sumner Sollitt & Sons
Construction Company
WWI finds Sollitt a vibrant leader in constructing Fireproof
Buildings and Manufacturing Plants
Here at Fort Sheridan they built 86 buildings in 9 days
Post War Client List Grows
- Pullman
- Armor
- Fields
- McCormick
- Studebaker
- Bendix
Brothers open new office in South Bend Indiana to service Studebaker and other new industrial Clients
Here Come The Irish
- In South Bend Sollitt was able to survive and thrive during the depression
- Built 13 buildings on Notre Dame Campus all fueled by Football revenues
- Expanded its base into the South doing USPS
- Expanded into Power Generation on Tennessee Valley Authority power plants
- Followed Steel producers into Gary Indiana
- Followed Automobile producers outside of Indiana
Ralph Sollitt and Sons Construction splits again 1933
- George Sollitt keeps all the clients in Chicago
- Ralph Sollitt gets the rest of the country and Notre Dame.
Sollitt Goes to War Again
- Major munitions factories in Arkansas and Oklahoma
- Ship building facilities on the Ohio River and in Benicia, California
- Steel Production Facilities in Ohio, and Indiana
- More powerplants on Ohio River and Mississippi River
George Sollitt Post War Expansion
Post War Expansion of Sumner Sollitt Construction in Chicago
Sollitt Construction Company Post War in rest of country
1967 New generation of Sollitt family expands into new markets
Legacy Companies
George Sollitt 60 years at O’Hare Airport
“People are what made Sollitt Construction a great company”
Ralph Sollitt 1978
Succession Plans and Economic Downturns End Two of Three Sollitt Companies
George Sollitt Construction Company
#42 ENR Top Midwest
