The Kona based contractor with local skills, and a world class reputation.
New construction and remodeling for Kona, the Big Island and beyond.
- Who We Are
Lipps & Son is an award winning commercial general contractor with offices in Hawaii and the Midwest. We have worked in eighteen states and on Hawaii's four largest Islands.
Our Hawaii based Pacific office is now offering commercial, hospitality and retail construction services in Hawaii and the West Coast. In Hawaii, we also offer residential construction services on the leeward (West) side of the Big Island.
Despite current economic conditions, our sales have more than doubled every year since 2007 (including 2011). - The Early Days
Lipps & Son was founded in October 1981 by Charles & Janice Lipps and their son, Charles Jr. (Chuck). Charlie had been the VP of a large construction company in downtown Cincinnati. From the beginning, the emphasis has always been on providing quality craftsmanship and superior service.
Lipps & Son began during the tough economic times of the early 80's. While many companies were downsizing or going out of business, we started with a very humble beginning … taking both small residential and commercial jobs (anything we could get). In those days, we worked out of a small 600 square foot rented office and had one truck. - The Middle Years
Our first big break came in 1983, when we were awarded the maintenance and repair contract for the 21 story corporate headquarters of Federated Department Stores (now Macy's). Charlie had a prior history of working with them, and when the contract came up for renewal, they chose Lipps & Son instead of Charlie's former employer.
Over the next ten years, we remained a relatively small company, and continued to rent both office and warehouse space. Charles bid and supervised all contract work for competitively bid jobs, Chuck managed the Federated account (including maintenance and repair bidding and contracts, and managing tenant work within the Federated Building), and Janice was secretary and CFO. - The Next Era Begins
In 1991, Charlie suffered a stroke and didn't return to work until 1992. After the stroke, he was never able to return to the company in the same capacity. As a result, he retired in 1993. After Charlie's retirement, many people (existing customers, subcontractors and employees) questioned whether Lipps & Son could survive without Charlie. Chuck left his comfortable position within the Federated Building, and the future of Lipps & Son would be determined by Chuck and his mother, Janice.
History has been on their side, though, as the ensuing years have proven to be the companies most successful. The last fifteen years have been characterized by critical and financial success, and the business now has two independent offices, with Chuck as sole owner of the Hawaii based Pacific office. Janice officially retired in late 2009. Chuck will always be indebted to his parents for the love, guidance and opportunities they provided him.
Recognized by Pacific Business News as Hawaii's Fastest Growing Contractor