As we begin our year-long celebration leading up to our 50th anniversary on December 1, 2026, we want to take a moment to reflect on the foundation we have set that has kept us standing for 50 years.
A Humble Beginning with Purpose and Principles
In December of 1976, two entrepreneurial craftsmen, Frank Martin and Frank Harris, took a leap of faith. They didn’t just start another construction company, they built something guided by intention, character, and a belief that how you build matters as much as what you build. What began as a small operation in Las Vegas has grown into one of the Southwest’s most trusted general contractors, without ever losing sight of the values that made it possible.
From day one, Martin-Harris was grounded in a simple yet powerful set of core values:
- Honesty and Integrity
- Responsibility and Accountability
- Mutual Trust, Respect, and Cooperation
- Consistent Performance through Teamwork
- Opportunities for Our Clients and Associates to Achieve Their Goals … Always
These weren’t just words on a page; these core values were a compass to lead us continuously in the right direction. They shaped how we worked, who we partnered with, and the reputation we built with every client, trade partner, and team member. Over the past decades these principles have become our foundation, and they still guide us today.
Growing With Community and Craft
From the very beginning, Martin-Harris wasn’t only about constructing buildings; it was about building relationships. Repeat clients, longstanding trade partnerships, and local support were early indicators that something special was happening. Our commitment to serving the communities where we build and live became a defining hallmark of the company’s identity.
As Las Vegas grew and evolved, so did we, expanding our services from renovations and tenant improvements into full-service contracting, preconstruction, design-assist, design-build, and CMAR capabilities. With this evolution came not just larger projects, but deeper trust and collaboration with owners, architects, and subcontractors.
Expanding with Purpose: Northern Nevada and Colorado
As Martin-Harris continued to grow, expansion was never about adding pins to a map. It was about being where our clients needed us and bringing the same certainty of delivery, integrity, and hands-on attention that defined our earliest days.
That philosophy guided our expansion into Northern Nevada and Colorado, strengthening our ability to serve long-standing regional clients while supporting markets experiencing meaningful growth. In each location, Martin-Harris approached expansion the same way we approach every project: intentionally, thoughtfully, and with people at the center.
In Northern Nevada, we built a strong local presence rooted in regional relationships and community engagement, allowing us to better serve clients across a rapidly evolving market while staying true to our values.
In Colorado, our expansion reflects a continuation of work already underway. Our leadership team lives here, builds here, and understands the expectations of the Denver metro market. Backed by nearly five decades of proven performance across the Southwest, Martin-Harris entered Colorado not as a newcomer, but as a trusted builder expanding capacity to meet client demand. From multifamily and industrial tilt-up to office, retail, and education, our work in Colorado mirrors the sectors driving the region forward. With local leadership supported by enterprise-wide resources, we are structured to deliver with confidence from day one, offering the proximity, responsiveness, and partnership our clients expect.
This isn’t growth for growth’s sake. It’s a commitment to relationships, local leadership, and being ready when our clients call no matter what the market.
Building Back, Building Forward, Paying It Forward
That people-first philosophy extends beyond the jobsite and into the community. Martin-Harris has long believed that success carries responsibility; responsibility to give back, to support, and to reinvest in the communities that made the company possible.
Through partnerships with organizations like Make-A-Wish, The Shade Tree, the Women’s Resource Center, and many others, Martin-Harris has focused not on the size of the contribution, but on the impact. What matters most is the intention: building back, building forward, and paying it forward, helping create a community where people feel safe, supported, and able to find dependable work.
A Legacy Built on People
The center of our journey has always been people, our founders, our leadership, our associates, and our extended Martin-Harris family across the Southwest. For the past decades we have maintained a belief that people matter: from the individuals who pour concrete at dawn, the project teams who coordinate the countless moving parts of complex builds, and every partner who chose to build with us.
Today, Martin-Harris employs over 300 associates and continues to be recognized as a leader in the industry, a testament not to buildings alone, but to the people and relationships that shaped them.
Honoring Where We Came From, Building What’s Next
As we look back on the last 50 years, the reflection of our foundation isn’t just about remembering the past, it’s about understanding how those early choices from 1976 still resonate today. The values instilled at the very beginning continue to define how we work, how we serve, and how we grow.
During this celebration, we’ll dive deeper into different themes that reflect our journey, from leadership and culture to innovation and community impact, all leading up to December 1st. But it begins with remembering what anchored us in the first place: a foundation rooted in people, principles, and purpose.
Here’s to 50 years of excellence, and to building what’s next, together.
