NILES H and H Contracting works its way across America with chain

H and H Contracting wants to gain business with national retailers.
THE VINDICATOR, YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
NILES -- A local contractor is building stores across the United States after hooking up with a new retail chain owned by Abercrombie & amp; Fitch.
H and H Contracting Co. has built 11 stores along the East Coast for Hollister Co., a chain started in 2000 by New Albany, Ohio-based Abercrombie.
Hollister has a total of 112 stores. They are designed to look like a beach house and feature casual wear for teens and accessories, CDs, jewelry and magazines.
H and H is growing along with the new retailer. It has eight Hollister stores under construction, including ones in Utah and California.
Chris Hoff, 35, co-owner of H and H, said the company now is working in Western and Southern states because of an affiliation with Michelle Browne, a construction manager from Utah. The company is bidding on projects anywhere in the country because of Browne and her contacts, Hoff said.
Booming businesses
Browne, who set up her own company after working for another contractor, has done work for Abercrombie, Foot Locker, TJ Maxx and others.
Hoff said Browne now is working for H and H, but a company is being created that would be a joint venture between the two.
The connection with Browne not only expands work with Hollister but also should lead to business with other retailers, Hoff said.
He said he had a connection with Hollister that helped H and H land a contract with the chain. Hoff had a business relationship with a Hollister executive while he worked with another contractor.
Hoff and builder Eric Hammer started H and H three years ago. The West Park Avenue company also builds high-end homes in the area.
The company has eight employees. For out-of-state jobs, it sends a superintendent to the site and hires subcontractors to perform the work.
Abercrombie operates 625 stores under a variety of names, including 167 that have the Abercrombie name. For the quarter that ended Aug. 2, it had sales of $355.7 million and earnings of $34.8 million.
shilling@vindy.com