Miles & Mac Fitch
Few people have had as direct an influence on building the local community as Miles and Mac Fitch of Fitch Lumber & Hardware. The four-generation family owned business has been providing lumber and other materials to custom home-builders and amateur home repairers
since 1907. After being discharged from the service in 1945, Miles Fitch joined the business that his father, A.B. Fitch, founded and recently consolidated operations in Carrboro. The move allowed A.B., Miles and his brother Bernice, to focus solidly on serving the growing Chapel Hill-Carrboro community. By this time, the enterprise already had strong relationships with loyal customers, including
homeowners, architects and builders.
Miles and his family offered knowledgeable service to professionals and amateurs alike, setting them apart from other building suppliers. Customers hung – and still hang – around the store talking shop and catching up on local news. And children have always been welcomed, whether Fitch family members or townspeople. The store holds Kids Nights, where youngsters can learn how to build bat houses, squirrel feeders, wood duck boxes and bluebird houses. The goal is to teach useful skills to the kids and help them understand the importance
of protecting native wildlife. Mac, Miles’ son, worked in the business while he was growing up, sweeping shop floors and driving trucks. After graduating from Lenoir-Rhyne University in 1971, Mac joined full time. Upon his retirement in 1984, Miles gave his stock to Mac.
Mac continues to run the enterprise today, joined by two of his four sons, David and Brad. The family business extends beyond the Fitches. Multiple generations of several other families also have worked with the company. And there’s almost no turnover. The average tenure of Fitch’s 35 employees is 12 years, but only because many of the 40-year veterans recently retired and brought down the average.
Under Mac’s leadership, Fitch has made many contributions to the community. It supports the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, various churches, Habitat for Humanity, Ducks Unlimited, and the Eagle Scouts. For years Fitch has donated fans in summer and collected “Coats for Kindling” in winter. It also runs supply drives to benefit the IFC Food Pantry, TABLE and local families in need, and the Fitches hope to continue to serve the community for years to come.
For their 100-plus years as pillars of the local business community and their extensive and generous support of nonprofits and local children, we proudly induct Miles Fitch and Mac Fitch into the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Business Hall of Fame.
since 1907. After being discharged from the service in 1945, Miles Fitch joined the business that his father, A.B. Fitch, founded and recently consolidated operations in Carrboro. The move allowed A.B., Miles and his brother Bernice, to focus solidly on serving the growing Chapel Hill-Carrboro community. By this time, the enterprise already had strong relationships with loyal customers, including
homeowners, architects and builders.
Miles and his family offered knowledgeable service to professionals and amateurs alike, setting them apart from other building suppliers. Customers hung – and still hang – around the store talking shop and catching up on local news. And children have always been welcomed, whether Fitch family members or townspeople. The store holds Kids Nights, where youngsters can learn how to build bat houses, squirrel feeders, wood duck boxes and bluebird houses. The goal is to teach useful skills to the kids and help them understand the importance
of protecting native wildlife. Mac, Miles’ son, worked in the business while he was growing up, sweeping shop floors and driving trucks. After graduating from Lenoir-Rhyne University in 1971, Mac joined full time. Upon his retirement in 1984, Miles gave his stock to Mac.
Mac continues to run the enterprise today, joined by two of his four sons, David and Brad. The family business extends beyond the Fitches. Multiple generations of several other families also have worked with the company. And there’s almost no turnover. The average tenure of Fitch’s 35 employees is 12 years, but only because many of the 40-year veterans recently retired and brought down the average.
Under Mac’s leadership, Fitch has made many contributions to the community. It supports the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, various churches, Habitat for Humanity, Ducks Unlimited, and the Eagle Scouts. For years Fitch has donated fans in summer and collected “Coats for Kindling” in winter. It also runs supply drives to benefit the IFC Food Pantry, TABLE and local families in need, and the Fitches hope to continue to serve the community for years to come.
For their 100-plus years as pillars of the local business community and their extensive and generous support of nonprofits and local children, we proudly induct Miles Fitch and Mac Fitch into the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Business Hall of Fame.