Merit’s History

Merit Construction, Inc. is a commercial construction company located in Knoxville, Tennessee. Merit was organized in August 1982, and was initially formed as the open-shop subsidiary of a larger construction company which operated, at the time, as a union shop organization.

In May 1990, Merit became independent from the parent company. The late Charles A. “Charlie” Hays served as president until March 1995, at which time he took the position of chief executive officer. Bruce Bosse, who joined the company in 1983, was promoted to president. In 1997, Marvin L. House joined the firm and served as CEO from 2003 – 2016. House later served as Chairman while Bosse served as CEO until his retirement in 2023. Shannon Sapp currently serves as President and CEO.

Merit’s owners are dedicated individuals, all of whom are active in the day-to-day operations of the company. Shareholders are:

Merit’s team consists of approximately 80 construction professionals, including on-site project superintendents, assistant superintendents, craftsmen, a full-time safety director, accounting staff, project administrative assistants, project executive & estimators, project mangers, assistant project managers and project engineers.

Merit Construction, Inc. has shown strong, steady growth since 1982, with annual construction revenues averaging approximately $150 million. This work has all been managed from our Knoxville office with the vast majority of the work being completed within the East Tennessee area. Merit is recognized by the Knoxville Business Journal’s “Book of Lists” as one of the leading construction firms in the region.

In 2008, Merit Construction was awarded the Knoxville Chamber’s Pinnacle Business Excellence Award. This award is given annually to a company headquartered, or has a significant presence, in East Tennessee that has shown, among other things, remarkable growth and stability, and is recognized regionally, nationally and or internationally in its respective business sector.