Vito Services celebrated its 80th anniversary July 1. James Vito Inc. was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1934 by James Vito Sr. His son, James B. Vito, started working with his father in the 1940s and became president of the company around 1960.
Third-generation president Michael A. Vito started in the company in the late 1970s and became president in the late 1990s. Chief Operating Officer James G. Vito, Michael Vito’s nephew, joined the family business in 2000. Anthony Vito II, Michael Vito’s son, represents the fourth generation of Vito family members in the business.
With 60 employees and 45 vans, the company, open 24/7, serves 15 cities in the District of Columbia, 21 cities in Virginia and 54 cities in Maryland. A Nexstar member, Vito Services provides service, repair, remodel, plumbing and HVAC services for commercial and residential customers, as well as residential new construction. It is currently working on the Roosevelt Building in Washington, a seven-story renovation consisting of all new plumbing.
Vito Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning has 41 Chevy Cargo Express 1500s, one Nissan NV 300 and three Sprinter Vans. “The vans are economical, dependable, comfortable and, best of all, American made,” says Zoila Lazo, internal marketing director. “We started wrapping our vehicles a few years ago with an American flag design because we wanted to show our U.S. support.”
James G. Vito adds: “We were looking for something that was not only patriotic but would have a ‘wow’ factor. We have two different themes; the flag is more of a specialty design.” The other design has a similar patriotic theme with red, white and blue across the sides.
Currently only 12 vehicles are wrapped with the flag (pictured above), but all new vehicles will be wrapped moving forward with either the flag or the diagonal red, white and blue spread. The company uses SignZoo, a national sign company headquartered in Sarasota, Fla. The older vehicles are lettered with reflective vinyl.
In addition to the new wraps, Vito Services began advertising with Adopt-A-Highway about two years ago. It has two signs posted on southbound I-270 heading into D.C. and Northern Virginia. The company also has a campaign running on Comcast closed circuit television, an active weekly blog on its website and a YouTube channel. Although the flag is not on the billboard, it is on the TV spot, the company website and all printed material.
In honor of its 80th anniversary, Vito Plumbing has scheduled a media blast, which can be seen on Comcast TV and heard on WTOP Radio. In addition, 80th anniversary seals will be placed on everything from electronic media to printed materials. The company is planning a celebration with current and past employees, as well as several customers, to be held at a country club toward the end of the month.
“Every single one of them made this possible and we want to thank them,” Lazo says.
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