Gillis Gilkerson

The backbone of our nation's businesses comes from locally-owned companies such as Gillis Gilkerson. Our company, based in Salisbury, Md., was founded in 1983 by O. Palmer Gillis III to meet the construction needs of the Delmarva Peninsula. First located on Baptist and Main in a former one-room gas station and later in the restored synagogue building, Gillis Gilkerson is currently located in the restored Woolworth's building, on Main Street in the heart of Salisbury's vibrant downtown plaza community. As Palmer Gillis expanded his business, he sought out Tony Gilkerson, a fellow James M. Bennett High School graduate, to bolster the sales, estimating and project management part of the business. In 1989, Gilkerson became a full partner, and the company name was changed to Gillis Gilkerson, Inc. Current principals Dwight H. Miller and James B. ("J.B.") Barnes both joined Gillis Gilkerson in 1986. In 2004, Tony stepped down as President of Gillis Gilkerson, Inc., appointing Dwight Miller as his replacement. Gilkerson retired from active participation in Gillis Gilkerson, Inc. in 2005, but he assists when needed as an advisor to the firm. J.B. Barnes became a principal in the firm in 2005. Without losing our attention to detail for each customer, Gillis Gilkerson Inc. has evolved from a small commercial contractor with two employees to one of the largest, most versatile full-service general contractors on the Delmarva Peninsula. Today, our company consists of an average of 70 to 80 talented employees, many of whom each have more than 25 years of construction industry experience. Our team consists of professionals who take pride in their work and their ability to find creative solutions to construction challenges. Many of our employees have worked more than 15 years with the firm, enhancing a tradition of workplace stability with familiar faces that local residents know and trust. With a focus on client satisfaction and quality construction projects that are on time and within budget, Gillis Gilkerson is proud to be an industry leader on Maryland's Eastern Shore.