RISMEDIA, August 16, 2007—On Tuesday, August 14, 2007, to recognize and congratulate Howard Hanna, Jr. on the 50 year anniversary of the Howard Hanna Company, a street was dedicated in his honor by the Pittsburgh City Council.
Also, August 7th, 2007 was proclaimed by the City Council to be “Howard Hanna Day” in the city of Pittsburgh to celebrate Mr. Hanna’s first day in business fifty years ago and to celebrate his success in growing a thriving family business in the Pittsburgh region
The newly dedicated “Howard Hanna Way” is located near the intersection of Bayard and North Craig Streets in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh, the site of the very first Howard Hanna real estate office in 1957. Pittsburgh City Councilman Bill Peduto was on hand for the dedication as well as three generations of the Hanna family along with associates and managers from the company’s five city offices and corporate headquarters. There are currently 13 family members of the Hanna family involved in the business.
Howard W. Hanna, Jr. founded Howard Hanna Real Estate Services in 1957 with a modest dividend check and a tiny office at the corner of Bayard and Craig Streets. He and his wife, Anne, chose to carve out a business close to their home in the Shadyside area of Pittsburgh. With his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in business from the University of Pittsburgh, Mr. Hanna had experience working for the homebuilder’s association in Cleveland while his wife had strong roots in Pittsburgh and didn’t want to leave home. So, Howard Hanna, Jr. plunked down $25 for a one-room office at the corner of Bayard and Craig Streets, $15 for his REALTOR’S license and $20 for a phone. And that is how it all began.
Expansion of the company and its services began in 1968 when the Appraisal Services Division was established. The company’s Fox Chapel and North Hills offices were next to open in 1973, followed by the East Suburban office in Forest Hills, and Sewickley in 1977. A separate Condominium Sales Division was established (today located at 311 South Craig Street) and a Relocation Services Division. Also at this time, the Fox Chapel office was relocated and expanded. In 1979, the corporate offices were relocated to a larger space at 5501 Baum Blvd that is today the company’s Shadyside office. The Condominium, Appraisal, Commercial, and Relocation Services Divisions, as well as the Controller’s office, Training Department, Marketing and Executive offices also moved to this location. In 1990, the Shadyside sales office had outgrown the space of its original location at the corner of Bayard and Craig Streets and also relocated to 5501 Baum Boulevard. In 1995, Howard Hanna’s new Corporate Center opened in the RIDC Park in O’Hara Township.
Currently, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services has 122 sales offices across Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and New York and employs more than 3,600 sales associates and staff. As the 5th largest full-service real estate company and the 3rd largest privately held real estate company in the United States, the company specializes in residential and commercial brokerage service, mortgages, closing and title insurance, land development, appraisal services, insurance services and corporate relocation.
A former Director of the REALTORS Association, Hanna was a founding member and past President of the East End Multi List and the West Penn Multi List, Inc., as well as past President of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Independent Fee Appraisers. In 1991, he was appointed by (then) Governor Casey to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s State Real Estate Commission.
Hanna is a licensed Real Estate Broker in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida, also a state-certified General Appraiser and a Florida-licensed Mortgage Broker. He has over 60 years of experience in all areas of real estate.
In 1997, the Florida Association of Realtors recognized Hanna as a “Living Legend of Real Estate,” and in 2001, the Realtors Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh presented him with the “Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Howard and Anne Freyvogel Hanna had three children. Howard W. “Hoddy” Hanna, III, now chairman and chief executive officer of the company; Helen Hanna Casey, president; and Annie Hanna Cestra, executive vice president and chief operating officer. Hanna has 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
For more information, visit www.howardhanna.com.
