From left, Lisa Speake, Anne Harbison Speake and Mike Hamzy represent the team behind Harbison International, which is celebrating 40 years in business this year. Hamzy founded the firm after serving in the Lebanese special forces. Photo contributed

Harbison International, Inc. — an engineering, surveying, and construction planning firm in Fresno — is celebrating 40 years in business this year.

It’s a family operation, founded by Mike Hamzy and co-owned and managed by his wife Anne Harbison Speake and daughter Lisa Speake.

Hamzy has more than 40 years of experience in design and construction management for public and private projects.

Harbison International services include land development, site design, topographic boundary surveys, grading and drainage plans and more.

They work on projects in the commercial, industrial, government, school and university sectors, as well as for golf courses, truck stops and gas stations.

Some of their projects include the Granite Park Commercial and Sports Complex, United Health Centers building in Selma and the Gap warehouse in Fresno.

A native of Lebanon, Hamzy attended Fresno State after graduating as an architect from Lebanese University. He served in the Lebanese special forces and fought against the Syrian Army during its 1976 occupation.

Hamzy said there was one night during the war where his special forces units destroyed 45 tanks. He was given the opportunity to leave the country, either to attend military school in the former Soviet Union or come to the U.S. He had been accepted to attend University of California, Berkeley for graduate study in architecture.

“I chose to come to the United States in 1977 with $100 in my pocket” Hamzy said.

Hamzy didn’t even know where Fresno was when his retired uncle first invited him to visit family there.

While visiting Fresno, he decided to return home and lead his troops in the ongoing conflict. Because Hamzy comes from a sheikh family, he was provided security by the U.S. government and the French government sent a member of the French Foreign Legion.

They both convinced him to attend a Christmas party on Dec. 10, 1977 — one that would change the course of his career and entire life.

“I saw my wife. I fell in love with her. I called my dad that same night and told him I’m not going back to Lebanon,” Hamzy said.

Stay he did, attending Fresno State to study civil engineering as it didn’t offer an architectural degree at the time.

He graduated in 1980 during the Carter Administration, and there was no work to be found for civil engineers. Hamzy returned to Fresno State from 1982-1984 for a degree in heavy building construction.

In 1984 he founded Harbison International, naming the company in honor of Robert Harbison, Sr., his wife’s Anne Speake’s father, starting off in a small office in his backyard and landing contracts within the first six months.

Build out

In the early days, Hamzy had a contact with Kmart, and with some other partners, they built about 37 Kmart stores across California.

In 1992 Harbison International landed a contract with the U.S. government for work on California’s military airbases, including Naval Air Station Lemoore.

In 1993, he founded Hamzy and Associates Inc., a construction management and land development company.

Hamzy returned to Fresno State in 1997, earning a master’s in city and regional planning. That same year, he started American Homes, developing close to 8,000 single-family homes from Sacramento to Bakersfield.

Anne became president of the company in 2002, and her daughter, Lisa Speake, also joined Harbison International, turning it into a women-owned business.

Like many businesses, Harbison International has faced waves of challenges over the years, including the Great Recession, Covid epidemic and the typical ups and downs of the construction industry.

After 2008, Hamzy liquidated all the real estate they had as they were not making money on homes, and operations for American Homes ceased.

Over the years, the company has grown with projects all over California, Oregon and Hawaii. It has employees working remotely in other California cities, Florida and even in Lebanon, Pakistan and India.

Hamzy said he is happy to have grown his company in Central Valley, enjoys the cooperation with long-time clients and is hopeful to make new ones.

With his granddaughter joining the company, he is hopeful that future generations will keep Harbison International going.

“We have been a part of the community for the last 40 years, and we are proud of it, and we are planning to be here a while,” Hamzy said.