Emily Bittenbender is the Owner and Managing Partner of Bittenbender Construction, LP. Bittenbender Construction, LP is a 100% woman-owned and operated Commerical General Contractor and Construction Management firm specializing in New Construction, Interior and Exterior Renovations, Tenant Fit- Out, and Restoration projects.
Emily Bittenbender’s career focus has always been the Design, Construction and Renovations of public buildings and spaces. Early in her career she was hired by the Rendell Administration to jump start the paralyzed system of completing over 300 back-logged capital construction projects within city government. As Philadelphia’s first Capital Program Director for the CPO, Emily was charged with the responsibility of bringing private sector business practices to the city and completed $454 million of capital projects in 3 1⁄2 years time.
In January 2000, Emily was hired as the Vice President of Design and Construction for the National Constitution Center to lead a team once again in the Design and Construction of a $137 million dollar museum in Independence Mall.
After the completion of her most beloved project, the National Constitution Center in 2003, Emily started Bittenbender Construction, LP. Since 2003, the Company has tripled in size, built and renovated hundreds of Corporate, Cultural, Greenspace, Institutional, Science & Technology, and Retail projects and become one of the fastest growing and most diverse leaders in the industry.
In 2009 Emily launched Philadelphia Carpentry Systems, LP, a woman-owned Carpentry and Exhibit Installation Company, providing quality carpentry services to general contractors and building owners in the Philadelphia region.
In 2011, Emily was awarded The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Excellence Award for Small Business Person of the Year. In 2015, The Philadelphia chapter of the General Building Contractors Association named Emily L. Bittenbender as its new chairwoman — the first female to hold the top post in the organization’s 124-year history. In 2016, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce awarded Emily with Paradigm Award, the region’s most prestigious award for businesswomen.
Emily currently sits on the following boards: : The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee, The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s Paradigm Award Committee, the GBCA Executive Committee, Drexel University’s Close School Advisory Board, M&T Bank Director’s Advisory Council, and more.
Bittenbender recently completed the construction of the new Community Parternship School in the Brewerytown section, the new state of the art John and Richanda Rhoden Arts Center and Anne Bryan Gallery, at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the improvements & new terrace desk at the Independence Visitor’s Center, and the new and improved Love Park.
This past September, Bittenbender Construction, LP was ranked #3 on the “The List” for Women-Owned Businesses by the Philadelphia Business Journal – based on Company Revenue in 2018.