Known simply as Phil to his friends, family, and dedicated staff, Philip St. Moritz was a man renowned for his entrepreneurial spirit, vision, and overwhelming kindness and generosity. His passing in 2021 brought tributes from across the United States, recognizing not only his achievements in athletics, economics, and as First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, but also the company he founded in 1968, St. Moritz Building Services.
Never one to remain idle, Phil’s years of business experience saw him create other enterprises, including St. Moritz Security Services, Inc. in 1982, St. Moritz Labor Services in 1997, and the purchase of Bill’s Marine Service in 2003. Not only did all these companies become successful, but Phil became an industry leader, responsible for over 4,000 jobs throughout America.
“Phil was a staunch businessman known for his integrity,” reads his obituary. “Few things were more important professionally to him than his word.” Today, almost four years after his passing, his remarkable legacy lives on through his companies and his commitment to the future.
A generous gift
Graduating from Pennsylvania’s venerated Allegheny College in 1961, Phil’s love of his alma mater was not only genuine; it was remarkable. This March, the College announced the largest donation in its 210-year-long history: $35 million from the St. Moritz estate. The funds will be used to establish The Phil St. Moritz Center for Innovation at Reis Hall.
“This momentous gift will fund the renovation and transformation of one of Allegheny’s hallmark buildings, Reis Hall, into a teaching and learning nexus that benefits students from all academic interests,” wrote the College in an announcement. “Its celebrated history includes the distinction of being home to a library collection that in its earliest days caught the eye of Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams.”
The funds will see Reis Hall house The St. Moritz Center, the Allegheny Lab for Innovation and Creativity (ALIC), and the Department of Computer and Information Science. Along with spaces for technology and teaching encompassing several academic disciplines, the St. Moritz Center will feature cutting-edge classrooms, collaborative study studios, varied and immersive maker labs, and a multipurpose outdoor plaza.
“We are honored and humbled that such an accomplished alumnus, through his legacy, would establish a Center to ensure that Allegheny College serves as a leader at the intersection of the liberal arts and emerging technologies, equipping students for careers of the future,” says President Ron Cole of Allegheny College in a media statement. “I believe Phil would be proud that we are enlivening Reis Hall, one of the most iconic buildings at the center of Allegheny College’s campus, in his name.”
News of Phil’s generous gift made news not only at the College itself, but online and in newspapers and magazines across America. Lifestyles Magazine, which focuses on philanthropy, said Phil’s gift was “an extraordinary contribution” and a “transformative investment” in the future of Allegheny College.
Closed since 2018, the revitalized Reis Hall is slated to reopen in 2026-2027. “By fusing the college’s hallmark liberal arts foundation with advanced technical resources, the lab is positioned to equip students with the critical-thinking and real-world problem-solving skills demanded by today’s rapidly evolving workforce.”
Strong leadership, past and present
For Miguel Villa, Phil St. Moritz’s generous gift to Allegheny College is in keeping with his character. As Vice President of Business Development for St. Moritz Building Services, Villa knew Phil and his unwavering commitment to clients and staff alike. “St. Moritz was his baby,” says Villa.
Phil St. Moritz died at the age of 82, unmarried and without children; the business was his passion. “Phil was supremely proud that we are privately held, and he had no interest in selling whatsoever,” says Villa. “One of the arrangements he guaranteed, as part of his will, was that the company remained owned and operated by executive leadership.”
While this required some complex legal maneuvering, the corporate management team ensured that Phil’s wishes were respected. Today, St. Moritz Building Services, the company Phil built from the ground up, remains fully employee-owned and privately held. “He donated his entire estate, and the company remains operating effectively exactly as it did before,” says Villa.
Professional and sustainable
Starting small when he founded the company almost 60 years ago, Phil grew St. Moritz Building Services into one of America’s premier providers of janitorial-service solutions.
With a strong market presence in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Columbus, Ohio, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Augusta and Athens, Georgia, St. Moritz’s customer base includes many well-known Fortune 500 companies. “Our primary clients are in commercial, office, industrial, and manufacturing,” says Villa.
With a strong ethos of respect for clients and the workplace environment, St. Moritz Building Services is proud to say it is “a sustainable, operations-driven company.” Partnering with providers of both effective and environmentally friendly products, the company emphasizes the health and well-being of customers and staff alike. This means using products and providing supplies meeting Green Seal™ environmental standards (GS-37) and certified by the CRI Green Label Testing Program.
“We maintain sustainable solutions,” says Villa, adding that the company also uses third-party certified chemicals and safe storage, and maintains and constantly upgrades its training and purchasing guidelines to remain compliant with the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) requirements.
A higher standard
As St. Moritz Building Services approaches its 60th anniversary, the company continues to grow strategically. Villa says that the business will keep expanding—not merely for growth’s sake, but to perform services that genuinely benefit clients.
“Many others in the industry are focused primarily on profit just by direction,” he says. “While we are a for-profit company, we prioritize industry-leading technology, training, and resources to deliver the highest standard of service. And because we are privately held and not beholden to shareholders, that allows us to think long-term and invest in innovation, sustainability, and our people, ensuring we remain best-in-class,” he says.
“It’s not just about being competitive today; it’s about building a company that sets the standard for what the industry should be. The direction we are going to maintain is the one Phil would have supported.”
