Please join us for the dedication of a new Georgia historical marker about H. J. Russell & Company, the Atlanta construction firm founded in 1952 by Herman J. Russell, now
one of the nation’s largest African-American-owned construction firms.
The dedication is public and will take place on Wednesday, April 29, at 12:30 p.m., at the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs at 504 Fair Street SW in Atlanta.
The historical marker reads:
H. J. Russell & Company
Graduating in 1952 from Tuskegee Institute, Herman Russell (1930-2014) founded the H. J. Russell Plastering Company in Atlanta, which became H. J. Russell & Company. The company and its subsidiaries are among the nation’s most successful and diversified African-American business enterprises involved in construction, real estate, airport concessions, banking, beverage distribution, and media. With clients that included government, small businesses, and Fortune 500 companies, H. J. Russell & Company helped build modern-day Atlanta with the construction of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Mercedes Benz-Stadium, State Farm Arena, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. A nationally recognized entrepreneur and philanthropist, and one of Atlanta’s most influential leaders, Russell stepped down as CEO in 2003. Herman Russell’s influence continues through the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs, Concessions International, and H. J. Russell & Company.
Erected by the Georgia Historical Society and
H. J. Russell & Company
Pictured above: Herman Russell of H. J. Russell & Company and Robert Holder of Holder Construction. Courtesy of H. J. Russell & Company.