Management Team
Herman J. Russell
The Visionary
"My first rule is knowing where you want to go and
laying out a good map to get there."
At the age of 16, before even graduating with a building science degree from Tuskegee University in 1953, Mr. Russell purchased his first parcel of land for $125 on which he built a duplex.
Prior to college, Mr. Russell worked alongside his father in his plastering business. This was the beginning of what we now know as H.J. Russell & Company, a leading, family-owned and operated construction and real estate development company. As one of the largest minority-owned businesses in the United States, it is consistently listed on the Black Enterprise "Top 100" list of companies.
Known as an industry pioneer in his own right, Herman J. Russell has spent more than 50 years as an entrepreneur, ultimately building an Atlanta-based, family-owned and operated dynasty of companies including H.J. Russell & Company and Concessions International (CI).
In the 1970s, CI joint ventured with Host International, a major airport concessionaire, on the Los Angeles airport concessions operations. Today, CI is ranked among the top five largest airport concessionaires and operates in 7 major airports. The company has grown from a small business enterprise to a prime food and beverage contractor that bids against the biggest players in the industry.
Russell is also a philanthropist at heart and generously gives back to his community in many ways. He is the founder of the Herman J. Russell Foundation, Inc., which focuses on entrepreneurship, mentoring and development in youth. In 1999, he donated a total of $4 million to the entrepreneurship programs of his alma mater, Tuskegee University and Atlanta-based Clark Atlanta University, Georgia State University and Morehouse College. He advises, "Equip yourself well. Whatever you want to be, give 500% to that effort. Be honest to yourself and others, and always remember, there's no substitute for hard work and sacrifices."
