Herman J. Russell: master builder: this entrepreneur built a construction empire brick by brick while reshaping the Atlanta skyline.

When Herman J. Russell bought his first property in 1946--a vacant lot where he later built a duplex--it's likely that the ambitious 16-year-old had no idea what his first entrepreneurial endeavor would lead to. Acquiring and developing real estate in the segregated South was perhaps the first bold move for Russell, born in 1930 to a maid and a plasterer with a third-grade education. But it would be far from his last.

From those humble beginnings, Russell would go on to build a construction powerhouse that has consistently ranked among the nation's largest black-owned companies and defined how an African American entrepreneur can stake a claim in the white-dominated construction industry. He managed to obtain a business loan from a bank that had never before financed a black entrepreneur. And he became a millionaire before he was 40 in a time and place where African Americans were, at best, second-class citizens.

As CEO of H.J. Russell & Co. (No. 13 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list with $304.2 million in sales), Russell helped create monumental Atlanta landmarks such as the Georgia Dome and Coca-Cola headquarters. Always maintaining an eye on the bottom line and an iron grip on expenses, Russell demonstrated a business acumen that enabled him to beat out not only minority competitors but larger, white-owned companies as well. "My dad always said it's not how much you make but how much you save that counts, and I believe in that philosophy today," he once wrote.

Russell, the youngest of eight children, learned the plastering trade at age 12 from his father, Rogers. In 1952, while still a senior at Tuskegee University in Alabama, Russell formed H.J. Russell Plastering Co., the predecessor to his current business. After receiving his degree in building construction, Russell decided to work with his father. After his father's death in 1957, Russell took over the company. Two years later, he formed a commercial and residential property management business and eventually expanded into general contracting, construction and program management, and real estate development.

In 1963, Russell became the first black member, and later second black president, of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. He also played a leading role in the civil rights movement, working closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In 1979, he launched Concessions International, a food and beverage enterprise that operates in airports nationwide.

Over the next few decades, H. J. Russell & Co. would continue to snag high-profile construction contracts. Among them were the Georgia Dome in 1992, Centennial Olympic Stadium/Turner Field in 1994, and Philips Arena in 1999. With his success, Russell grew more philanthropic, donating a total of $4 million to his alma mater and to Clark Atlanta University, Georgia State University, and Morehouse College to expand their entrepreneurship programs.

There were 10 construction firms on the original BE 100S list in 1973. Thirty years later, Russell's company is the only one left from the original list, one of the few general contractors on the current list, and the largest minority-owned construction firm in the U.S. In recognition of his achievements, BLACK ENTERPISE awarded Russell the A.G. Gaston Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997, along with five other leaders who served as CEOs of firms that had been on the BE 100S since the list's inception.

At the end of 2003, Russell passed the torch to his youngest son, Michael. While the elder Russell remains chairman of the Atlanta-based firm, the younger Russell manages its day-to-day operations. With all of his children involved in the family business, Russell has ensured that his company will have a legacy as impressive as the Atlanta skyline.

35 YEARS BLACK ENTERPRISE

As part of our 35th anniversary salute, BLACK ENTERPRISE presents Ultimate Wealth Builders--a monthly series profiling entrepreneurs, financiers, and corporate chieftains. Through innovative thinking, these men and women have had an immeasurable impact on the wealth-building potential of black Americans. For profiles of all of our Ultimate Wealth Builders, go to www.blackenterprise.com.