There is a new historical marker at 504 Fair Street SW, and it tells one of the great Atlanta business stories. On April 29, 2026, the Georgia Historical Society dedicated a marker recognizing H. J. Russell & Company at the firm's former headquarters, the building now known as the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs, or RICE.
The unveiling drew representatives from the historical society, the Russell company and members of the community. The marker is part of the society's Georgia Business History Initiative, which each year selects Georgia companies whose accomplishments and longevity helped shape the state, then recognizes them with historical markers, public programming and educational resources.
From plastering to skylines
Herman J. Russell graduated from Tuskegee Institute in 1952 and founded the H. J. Russell Plastering Company in Atlanta, the modest business that became H. J. Russell & Company. According to the marker, the company and its subsidiaries rank among the nation's most successful and diversified African American business enterprises, with work spanning construction, real estate, airport concessions, banking, beverage distribution and media.
Downtown is full of its fingerprints. Serving clients from government agencies and small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, the firm helped build Mercedes-Benz Stadium, State Farm Arena and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, along with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Herman Russell, who lived from 1930 to 2014, was a nationally recognized entrepreneur and philanthropist and one of Atlanta's most influential leaders. He stepped down as CEO in 2003.
A headquarters turned launchpad
According to Atlanta Daily World, the Russell family contributed the Fair Street property in 2016 to establish RICE, a home base for local entrepreneurs. Placing the marker there connects the company's past with the next generation of business owners working inside the same walls.
Dr. W. Todd Groce, president and CEO of the Georgia Historical Society, said the initiative gives students of all ages a way to learn about the impact of companies across the state and to see how local stories connect to the broader picture of American history. He pointed to the Russell story as an example of how hard work and a multi-generational commitment to innovation and quality can change the economic and cultural landscape of Atlanta.
H. Jerome Russell, the founder's son and president of the company, said his father instilled the belief that true success is rooted in quality work and strong character, values that guided the firm's early construction projects and real estate developments. He said the company is looking ahead to a future built on perseverance, partnership and meaningful impact.
What the marker says
The marker text, erected by the Georgia Historical Society and H. J. Russell & Company, commemorates the company's founding and its growth alongside Atlanta in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It closes by noting that Herman Russell's influence continues through RICE, Concessions International and H. J. Russell & Company itself, all three still part of the city's business life today.
Also reported by the Georgia Historical Society, which publishes the full marker text.
Source: Atlanta Daily World, April 30, 2026.
