By Tony Lawson
Construction is one of the most capital-intensive industries in the world.
Firms that operate at a serious scale manage complex financing, navigate public approvals, maintain bonding capacity, and coordinate large teams across multi-year project cycles.
Building that infrastructure takes time. The firms listed here have done that work.
They operate across healthcare, aviation, sports facilities, education, transportation, and urban development. Each has a documented project history and an active presence in its market.
This is part of an ongoing Shoppe Black series documenting Black-owned construction firms delivering major projects across the United States.
H.J. Russell & Company | Atlanta, GA
H.J. Russell & Company was founded in 1952 by Herman J. Russell, who built the firm from a plastering company into one of the most recognized construction and real estate businesses in the country. Michael Russell has served as President and CEO since 2003.
The firm operates as a vertically integrated service provider specializing in construction and program management, with active operations in Atlanta, Dallas, Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, and Tampa. Its project portfolio spans mission-critical data centers, healthcare facilities, sports and entertainment venues, multi-family residential, and public assembly. The firm has set a target of reaching $1 billion in annual revenue by 2029.
H.J. Russell & Company was one of the contractors for Hartsfield-Atlanta International Airport and has remained a consistent presence on major Atlanta projects over seven decades. The Russell Companies, which includes H.J. Russell & Company and Concessions International, employs more than 2,000 people with operations across ten cities.
C.D. Moody Construction Company | Lithonia, GA
C.D. Moody Construction Company was founded in 1988 by C. David Moody Jr., who serves as President and CEO. The firm is headquartered in Lithonia, Georgia, and has built a project portfolio valued at more than $2 billion over its history, with a focus on commercial, institutional, and data center construction.
Moody Construction has appeared on Black Enterprise magazine’s Top 100 list of the nation’s largest Black-owned companies for more than two decades and has been identified by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of Atlanta’s top 25 commercial contractors. Completed projects include Centennial Olympic Stadium, Philips Arena, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and multiple buildings on the Morehouse College campus.
The firm’s current work includes data center projects, corporate campuses, and institutional clients across the Southeast.
D.A. Everett Construction Group | Charlotte, NC
D.A. Everett Construction Group was founded in 2013 by Donovan Everett, who serves as President and CEO. The firm is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, with additional offices in Raleigh and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. It holds an unlimited general contractor license in North Carolina, South Carolina, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The firm focuses on healthcare, education, hospitality, automotive, and public assembly markets. In 2024, D.A. Everett entered a joint venture with Turner Construction to serve as general contractor on a $215 million renovation of Spectrum Center, the home arena of the Charlotte Hornets. The firm is also part of the construction team for an $800 million renovation of Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, in partnership with Clark Construction. The Charlotte Business Journal has named D.A. Everett Construction one of the city’s largest area-based Black-owned companies three years running.
Additional completed work includes healthcare expansion projects for Novant Health, renovations at Bojangles Coliseum, and school construction across the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District.
Smoot Construction | Washington, DC
Smoot Construction Company of Washington, DC, was established in 1968 and is part of The Smoot Corporation, a family business founded in 1946 by Sherman R. Smoot in Charleston, West Virginia. The firm is now in its fourth generation of family ownership. Omar McIntosh serves as Executive Vice President, leading the DC operations.
SmootDC operates across local government, quasi-federal, and public-private project types, with a portfolio spanning sports and entertainment venues, higher education, historic restoration, and residential development. Major completed projects in Washington include Nationals Park, the Entertainment and Sports Arena, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library renovation. The firm served as part of the construction team on the National Air and Space Museum renovation, completing work on eight galleries in the west wing.
In 2021, SmootDC expanded operations to Boston, where it has delivered projects for Harvard University and MIT, including the David Rubenstein Treehouse Conference Center and East Campus renovation work.
Powers & Sons Construction Company | Chicago, IL
Powers & Sons Construction Company was founded in 1967 by Mamon Powers Sr. in Gary, Indiana. The firm has grown into one of the most established Black-owned construction companies in the Midwest, with offices in Chicago, Gary, and Indianapolis. Mamon Powers Jr. serves as CEO and Chairman of the Board.
The firm has completed more than $1 billion in construction since its founding, specializing in general contracting, construction management, design-build, and owner’s representative services across institutional, commercial, and educational markets.
Notable projects include the Obama Presidential Center construction team, the University of Chicago’s Harper Court mixed-use development, the Green Line Arts Center, and work across the Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis International Airport, and multiple Indianapolis Public Schools facilities.
Con-Real LP | Arlington, TX
Con-Real LP was founded in 1979 by Gerald Alley and his brother Troy C. Alley Jr. The firm is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, and operates as the largest Black-owned construction and real estate company in Texas. Gerald Alley serves as President and CEO.
Con-Real provides general contracting, construction management, design-build, and real estate services to commercial, entertainment, healthcare, educational, and institutional clients. The firm has offices in Dallas, Houston, and San Francisco, and regularly serves Fortune 500 clients including JPMorgan Chase, Kroger, and Frito-Lay. Completed projects include Globe Life Field in Arlington, the Texas Live! entertainment complex, and Live! by Loews hotel.
With $150 million in projects under contract and approximately 50 employees, Con-Real has built a 45-year operating history across Texas and beyond. Alley was inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame.
Shoppe Black documents how these firms structure capacity, build project histories, and compete in markets where bonding, institutional relationships, and track record determine long-term access.
Firms interested in a dedicated editorial feature can submit an inquiry here.
