Russell is a Midwest construction and real estate development company with over 300 team members and a wide range of expertise. “We are generalists,” says Matt Stack, President, St. Louis. “We don’t serve just one small niche, but rather we operate in multiple product types in multiple sectors, including hospitality, manufacturing, and industrial warehousing. We operate in retail. We operate in senior living, healthcare, data centers.”
Headquartered in the Quad Cities, Iowa with offices in St. Louis and Kansas City, Russell enjoys a convenient, central location along with a strong national presence across 34 states. The company has completed more than $7 billion in commercial construction and development projects since James V. Russell founded it in 1983. Right after graduating from Iowa State University, Russell launched the business armed with just $10,000, a stack of business cards, a can-do attitude, and a willingness to take a risk. After landing a small remodeling job for a local hotel, the company found its footing and began to grow, quickly becoming a major player in the region and beyond.
The company’s core values have been foundational to its success. According to the Russell philosophy, people and safety come first, communication with clients is critical, and projects should always be delivered on time and on budget. “It’s living by our core values and ultimately putting into practice every day our client-centric nature,” Stack says of Russell’s secret to success. He adds that the team “sees the world from our clients’ eyes and provide them a high level of client-responsive concierge service. Travel with them where we need to travel with them, but still do it in a very safe, innovative, and a high-integrity way. Every day, we display some version or another of our core values.”
The company’s dedicated team members have also been key to the success of the business. “It’s so cliché, but it’s hiring the right people and really giving them the opportunity to grow the business,” says President Caitlin Russell. “Our team is, I believe, one of the best. I’m obviously biased, but our business is [set apart by] our people and their drive to make us better.”
As a family-owned company, this commitment to people can be traced back to the founder, whose appreciation of team members continues to positively impact the business every day. “If you had the opportunity to spend some time with Jim Russell, you’d know he’s very generous,” Caitlin Russell says. “He’s generous with our people here, and he’s so appreciative of everyone’s role in growing the company to what it is today. He started this in 1983 and quickly realized it takes more than just him to grow an organization like this. And so, there’s a lot of appreciation for our team and the teamwork that it takes to build the buildings we do.”
“It’s still a family and that’s felt daily,” Stack adds. “The culture is one that really does put a lot of emphasis on the mental and physical well-being of our team members.” This attitude permeates the entire organization. For example, “that core value of safety does not just entail fall safety or personal protective equipment (PPE) on a construction site, but it’s also making sure that our team members feel supported, have the correct mental health opportunities as needed so they can take care of their families,” says Stack.
This commitment has led to generous benefits and a company culture that encourages a healthy work-life balance. “Our flexibility for PTO has been something that our team members really value when it comes to being able to be 100 percent involved in their family lives, but at the same time, 100 percent engaged in their career, with an unlimited growth path there,” Stack says. “It’s a fun place to work.”
It is also a “fast-paced place to work, one that recognizes that we’re in it to win,” he adds, so employees have ample opportunity for personal growth and professional development. “We have leaders and team members that put a lot of emphasis on winning as a team.”
These two aspects of the company—drive and culture—have both been celebrated by the broader industry, with Russell being named among the Top 200 Contractors, the Top 90 Construction Management Firms, and the Top 36 CM Agent & PM Firms by Building Design + Construction (BD+C) Magazine as well as being highlighted as one of the Best Places For Working Parents and being honored with a Best Culture Award from Kudos® Inc.
The team’s commitment to “building relationships, people, and communities” has led it to supporting a number of charitable endeavors, says Stack. Russell actively supports the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Habitat for Humanity, United Way, River Bend Food Bank, Girl Scouts, Children’s Therapy Center, Alzheimer’s Association, Family Resources, Big Brothers Big Sisters, World Pediatric Project, and many more worthy causes. Over 65 organizations have been positively impacted by Russell’s charitable involvement. The company donated over $200,000 in 2024 and has given more than $2.3 million to local non-profit and community service agencies in the Kansas City, Quad Cities, and St. Louis area since its founding.
Russell has achieved impressive growth over the last 42 years, and the company continues to expand. “We’ve probably seen at least two and a half times growth [over the past] five years,” Stack explains. “And the way that it is being accomplished is growth by intention. We’ve made investments in the organization in terms of technology, in people, in infrastructure, in resources, along with additional markets, adding the office here in St. Louis and an office in Kansas City. Those investments have set up Russell as an organization to have that kind of growth.”
The growth has a positive ripple effect throughout the community, making it win-win for both the company and the region. “By growing, we’re giving more opportunities for team members to build different projects and impact other communities. And so that’s why we grow,” says Russell.
When planning for the future, the team is eager to embrace emerging technology, particularly artificial intelligence. “I think that we will continue to advance from a technology perspective,” Russell shares. “AI is touching every industry, and technological advancement in our industry is going to be very important as it’s harder and more challenging to find the workforce to execute in the field. And I think, from an efficiency perspective in the office, AI and technology will be important for both Russell and our industry to continue to adapt. I think that continued growth into other markets and other sectors will be a continued focus of our organization.”
The team will also continue to focus on growing the company. “Our growth is very intentional, and it will continue to be so,” says Stack.
“We have the energy and desire to continue to make an impact in the Midwest region and across the country in our various sectors,” adds Russell. “We are looking forward to continuing to grow and provide opportunities for our team members.”
