Russell is Committed to Integrity

In December 2021, Russell was made aware of the federal investigation which has now resulted in the indictment of Brian Kowert, Sr. Russell had no prior knowledge of the fraudulent activity by Kowert, Sr. alleged in the indictment, and Russell continues to fully cooperate with the United States Attorney’s Office and investigators. Brian Kowert, Sr. has not been with the company since December 2021. According to the indictment, the alleged criminal activity commenced well before Russell acquired HBD in October 2020 and employed Kowert, Sr. Russell HBD policy is to fully comply with all requirements related to minority-owned business and women-owned business participation, as well as all other laws, rules, and regulations.

“This matter begins and ends with Brian Kowert, Sr. We at Russell are fully committed to transparency and ethical financial stewardship. We do not tolerate fraudulent behavior or misconduct of any kind,” company President, Caitlin Russell, stated.

For 39 years, Russell has been a leader in the construction industry, devoted to excellence for our clients and generosity in our communities. With 89 active projects in 20 states and a workforce of more than 275 team members, Russell is a regional leader in the industry. Most notable projects include:

• United States District Court Building, Central District of Illinois, Rock Island, IL
• University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art, Iowa City, IA
• 16 active government projects, including Veteran’s Affairs clinics nationally
• 14 K-12 and higher education projects

One of Russell’s core values is integrity, defined by pride in working at Russell and operating with honest, forthright, professional behavior. Russell’s mission is building great people, relationships and community. Team members live the mission through service in the community, including donating over $65,000 annually to charitable causes and volunteering over 6,500 hours of time to nonprofit work. Russell was also recently designated as a Best Place to Work for Working Parents for Iowa. These commitments to stewardship have built Russell’s reputation for integrity and will carry forward into the future.

Any further comments or questions can be directed to:

Melissa Pepper
Chief Strategy Officer
(815) 222-5543
Mpepper@russellco.com 

Our full press release can be downloaded here: Russell_KowertPressRelease_3.30.22