Davenport-based Russell Construction & Development continues to grow, acquiring Merit General Contractors, Inc., based out of Olathe, Kansas. The new name of the enterprise is Russell Merit.
Merit’s founder and CEO Don Crabtree is the new Executive Vice President of Russell Merit. “We are extremely excited to join the Russell team,” he said in a recent Russell release. “This is not only great news for Merit team members but for our clients as well. We look forward to continuing to serve the Kansas City region and beyond with our deep bench of talented construction professionals and their commitment to technology and innovation in the construction process.”
Russell offers an expanded skill set, including real estate development, efficient project management and use of advanced Virtual Design & Construction technologies to the Kansas City market, the release said. The two companies both value building great people, relationships and community and have worked on similar project types, including manufacturing, industrial and office. Merit brings longstanding local relationships, which complements the presence Russell has been already building in the St. Louis area.
Russell previously merged with HBD Contracting based out of St. Louis, Mo., to form Russell HBD in November 2020.
“We are thrilled by this new opportunity with Merit to continue to build off their established legacy and to develop stronger relationships with customers and subcontractors in the Kansas City region,” said Sam Russell, the newly named director of Kansas City at Russell. “As a family-owned company, community is of the utmost importance to us. Having Don Crabtree on our team allows us to continue to leverage his knowledge and experience of the market to continue to serve clients.”
Sam is the son of Russell Construction & Development founder and current CEO James V. Russell.
Russell Merit is already working together for a significant project for Cargo Largo in Independence, Mo.
This $42-million project includes the construction of a new 558,600-squatre-foot warehouse and retail center, including 92,600 square feet of mezzanine space on approximately 43 acres. This new facility will consolidate all of Cargo Largo’s activities under one roof, including 51 docks, storage, shipping, sorting, auction areas, and retail center. This project officially kicked off in January 2021 and is scheduled for completion in May 2023.
Established in 1983, Russell is a regional and national provider of construction and development services, headquartered in Davenport with offices in St. Louis and Olathe, Kan. Russell has delivered more than $3 billion in projects across 33 states. For more information on Russell, visit its website.
Merit General Contractors was founded in 1991 by CEO Don Crabtree and is based in Olathe, Kan. For the last 30+ years, Merit has successfully completed more than 500 projects, resulting in close to $1 billion in total revenues. Visit the new company website HERE.
