Emerson Russell
Emerson Russell, CEO of ERMC, has been named the 2016 Chattanooga Area Manager of the Year. He will be honored with the award during a luncheon on June 8.
Member organizations of CAMOY (Chattanooga Area Manager of the Year) award this annual honor, now in its 31st year, to recognize an executive manager who has made significant contributions to the Chattanooga area.
According to Carolyn Stringer, chair of the 2016 CAMOY event, Mr. Russell joins 30 previous recipients of the CAMOY award who truly embody management as a profession.
“Emerson Russell is a dedicated icon of the American free enterprise system,” Ms. Stringer said. “He is widely recognized for ethical management practices, efficient training for employees and creating jobs in Chattanooga and beyond as he serves his community through civic, professional and educational leadership.”
A Chattanooga native, Mr. Russell exhibited entrepreneurial thinking from an early age. Growing up, Mr. Russell spent part of each summer with relatives in rural Sequatchie County. One summer, an uncle approached him about borrowing money to be repaid at the end of the summer. When he was unable to repay the debt, Mr. Russell suggested accepting two pigs instead of the money. He returned to Chattanooga and sold the two pigs at a profit higher than the debt.
As a teenager, Mr. Russell worked at Mosteller’s Garage on Main Street. At 16, he ran his own car lot buying and selling cars, and was soon financing them as well. After developing an interest in law, he began working as a policeman and later attended Texas A&M and became the City’s polygrapher.
He launched ERMC as a security company in 1972. The company now offers a full-range of janitorial, maintenance, security and landscaping services to more than 200 companies across the country in industries ranging from aviation and industrial to retail and residential. This bundling of services mentality is unique in the facility services industry.
Mr. Russell maintains an open door policy in his company. He is known for empowering employees to think outside the box to accomplish goals and tasks, and remembers employee birthdays and special events with a phone call.
Today, Mr. Russell has started or acquired more than 30 companies, and has hired more than 5,000 employees in more than 35 states.
Mr. Russell’s extensive community involvement has supportedTennessee Workforce Investment Board, the SE TN Development District Board, Salvation Army, American Heart Association, TN Private Protection Services Board, the Hunter Worley Foundation, the Shriners, the Masons, the Southeastern Legal Foundation Board and the Chambers of Commerce for Chattanooga and for Catoosa County, GA, The Rotary Club and Siskin Children’s Institute.
Mr. Russell enjoys spending time with his five children – all of whom work with ERMC or one of Russell’s other companies, 13 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
The 2016 CAMOY Luncheon celebrates Russell’s achievementsJune 8 at 11:30 a.m. at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Individual tickets are $45; tables for eight are $450. Contact Valerie Gifford to reserve a spot at 423 634-3563 or valerie.gifford@tvfcu.com.
To learn more about the Chattanooga Area Manager of the Year Award, visit www.camoy.org.