Celadon Founder Stephen Russell Dies at 76
Stephen Russell, founder and former CEO of Celadon Group Inc., has died at 76 of natural causes.
Russell, a New York native and son of a taxi driver, founded Celadon from a single truck in 1985. At the time he retired from its board in December, the Indianapolis, Indiana-based company had been built into a prominent North American trucking business with more than $1 billion in annual revenue. Today, Celadon is No. 42 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.
“Steve Russell was a giant in our industry and his loss will be felt deeply by the many people in and out of trucking who knew him,” said American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves.
“Steve came to trucking almost by accident later in life, but became a tremendous ambassador for the industry and an important leader within ATA – serving as chairman of both the Homeland Security Committee and the Audit Committee as well as on the Board of Directors. On behalf of the entire ATA family, I express our condolences and sympathies to Steve’s family and to Celadon on his loss, he will be truly missed,” said Graves.
The lover of the arts and education built the company, named after a Chinese porcelain, through a blend of acquisitions and growth in cross-border shipments with the U.S. and Mexico. He told people he came to trucking from a coincidental meeting at a New York toll booth when he was 45.
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“It’s a very sad day,” said Paul Will, CEO of Celadon. “He was an interesting, thoughtful and unique individual. He impressed on people to be open and say what you think. He was a friend to the employees, particularly the drivers. He always lived life to the fullest. Celadon so much a part of his life that it was like his fourth child.”
Russell’s son Jon remains with Celadon as president of its Logistics unit. He also is survived his wife Olivia, a son Stuart and daughter Melissa Rubel.
A service has been set for Sunday afternoon at Temple Beth El-Zedeck in Indianapolis.
In addition to building the company’s business, he was known for a commitment to health of his workers, opening multiple facilities designed to promote wellness.
Russell stepped aside from the CEO post at the company in 2012, and left its board in December of last year. During his career, he was an active member of American Trucking Associations’ Executive Committee.
Before creating Celadon, Russell had some ties to transportation. He worked as an executive at Ford Motor Co., led a company that helped to build an airport in Saudi Arabia and was CEO of Seatrain Lines, a shipping company.
Among the honors he received is Global Business Person of the Year, awarded by the World Trade Club of Indiana, and was inducted into the Indiana Business Hall of Fame. He was recognized by Gov. Mitch Daniels for his efforts to apply daylight savings time statewide in Indiana, which he picked as a home for Celadon because so many key industrial highways intersected there.
Russell held a B.A, and M.B.A. from Cornell University.
