R.J. Leeper Ranks No. 3 Among Charlotte Black-Owned Firms
The Charlotte construction company reported $173.5 million in 2025 revenue, placing third on the Charlotte Business Journal's 2026 list.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Healthcare
R.J. Leeper Construction ranked No. 3 on the Charlotte Business Journal's 2026 list of largest Black-owned companies in the Charlotte region, after reporting $173.5 million in 2025 revenue. The company previously held the No. 1 position on the list.
Why it matters
The ranking reflects the scale of Black-owned businesses operating in Charlotte's construction and contracting sectors, which span healthcare, education, infrastructure and industrial work. The company's growth is tied to its 2021 acquisition by Bright Hope Capital.
The 52 companies on the list employ more than 600 people combined, while R.J. Leeper reports 60 full-time local employees. Mills Automotive Group ranked first with estimated 2025 revenue exceeding $500 million.
The players
R.J. Leeper Construction
A Charlotte-founded general contractor and electrical contracting firm, acquired by Bright Hope Capital in 2021, that previously ranked first on the Charlotte Business Journal's list of largest Black-owned companies.
Charlotte Business Journal
The Charlotte-based business publication that compiles the annual ranking of the region's largest Black-owned companies.
The details
R.J. Leeper Construction, founded in Charlotte in 1994, operates across construction management, general contracting and industrial and commercial electrical contracting. The company's work spans healthcare, higher education, K-12 education, infrastructure, industrial construction and mixed-use development.
Timeline
• 1994: R.J. Leeper Construction founded in Charlotte.
• 2021: Bright Hope Capital acquired R.J. Leeper Construction.
• 2023: R.J. Leeper ranked as Charlotte's largest Black-owned company.
• 2025: R.J. Leeper generated $173.5 million in revenue.
• 2026: Charlotte Business Journal published the No. 3 ranking.
Market Landscape
The Charlotte Business Journal's annual ranking tracks shifts among the city's largest Black-owned firms, and R.J. Leeper's move from first to third shows changing positions within that group. Mills Automotive Group and McFarland Construction remain the largest firms above it on the list.
Charlotte residents who hire contractors for healthcare, education or commercial construction may find a wider set of established Black-owned firms competing for projects. The ranking is one indicator of local firm capacity rather than a direct change in pricing or availability.
The takeaway
Rankings like this one show how local firm size and ownership can shift over time, making annual business lists useful for tracking the Charlotte contracting market. Readers comparing contractors can use such lists as a starting point for research into firm capacity.
Further reading
Explore more Healthcare coverage for context on the industries this construction firm serves in Charlotte.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Black Enterprise.
