PRESS RELEASE Media Contact:
For Immediate Release: Kathryn Jones
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 770-813-3381
Council for Quality Growth Names Tommy Holder 36th Recipient of Annual Four Pillar Tribute & Award
Chairman and Former CEO of Holder Construction Company Honored for His Role in Building Atlanta
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – The Council for Quality Growth will honor Thomas M. “Tommy” Holder, Chairman and Former CEO of Holder Construction, with its 36th annual Four Pillar Tribute and Award. Each year, the Council’s prestigious Four Pillar Award recognizes an outstanding individual who demonstrates the ‘Four Pillars’ of leadership – Quality, Responsibility, Vision, and Integrity – and exemplifies the Council’s mission of promoting balanced and responsible growth. The theme of this year’s Four Pillar Tribute, chosen by Holder, is Opportunity – Empowerment – Integrity, inspired by the values by which he ran his company for 30 years.
“The Holder name is engrained in the way Atlanta has grown and developed,” said Michael E. Paris, President & CEO of the Council for Quality Growth. “Tommy’s leadership and vision can be witnessed from every corner of this region and across the country. It is an honor to give this recognition to someone that has given so much to our communities.”
The Council for Quality Growth will present Tommy Holder with this award during the 2025 Four Pillar Tribute, presented by Delta Air Lines, Georgia Power, and Norfolk Southern, on October 16, 2025 at the Georgia World Congress Center.
“I am honored to receive this award from the Council for Quality Growth and humbled by the list of past honorees,” said Tommy. “I am proud of what we’ve accomplished here in Atlanta and even more appreciative of the team that has delivered such high-quality structures to our clients. It’s always been teamwork and unwavering values that have led to our success.”
Tommy was born and raised in Atlanta, attending the Lovett School and Georgia Tech. Holder Construction was founded in 1960 by his father, Robert Holder, when Tommy was young. He joined the family business in 1976 and served in various preconstruction and operations roles before being named President and CEO in 1989, then Chairman and CEO in 1997. He served as CEO until 2021 and remains Chairman of the firm today, continuing to steer the company’s strategic vision and uphold its core values.
Under Tommy’s leadership, Holder Construction has seen strategic expansion into other major cities and markets. Today, as one of the nation’s premier contractors, Holder Construction operates 8 different offices, has projects in over 30 states, and generates over $8 billion in annual revenues. Tommy has been instrumental in shaping the Atlanta skyline with large-scale projects across commercial, education, aviation, and civic sectors. Among the long list of his projects in Atlanta are the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Cox Enterprises Headquarters, NCR Global Headquarters, the New World of Coca-Cola, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Norfolk Southern Corporate offices, and Georgia Tech Square. Outside of Atlanta, Tommy and Holder Construction have built out Delta Sky Club lounges, the Devon Energy Center in Oklahoma City, the Institute for Building & Home Safety in Richburg, South Carolina, the Clemson University Core Campus, Apple Park in Cupertino, California, and over 400 data centers across the U.S. for clients such as Verizon, Google, Amazon, and State Farm.
Across projects and sectors, Tommy has remained steadfast in his commitment to creating innovative, safe, and quality structures. “We are fortunate to work among the most sophisticated architects and structural engineers in the world,” said Tommy. Each project completed by Holder Construction is marked by quality products, structural excellence, technological efficiency, and unique design.
Throughout his career, Tommy has remained an active and committed member of the Atlanta community, serving on the Boards of various organizations and giving philanthropically to the institutions that have impacted his life. He’s the current Chair of the Georgia Tech Foundation and is active on the boards of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and Georgia Power Company. He is a former Chairman of the Board of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, past President of the Rotary Club of Atlanta, and Chairman Emeritus of the Georgia Historical Society. He has also served on the boards of the Westside Future Fund, Georgia Research Alliance, and the Kennesaw State University Foundation. Tommy and his wife, Beth, have also been life-long supporters of The Cathedral of St. Phillip in Atlanta, most recently participating in the construction and design of its new Good Faith Chapel.
“Tommy’s dedication to our community and the built environment speaks volumes about the kind of leader he is,” said Clyde Higgs, 2025 Chairman of the Council for Quality Growth and President & CEO of the Atlanta Beltline. “He exemplifies the Four Pillars of leadership – not only through his professional achievements but also through his civic involvement and philanthropy. His influence on Atlanta will be felt for generations.”
The Council for Quality Growth commends Tommy’s commitment to quality workmanship and family values through his business. Tommy Holder and Holder Construction have been great contributors to the quality of life, vibrant economy, and robust job market celebrated in Atlanta today. The Council is incredibly proud to continue its annual tradition of recognizing extraordinary leaders in our region and state by adding Tommy Holder to the prestigious list of Four Pillar Award honorees. Sponsorship information is now available at www.FourPillarTribute.com.
About the Four Pillar Tribute:
For 36 years the Council for Quality Growth has paid tribute to an outstanding individual in the metro Atlanta region who exemplifies the Council’s mission of promoting balanced and responsible growth through an annual leadership tribute gala that recognizes the ‘Four Pillars’ of leadership – Quality, Responsibility, Vision, and Integrity.
The Four Pillar Award and Tribute is an unparalleled honor that allows the opportunity for the metro Atlanta region and State of Georgia to celebrate the recipient’s significant contributions to quality of life, community leadership, and economic development. The gala and award have come to be known as the highest honor bestowed for the contributions. The event provides a platform to align the honorees’ impacts on the region and the state with the Council’s ambitions and serves as a beacon of inspiration to perpetuate our economic prosperity. More information about the annual Four Pillar Tribute can be found at www.fourpillartribute.com.
Past recipients of the Council’s Four Pillar Award can be viewed here: https://www.fourpillartribute.com/about-the-award/
About the Council for Quality Growth:
The Council for Quality Growth is a trade organization that works to ensure continued growth and economic success for generations to come by providing advocacy, information, and education to its members. For 40 years, the Council has been committed to the mission of promoting balanced and responsible growth and is proactively involved in the formulation of policy and legislation critical to the growth and development industry. The Council addresses, head-on, strategic economic planning, infrastructure needs, and tough quality-of-life issues throughout the metro Atlanta region and state. Visit www.councilforqualitygrowth.org for more.
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