Title: 1) Assistant Project Manager; 2) Owner
Company: 1) Mortenson; 2) Richco Capital
Location: Monroe, Louisiana, United States
James Austin Richardson, Assistant Project Manager at Mortenson and Owner of Richco Capital, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Engineers for dedication, achievements and leadership in large-scale construction and project management.
Mr. Richardson has built a decade-long career marked by progressive responsibility across the real estate, oil & gas, environmental, governmental and commercial construction sectors. He currently serves as an assistant project manager with Mortenson, where he plays a key leadership role in the delivery of the largest data center project in the United States, a multibillion-dollar hyperscale facility being constructed for Meta in Louisiana. In this role, he oversees cost control and financial management, collaborates with preconstruction on estimates and schedules, coordinates scopes of work, manages subcontractor and supplier performance, and directs field and project engineers. He leads subcontractor buyouts, facilitates major coordination meetings, guides the 3-D coordination process, and manages commissioning, turnover, and project closeout operations. His contributions support one of the most technically advanced and mission-critical construction projects underway in the nation.
Before joining Mortenson, Mr. Richardson excelled as a project controls engineer with Caddell Construction in Montgomery, Alabama. In this role, he was responsible for executing all project controls functions for a large, multi-building $1.1 billion Specialized Men’s Prison Facility. His responsibilities included developing, updating, and analyzing the project schedule using Primavera P6; reviewing contracts, plans, and specifications; and coordinating schedule development with project teams and subcontractors. He collected activity data, logic ties, resource requirements, and duration estimates to maintain accurate schedule progressions. Mr. Richardson monitored onsite construction progress, produced periodic and monthly schedule reports to support invoicing, and tracked all potential project changes. He also developed schedule fragnets and performed time-impact analyses (TIAs) to document and demonstrate schedule delays and critical path impacts. His work ensured accurate forecasting, timely reporting, and effective change management on one of the largest correctional facility construction projects in the region.
In addition to his commercial and governmental construction responsibilities, Mr. Richardson is the owner of Richco Capital, a real estate investment company he founded in 2021. Under his leadership, the firm has grown a diversified seven-figure portfolio of residential and commercial properties. He continues expanding the company’s footprint through strategic acquisitions, development initiatives, and partnerships involving short-term rentals and commercial investment ventures.
From 2022 to 2024, Mr. Richardson served as project manager and estimator at Quality First Marine in Covington, Louisiana. During this tenure, he secured and delivered several high-profile projects, including a major government contract with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for the recovery of hurricane-damaged vessels. After preparing the estimate over a month-long period, he won the competitive bid and managed the project to successful completion—finishing ahead of schedule, under budget, and with exceptional profit margins.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Richardson distinguished himself as an engineer and environmental inspector with Tetra Tech in Indiana, Pennsylvania, from 2017 to 2021. There, he provided oversight on a $2.5 billion natural gas pipeline project, inspecting more than 55 miles of pipeline construction for Energy Transfer and Sunoco LP. His work ensured strict adherence to environmental regulations, federal and state permitting, and safety standards across numerous counties and high-risk work zones.
Mr. Richardson holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Management from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He has further strengthened his professional expertise through an extensive list of specialized certifications, including the 132 Hour Occupational Safety & Health Professional Certification, the 233 Hour Oil & Gas Safety and Health Professional Certification, a Diploma in Project Management, Certification in Construction Quality Management for Contractors from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers & NAVFAC), Sunoco Pipeline Mariner East II Environmental Compliance Training from Energy Transfer, and CPR, AED and First-Aid.
A committed member of his professional and civic communities, Mr. Richardson is a committee member of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), where he volunteers in charitable and environmental initiatives. In 2018, he was honored with membership in the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, the highest civilian title of honor bestowed by the Governor of Kentucky.
Throughout his career, Mr. Richardson has earned a reputation as a highly skilled, versatile, and results-driven project management professional with expertise spanning in heavy civil construction, data centers, energy infrastructure, marine operations, governmental, and real estate development. He credits his success to strong mentorship, continuous learning, and the work ethic instilled in him by his father—principles that continue to guide his leadership and advancement in the industry.
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