A recently announced $5 million gift from alumnus Billy Harbert to establish the BL Harbert Real Estate Center at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School in Atlanta has been hailed as a “transformational investment” by the private education center.
Goizueta has had a real estate offering since 2003 as a concentration within the Bachelor of Business Administration and finance degree programs, according to Sergio Gárate, director of the Real Estate Program. The Harbert gift will provide an endowment that will enable Goizueta to expand its real estate-related research, enrich student opportunities in the field, expand its engagement with the sector's community, and support additional industry-related conferences and guest lecturers, Gárate said.
“We are tremendously thankful for Mr. Harbert’s generosity,” he added. “It will help us connect students with industry and industry to the university and the services we provide.”
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An Emory MBA alum, Harbert was elected to Emory’s Board of Trustees in October 2024 for a six-year term. He is a well-known figure in the construction industry around the world, especially in sustainable and design-build construction.
Headquartered in Birmingham, AL, the privately held company BL Harbert International LLC consists of two distinct operating groups: The U.S. Group and The International Group. Billy Harbert has been the chairman and CEO of BL Harbert International since its inception. According to his company bio, he provides leadership and direction of all BL Harbert projects worldwide and guides executive management and the C-suite.
The International group provides pre-construction, design-build, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering services for U.S. government facilities, including embassies, as well as civil/industrial, commercial and hospitality clients around the world. It states that its five pillars are unity, respect, equality, diversity and inclusion.
The company had revenue of $1.3 billion in 2023. Since 2000, it has taken part in over $5 billion of new construction in more than 50 countries. Recognized for its emphasis on sustainability, it has recorded over $4.1 billion in green construction. It claims over 10,000 employees and has earned high rankings from the authoritative publication Engineering News-Record (ENR).
The U.S. Group, with offices in eight cities in the South, serves primarily industrial, federal and commercial sectors.
“I am proud to support the launch of the new center and hope to continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of real estate education and practice,” Harbert said of his gift. “I look forward to seeing how Goizueta will inspire and prepare the next generation of industry leaders.”
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