BYRON RUSSELL

CHAIRMAN & CEO, CHENEY BROTHERS, WEST PALM BEACH

Now in its fourth generation, Cheney Brothers is a family-owned food distributor dating back to 1925, when Russell’s maternal grandfather, Joe Cheney, started delivering eggs and butter from local farmers. Russell started working in a company warehouse in 1976 — sweeping floors and loading trucks — before he was elevated to CEO in 1981 at 28 years old. The company now spans more than 2.8 million square feet of distribution space in 10 facilities throughout the Southeast, distributing more than 64,000 food items. With its expanding footprint, the company stocks pantry shelves across the Southeast with 1,800 tractors and trailers, 250 loading docks and more than 3,200 employees. Annual sales surpass $3 billion.