Sylvester J. Harris, II Brings 25 Years of Real Estate Development, General Construction & Business Experience Back to Cleveland
From a golf club placed in his hands at age seven to helping lead a $100 million mechanical contracting company, Sylvester J. Harris, II enters a new chapter built on mentorship, partnership, and a vision for growth.
By Sylvester J. Harris, II
January, 2026
There are moments in life when you realize that the journey you have traveled has prepared you for something much bigger than yourself. For me, 2025 marked the beginning of one of those moments.
After 25 years in business in Atlanta, Georgia, I have entered a new chapter of my professional career—one that expands my work back home into Cleveland, Ohio, while continuing to build upon the foundation I established through S.J. Harris & Company, Inc., where I serve as Founder, President & CEO in Atlanta, Georgia
My work as a Real Estate Developer, General Contractor/Construction Manager & Entrepreneur has always been centered around one fundamental belief: business & construction is about more than constructing buildings; it is about creating opportunities, strengthening communities, and building something that can outlast you.
Today, that philosophy is taking me beyond Atlanta.
In October 2025, I accepted an expanded leadership role with Coleman-Spohn Corporation, serving as Partner, Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer. The Cleveland-based company is a mechanical operations, facilities management and general contractor/construction manager organization with approximately $70 million in annual business and more than 60 employees.
This opportunity represents far more than another position.
It represents the continuation of a relationship that began more than five decades ago.
A Mentor, a Golf Club and a Lifetime of Preparation
My relationship with Lonnie Coleman is difficult to describe simply as a business relationship.
Lonnie has been a mentor, friend, business partner and, in many ways, a second father figure throughout my professional journey.
He has known me since I was seven years old. Him & my father were friends and golf buddies.
In fact, one of the most important objects he ever placed in my hands was not a contract, a set of construction plans or a business proposal.
It was a golf club.
That moment helped set the direction of my life.
Golf ultimately became an important part of my development, discipline and education. I went on to attend college on a full golf scholarship, an opportunity that helped open doors and teach me lessons that would later become invaluable in business—discipline, preparation, patience, concentration and the ability to think several shots ahead.
After college, Lonnie continued to mentor me as I entered the professional world. I began working with him out of college as he placed me on my first project the Cleveland Indians Ballpark “Jacobs Field” a $212 Million dollar sports facility in Cleveland, Ohio. After the ballpark went on to be the sole project engineer on a $70 Million housing project “Carver Park” which was the first project under the HUD Hope VI Grant. I worked for him for 4 years then decided to move back south where I went to college but in Georgia.
Now, decades later, the relationship has come full circle.
The man who put a golf club in my hands when I was seven is now helping prepare me to take the reins of a company that has grown into a $70 million enterprise with more than 60 employees.
From Mentorship to Succession
Lonnie Coleman has built something special.
Coleman-Spohn Corporation represents decades of hard work (50 years in business), relationships, reputation and technical expertise. As Lonnie looks toward retirement, we have begun a deliberate transition that is designed to position the company for its next generation of leadership.
My responsibility is not simply to occupy a title.
It is to learn, lead, preserve, improve and ultimately carry forward the culture and legacy that Lonnie Coleman has built.
The long-term objective is for me to assume responsibility for the company’s day to-day operations by January 2030.
That transition will not happen overnight.
It is being intentionally developed over several years to ensure that the company remains strong for its employees, clients, subcontractors, partners and the communities it serves.
My role will encompass operational leadership, project delivery, client relationships, business development, strategic planning and continued growth of the organization.
The goal is simple:
Build upon what works, improve what can be improved, and prepare Coleman Spohn Corporation for its next 50 years.
Atlanta and Cleveland: Two Markets, One Vision For the past 25 years, my professional life has been rooted in Atlanta, Georgia.
Through S.J. Harris & Company, Inc., I have developed a career focused on real estate development, construction, project management and investment.
Now, my time will be divided between Cleveland, Atlanta and other markets where these companies operate.
I don’t see this as leaving Atlanta.
Instead, I see it as expanding the footprint of what we have built.
Atlanta has been an extraordinary market in which to develop my career. Cleveland now presents a tremendous opportunity to apply that experience to a city with a rich industrial history, strong institutions, tremendous neighborhoods and significant opportunities for redevelopment.
My objective is to bring together the best of both worlds:
A New Real Estate Development Partnership
The relationship between Lonnie and me is also expanding beyond mechanical contracting.
We have partnered to pursue real estate development opportunities in the Cleveland market, and we have already initiated three significant projects.
JFK Development — Proposed $84 Million Mixed-Use Development
The JFK Development represents an approximately $84 million proposed mixed use development designed to create a significant new investment in the Cleveland market.
The project represents the type of development that can bring together multiple components to create economic activity, investment and long-term community value.
Midtown Yard — Proposed $22 Million Industrial Park
The Midtown Yard project represents a proposed $22 million industrial park, including approximately 150,000 square feet of industrial space.
Industrial development is particularly important because it can provide the physical infrastructure necessary for businesses to grow while creating opportunities for employment and economic development.
Laisey Avenue — Proposed $29 Million Industrial Mix
The Laisey Avenue project represents a proposed $29 million industrial mixed use development.
Together, these three projects represent approximately $135 million in proposed development activity in the Cleveland market.
And they are only the beginning.
The Next Generation
Perhaps the most meaningful part of this new chapter is that it is rooted in succession.
Lonnie Coleman has spent decades building Coleman-Spohn Corporation.
Now, he is preparing to pass the responsibility of leading that organization into the next generation.
For me, that responsibility is personal.
I am not simply stepping into a company.
I am stepping into a legacy.
And I understand that being entrusted with someone else’s legacy means you have an obligation to protect it while preparing it for the future.
By January 2030, the goal is for me to assume the day-to-day leadership of Coleman-Spohn Corporation.
Between now and then, there is significant work to do.
We must continue developing our people. We must strengthen our systems. We must embrace technology. We must develop the next generation of leaders. We must expand our client relationships. And we must identify opportunities that will allow the company to remain competitive for decades to come.
The transition is ultimately about ensuring that the company doesn’t simply survive a leadership change.
It is about making the company stronger because of it.
Looking Toward 2030—and Beyond
My vision for the next several years is not simply to manage two businesses.
It is to build an integrated platform of real estate development, construction, mechanical contracting, facilities management and investment that can create opportunities across multiple markets.
S.J. Harris & Company, Inc. will continue to grow.
Coleman-Spohn Corporation will continue to evolve.
Our real estate partnership will continue to pursue opportunities in Cleveland and other markets.
And, most importantly, we will continue developing people.
Because ultimately, the greatest measure of leadership is not what you accomplish while you are in the position.
It is what is stronger because you were there.
Twenty-five years ago, I started building a business in Atlanta. Today, I am helping build a bridge between Atlanta and Cleveland.
By 2030, I hope to be able to look back and say that we didn’t simply grow companies—we built institutions, created opportunities, developed communities and prepared the next generation to lead.
The journey that began with a golf club at age seven has now placed me in a position to help lead a $70+ million company.
And I know one thing for certain:
The best part of the journey is still ahead.