September 2023

Cop City, officially named the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, is a massive, militarized police training compound being built on the Weelaunee Forest in the southeast outskirts of Atlanta. Construction has been met with massive protests, organized mainly by two broad coalitions: Stop Cop City and Defend the Atlanta Forest. Much of the campaign’s attention has been on the companies that have been contracted to design, build, and operate the compound.

In June 2023, the Atlanta City Council approved funding for Cop City. The overall budget for the project is $90 million, $30 million of which comes from the city’s budget. The rest of the money is supposed to come from private donations funneled through the Atlanta Police Foundation (APF), the nonprofit arm of the Atlanta Police Department (APD). This has put the spotlight on corporations and foundations that have been supporting the APF.

This pressure is working. Facing mounting public pressure, some companies that were involved in Cop City have already divested from the project, including Reeves Young Construction, Quality Glass Company, and Atlas Technical Consultants.

The American Friends Service Committee is calling on all corporations to:

• Publicly commit to withholding resources and funding from Cop City.
• End all collaboration with the Atlanta Police Foundation, APF Support, Inc., and other police foundations. 
• Invest in the building blocks of true community safety by paying good wages to your workers, paying your fair share of taxes, and adopting sustainable and socially responsible business practices.

This page compiles information on the companies and foundations that are involved in Cop City, in other projects of the APF, or that have been targeted by the Stop Cop City campaign. It relies heavily on research that was published in Stop Cop City Solidarity and Stop Brasfield & Gorrie (formerly Stop Reeves Young). Ally organizations, including Adasina, Color Of Change, Justice Capital, LittleSis, Presente, and the Private Equity Stakeholder Project have also contributed information. Some updates were made using ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer tool; APF webpages, meeting minutes, and financial documents; and additional media reports.

Contracting and Design

Brasfield & Gorrie, of Birmingham, AL, is a multi-billion-dollar general contractor, ranked top contractor in the Southeast by the Engineering News Record. The company is the lead contractor for Cop City. It has also pledged to donate $1.03 million to the APF between 2022 and 2024.

Brent Scarborough & Co., of Newnan, GA, specializes in clearing, grubbing, grading, boring, and constructing underground utilities. The company is the subcontractor tasked with tree clearing and erosion control for Cop City. In 2022, it donated $100,000 to the APF.

DaVinci Development Collaborative, of Atlanta, is the project management firm in charge of construction planning for Cop City.

HGOR, of Atlanta, is a landscape architecture firm that, alongside architecture and project manager LS3P Architects, is involved in some of the design work for Cop City.

LS3P Architects, of Charleston, SC, is the architect and project manager for Cop City.

Security Technologies

Flock Safety, of Atlanta, is a “public safety” company that sells automated license plate readers (ALPR) to police departments. The company has been installing security cameras with ALPRs in and around the forest and has repeatedly repaired and reinstalled cameras that have been damaged.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI), of Chicago, is a publicly traded telecommunications and software company. It designed and implemented Atlanta’s police surveillance system, dubbed Operation Shield, which was also funded by APF, similarly to Cop City. Operation Shield currently boasts more than 12,800 private and public interconnected cameras monitored by the police—the highest number per capita in the United States. Motorola has sold more than $22 million worth of products and services to the Atlanta Police Department since 2016. The company is the leading communications provider for the APD and, overall, is its second largest vendor (after Axon, the manufacturer of Tasers and body cameras). Motorola Solutions is also involved in mass surveillance of immigrant communities in the U.S. and on the U.S-Mexico border, prison surveillance, and surveillance of Palestinian civilians living under military occupation.

Insurance

Accident Fund General Insurance Company, of Lansing, MI, is an insurance agency that is providing workers’ compensation and employer’s liability insurance for Cop City.

AXA (PAR: AXA) is a French multinational insurance company. Its U.S. subsidiary AXA XL, headquartered in Stamford, CT, provides insurance for Brasfield & Gorrie (see above under Contracting and Design).

Correll Insurance Group, of Spartanburg, SC, is a small insurance company that provided liability insurance for Cop City.

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, of Columbus, OH, is a group of U.S. insurance and financial services companies. Its subsidiary Scottsdale Insurance Co., of Scottsdale, AZ, is the primary insurer for Cop City.

Corporate Donors

Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), the world’s 2nd largest bank, donated $120,000 to the APF in 2022 but reportedly donated an additional $240,000 at an unspecified time. The President and Co-head of the bank’s subsidiary Merrill Wealth Management, Eric Schimpf, sits on the APF Board of Trustees. Bank of America has also been a major financier of private prison and immigrant detention companies.

Cadence Bank, of Houston, has 419 branches across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. The bank donated $50,000 to the APF for Cop City and has also underwritten a loan for the construction. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens personally thanked the Cadence Bank Advisory Board in August 2023 for its support of the APF and highlighted the loan’s role in making Cop City “a reality.” The bank previously provided the APF with a line of credit for up to $250,000, until October 2021.

Chick-fil-A, of Atlanta, is fast food restaurant chain. The company donated $1 million to the APF in 2022. The company’s Senior Lead Advisor to the Chairman, Evan Karanovich, sits on the APF Young Executives Board.

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO), of Atlanta, donated $1 million to the APF in 2022.

Cox Enterprises, of Atlanta, is a global conglomerate that operates in the communications, automotive, and mass media industries. Its philanthropic arm, the James M. Cox Foundation, donated $10 million to the APF in 2022. The CEO of Cox Enterprises, Alex Taylor, reportedly heads the APF Cop City fundraising campaign. Additionally, Cox Enterprises owns the Atlanta-Journal Constitution (AJC), the only major daily newspaper in the metro Atlanta area. The AJC has published editorial pieces supporting Cop City.

Delta Air Lines, of Atlanta, has donated at least $500,000 to the APF since 2018. The company is also listed as a corporate sponsor for three 2023 APF events: in May, September, and November. The Managing Director of Community Engagement for the Delta Air Lines Foundation, Tad Hutcheson, sits on the APF Board of Trustees.

Gas South, of Atlanta (owned by nonprofit electric utility company Cobb Electric Membership Corporation), is a natural gas provider that services homes in Georgia as well as commercial, industrial, municipal, and wholesale customers in an additional 14 states. The company donated $155,000 to the APF in 2022.

Georgia-Pacific, of Atlanta (owned by Koch Industries), manufactures tissue, pulp, packing, and building products. The company donated $250,000 to the APF in 2022, and its Senior Vice President, Tye Darland, sits on the APF Executive Committee.

Georgia Power, of Atlanta, is an electric utility company owned by Southern Company (NYSE: SO). It donated $2 million to the APF in 2022. Georgia Power is listed as a corporate sponsor for the Foundation’s May, September, and November 2023 events, and company executives hold three positions on the APF Board.

The Home Depot (NYSE: HD), of Atlanta, is a publicly traded multinational retailer. It has donated at least $361,500 to the APF between 2016 and 2022 and is listed as a corporate sponsor for the Foundation’s September 2023 event. The company’s Vice President of Technology, Daniel Grider, sits on the APF Board of Trustees.

Inspire Brands, of Sandy Springs, GA (owned by private equity firm Roark Capital), is the second largest restaurant company in the U.S., with brands including Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, Mister Donut, and Sonic. Between 2016 and 2021, the company donated at least $35,000 to the APF. In addition, the company’s CEO, Paul Brown, sits on the APF Board of Trustees. The former COO of the APF, Marshall Freeman, sits on the board of Inspire Brands Foundation.

Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE), of Atlanta, is a publicly traded financial services company. It donated $200,000 to the APF in 2022.

The Loudermilk Companies, an Atlanta-based real estate investment company, pledged $1 million for the construction of Cop City. Robin Loudermilk, Chairman of The Loudermilk Companies, also sits on the APF Executive Committee.

Norfolk Southern, of Atlanta, is a transportation company that donated $100,000 to the APF in 2022.

Republic National Distributing Company, of Atlanta, is an alcoholic beverage wholesaler. Company board member and former chairman and CEO, Jay Davis, donated $100,000 to the APF for Cop City in 2022. It is unclear if this is Davis’s private donation or done on behalf of the company, as they are both listed as the source of the donation. Chris Carlos, a Partner at the company, sits on the APF Board of Trustees.

Truist (formerly SunTrust) (NYSE: TFC), of Charlotte, NC, is a bank holding company. The company donated $3 million to the APF in 2019. It is listed as a sponsor for the Foundation’s September 2023 event, and its Atlanta Vice President, Becker O’Shaughnessey, sits on the APF Young Executives Board. Truist also used to be a major financier of private prison and immigrant detention companies.

UPS (NYSE: UPS), of Atlanta, donated $1 million to the APF in 2022. It sponsored the Foundation’s May, September, and November 2023 events, and its Executive Vice President, Norm Brothers, sits on the APF Board of Trustees.

Corporate Sponsors

The companies listed below have either provided in-kind donations to the Atlanta Police Foundation (APF), have sponsored APF events, or have executives on the APF Board. Unlike the Corporate Funders listed above, these companies have not made known financial contributions to Cop City or the APF.

Acuity Brands, of Atlanta, is a provider of lighting and building management solutions. It donated lighting fixtures to an APF facility in 2022 and has sponsored APF events in September and November 2023. The company’s Senior Vice President and CFO, Karen Holcom, sits on the APF Board of Trustees.

AT&T (NYSE: T), of Dallas, is a publicly traded telecommunications company. It sponsored APF events in May, September, and November 2023. The company’s President of Coastal States, Venessa Harrison, sits on the APF Board of Trustees. AT&T has also been involved in surveillance of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK), of Chicago, is a publicly traded global commercial real estate services firm that operates in 60 countries. Two company executives sit on the APF Board of Trustees, and another one sits on the board of the APF Crime Stoppers Task Force. The company also sponsored the Foundation’s May, September, and November 2023 events.

KPMG is a Dutch multinational professional services firm. Four KPMG executives sit on the APF Board of Trustees, and the company sponsored APF events in September and November 2023. KPMG’s Atlanta Office Managing Partner, Milford McGuirt, formerly served on the cabinet of the APF Cutting Edge, Cutting Crime: Campaign for a Model City.

McKesson (NYSE: MCK), of Irving, TX, is a publicly traded healthcare company. Senior Vice President, Napoleon Rutledge, sits on the APF Board of Trustees.

Invesco (NYSE: IVZ), of Atlanta, is a publicly traded investment management company. It has pledged to donate $100,000 to the APF between 2021 and 2024. The company sponsored the APF's May, September, and November 2023 events, and its Senior Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer, Mark Guiliano, sits on the APF Executive Committee.

Rollins (NYSE: ROL), of Atlanta, is a publicly traded pest control company. The company sponsored the APF’s November 2023 event, and its Chief Marketing Officer, Kevin Smith, sits on the APF Emeritus Board.

Synovus (NYSE: SNV), of Columbus, GA, is a publicly traded bank. It sponsored APF events in May and November 2023. The bank’s Executive Vice President, Allan Kamensky, sits on the APF Board of Trustees. Synovus has also been a major financier of private prison company CoreCivic.

Waffle House, of Norcross, GA, is a restaurant chain with over 1,900 locations across 25 states. The company’s CEO, Walt Ehmer, sits on the APF Executive Committee, and the company sponsored the APF’s November 2023 event.

NOTE: Other corporations with executives on the APF Board include: Accenture, ALDI, Amazon, AXON, Colliers International, Equifax, InterContinental Hotels Group, JPMorgan, Manhattan Associates, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Portman Holdings, and Wells Fargo. These companies have not made publicly disclosed financial contributions to the APF.

Foundation Donors and Sponsors

The following nonprofit foundations have donated money to the APF and/or sponsored one or more of its 2023 events.

Arthur Blank Foundation, of Atlanta, purportedly works to "create a world where sustainable and inclusive communities thrive." In 2021, the foundation donated $3 million to the APF for its "Secure Neighborhoods" housing project and, in 2020, donated $133,000 to the APF for, among other things, "community policing" and neighborhood security patrols.

The Bierenbaum Family Foundation, of Atlanta, purports to promote "positive change in peoples' lives" and build and enhance "the communities in which they live." The foundation supports the APF and is sponsoring its April 2024 Link Up Against Crime event. The foundation also sponsors the Georgia-based Cherokee County Sheriff's Foundation and Woodstock Public Safety Foundation as well as the South Carolina–based Myrtle Beach Police Foundation.

Connolly Family Foundation, a private foundation located in Wayne, PA, contributed $5,000 to the APF for its 2021 Blue Jean Ball event. The foundation's former president, Larry Connolly, sits on the APF Board of Trustees.

The Goizueta Foundation, of Atlanta, is a private grantmaking foundation established by Roberto C. Goizueta, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company between 1981 and 1997. The foundation donated $25,000 to the APF in 2022 and just over $1.15 million in 2021.

Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, of Atlanta, purports to “improve the quality of life in Georgia by investing in health, education, economic opportunity and community vitality.” The foundation donated $10 million to the APF for Cop City in 2022—the single largest donation to the APF in that year. The Foundation’s namesake, Robert W. Woodruff, was the longtime president of Coca-Cola (listed above under Corporate Donors) between 1923 and 1985.

O. Wayne Rollins Foundation, of Atlanta, purports to “improve the physical, mental, and spiritual well being of people, predominantly in the state of Georgia.” The foundation donated $5 million to the APF for Cop City in 2022. Rollins was the co-founder of Rollins Inc (listed above under Corporate Sponsors).

J. Bulow Campbell Foundation, of Atlanta, is a Christian foundation that awards most of its grants for “education, youth development, human services, public spaces, and cultural institutions.” The foundation donated $5 million to the APF in 2022.

NOTE: Other foundations that have donated or pledged to donate money to the APF in 2022 include the Courts Foundation, the Fraser-Parker Foundation, the Tull Charitable Foundation, and the Zeist Foundation.

Banyan Street Capital, of Miami, is a real estate investment company that owns and manages the building that houses the APF headquarters in Atlanta.

Corporations Services Company, of Wilmington, DE, provides legal and financial services to some of the world’s largest companies. It is the registered agent for all of Ryan Millsap‘s companies, including Irinda Capital Management (see below).

Irinda Capital Management, a.k.a. Irinda-Lyon Briarcliff, of Wilmington, DE, is the real estate company of Shadowbox Studios Chairman and CEO, Ryan Millsap (see below).

Shadowbox Studios (formerly Blackhall Studios), of Atlanta, is a film and television company owned by private equity firm Commonwealth Asset Management. It owns a large plot of forest land bordering the Cop City site, where it plans to build a massive new studio complex.

Silver Lake Management, of Menlo Park, CA, is a private equity firm that invested over $1 billion in Motorola Solutions (see above under Cop City Contractors). Silver Lake has also invested $500 million in Shadowbox Studios (see above).

Specialty Finishes Incorporated, of Atlanta, is a subcontractor for Brasfield & Gorrie (see above under Cop City Contractors) and carries out painting, wall covering, drywall and acoustics work, and related services for commercial clients, light industrial accounts, and general contractors in Atlanta and the Southeast.

Trammell Crow Company (TCC), of Dallas, is a commercial real estate developer and investor. TCC has hired Brasfield & Gorrie, Cop City’s main contractor, as the general contractor for past and current development projects.