Data center construction, driven by AI, has increased its market share in construction industry at a rate we’ve never seen before. Last year, the approximate spend was $375 billion. That’s with a “B.” The electrical component represents 45-70% of cost on these projects. As tech companies rush to build data centers, they are drawing from …
While hard work is often a requirement for success, to me, it’s not necessarily “the secret sauce.” But it does help. I have found the common denominator for success is that successful people have made a habit of doing things failures don’t like to do. They make calls when they don’t want to, and make …
I’ve said many times that in construction, the sum is greater than the parts. This is especially true regarding the relationships we have worked to maintain with our subcontractors and vendors over these many years. These partnerships, built over time and countless projects, are the heart of our business. We’ve learned from experience that strong …
We are close to completion of a 1.2 million square foot concrete paving pour that we reinforced with fiberglass rebar (GFRP) in lieu of traditional reinforcing steel. Our customer has been impressed with the cost savings, and in the field, we’re seeing fiberglass rebar mats installed faster, with smaller crews and less equipment. We have …
What follows is something I wrote a few years ago, and to me, the message is “ evergreen.” With The Master’s going on now, I thought it might be nice to revisit something I learned from the game of golf. I have been fortunate to attend The Masters for several years, but this year, I’ll …
While our office is in Birmingham, our work often spokes out to the surrounding communities, states and even different regions. It’s all driven by where our customer relationships need us to build. I would say we have probably built in 200 different towns or cities. Whenever someone asks me which one I enjoy the most, I …
Over the years, we’ve built a small but meaningful collection of art. It might not be of huge value to anyone else, but to us, our surroundings us tell a of story of places of we’ve been and folks we have met. Here are a few: Some light fixtures in my home are copper handcrafted …
For almost 40 years, we have benefitted from internet browsers being able to ask questions across a myriad of topics. Now every time we ask a question using a browser we have AI to augment telling us even more. Last year, I read an article where Bill Gates was quoted suggesting that AI will not be …
This week, a post from actress Reese Witherspoon went viral. She talks about speaking to a young woman seeking advice for a career change. When asked what she was best at, the woman drew a blank. She had never really thought through it before. The advice Reese gave makes a ton of sense. “Chase your talents, …
Last week I attended the opening of an impressive exhibition at our Birmingham Museum of Art titled “Monet to Matisse” which is on loan from The Brooklyn Museum. The artwork spoke for itself, and the bonus was hearing Joseph Curtain, of BofA. His comments centered on AI and how this technology might assist a company’s …
Last year, we added another benefit for our team that we’re very proud of. For mid- and long-term employees, we now offer sabbaticals with stipends. We wanted to give our team members a chance to take a “bucket list” trip and find inspiration while walking a journey they may not otherwise have the opportunity to …