Welcome to this week’s edition of TheJobWalk! Another busy week out there folks, $11B Amazon data center shakes up Georgia, Hyundai drops a $21B mega bomb on mobility, Cambodia’s Techo Airport gets wheels up, and CarbonCure is turning cement green. Big builds, bold moves, and cleaner concrete—just another week of shaking the foundations. Let’s dig in.

PROJECTS

Big Data, Bigger Budget, Amazon Invests $11 Billion

Earlier this year Amazon announced they would be investing $11 billion into data centers in Georgia to expand their infrastructure. Amazon purchased 118 acres in Douglas County for $37 million, following an earlier acquisition of approximately 430 acres in Covington. Specific details of how many data centers and the size of the project are still undisclosed, but the project overall is expected to create more than 550 well-paying jobs.

• Client: Amazon Web Services (AWS)

• General Contractors: TBD

• Award: Data Center

• Value: $11 Billion

• Location: Georgia

Everything’s Bigger in Texas… Including the $25 Billion Servers

Just announced, a 15 million sqft data center set to produce 5GW of power is being developed on 50,000 acres near Laredo Texas. The first 300MW and 1 million sqft of data center space is set to be operational by late 2026, with the total project expected to be complete by 2030. Data City will use 100% renewable green hydrogen energy produced at Hydrogen City nearby, using solar and wind power.

• Owner: Energy Abundance

• Sector: Data Center

• Estimated Value: $25 to $35 Billion

• Location: Laredo, Texas

Detroit’s New $2.2 Billion Health Hospital

Detroit is currently seeing its largest healthcare investment in history, with the Henry Ford Health Hospital Expansion. The new 1.2 million square foot hospital facility will feature a 20-story patient tower, an expanded emergency department to 75,000 sqft, five specialized intensive care unit floors, and state-of-the-art operating suites. Construction of the project is being led by Turner Construction Company, Barton Malow, and local contractor Dixon. The expansion broke ground in late 2024, with completion set for 2029.

• Client: Henry Ford Health

• General Contractors: Turner Construction Company, Barton Malow & Dixon

• Architects: HDR, Tsoi Kobus Design & Hamilton Anderson Associates

• Award: Healthcare

• Value: $2.2 Billion

• Location: Detroit, Michigan

Hyundai Rolls Into Louisiana with $5.8 Billion

It was just announced as part of a $21B investment from Hyundai, that they will be building a new steel plant in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. The plant is expected to produce over 2.7 million metric tons of steel annually and create more than 1,400 jobs. The facility will also be expected to supply steel to auto plants in Alabama and Georgia. Construction is expected to start in the third quarter of 2026, with plans for commercial production in 2029.

• Client: Hyundai Steel

• General Contractors: TBD

• Award: Manufacturing

• Value: $5.8 Billion

• Location: Ascension Parish, Louisiana

QTS Pulls a $1 Billion Data Sword in Georgia

Back in 2023, Clayco & HITT Contracting Inc. commenced construction on QTS Data Centers's $1B Data center in Fayetteville, Georgia. The facility consists of 16 buildings spanning roughly 7 million sqft across the 600 to 615-acre campus. The project is expected to create thousands of jobs within construction and within the campus. Construction commenced in 2023, with the full build-out expected by 2032.

• Client: QTS Data Centers

• General Contractors: Clayco & HITT Contracting Inc.

• Site Development: Plateau Excavation, Inc.

• Award: Data Center

• Value: $1 Billion

• Location: Fayetteville, Georgia

MEET DD CONSTRUCTION

Introducing DD Construction, a specialist metal building contractor based out of Centennial, Colorado.

Led by Justin Beall (Founder & President), DD has been raising steel since 2017, working on projects across aviation, warehouses, data centers and more!

Their team brings over 50 years of combined experience, offering clients exceptional customer service and high-quality metal building systems. Ranked #10 for Metal Building Constructors by Tonnage, DD is fully accredited, licensed, and insured.

Whether it’s a data center or a warehouse, DD Construction isn’t just raising the roof- they’re raising industry standards.

NEWS

Hyundai Steps on the Gas… with $21 Billion

Hyundai Motor Group has unveiled a substantial $21 billion investment plan in the United States, set to unfold between 2025 and 2028. This initiative aims to enhance Hyundai's manufacturing capabilities and technological partnerships across the country.

A significant portion, $9 billion, is allocated to increase vehicle production capacity to 1.2 million units annually, involving upgrades to existing plants in Alabama and Georgia. Additionally, $6 billion is dedicated to strengthening supply chains by localizing parts production, including the construction of a new steel plant in Louisiana.

This investment strategy is expected to generate 14,000 new direct full-time jobs and over 100,000 indirect positions across related industries by 2028

Willmeng Goes All In, Now 100% Powered by People

Willmeng Construction, one of Arizona’s biggest private general contractors, made a big change in late 2024. The company became 100% employee-owned by starting an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). This means everyone who works there now has a stake in the company’s success. It’s a big shift that gives employees more control and helps keep the business strong for the future.

This move puts Willmeng in an elite group. They’re now the second-largest employee-owned general contractor in Arizona and rank eighth among all construction-related ESOP companies in the U.S.

By becoming employee-owned, Willmeng is investing in its people and future. The change builds a culture of ownership and loyalty, while also helping attract top talent in a competitive construction market.

WORLD

Techo International Airport, Cambodia

Cambodia’s Techo International Airport, designed by British architectural firm Foster + Partners, is a significant infrastructure project currently under construction.

The airport's design draws inspiration from Cambodia's rich architectural heritage and is tailored to suit the tropical climate. The terminal features a distinctive roof canopy supported by 36-meter-span "structural trees," constructed from a lightweight steel grid shell. This design allows natural light to filter through, creating an illuminated and welcoming interior space.

The airport's development is structured in phases:​

• Phase 1: Set to open in July 2025, this initial phase will accommodate up to 13 million passengers annually. ​

• Phase 2: Future expansions aim to increase capacity to 30 million passengers per year by 2030.​

• Phase 3: By 2050, the airport is projected to handle up to 50 million passengers annually. ​

The $1.5 billion project is a joint venture between the Cambodian government and the Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation (OCIC). Construction is being undertaken by the China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group.

TECH SPOTLIGHT

Bluebeam Leads the Digital Charge

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Pasadena, California, Bluebeam specializes in developing digital solutions tailored for professionals in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC). Their flagship product, Bluebeam Revu, enables users to create, edit, and collaborate on PDF documents, streamlining project workflows and enhancing communication among teams.

By 2025, Bluebeam's software has been adopted by over 3 million users across more than 160 countries, reflecting its significant impact on the global AEC industry. The company operates offices in multiple locations, including London, Munich, and Stockholm, to support its international clientele.

Bluebeam's commitment to innovation has transformed traditional paper-based processes into efficient digital workflows, reducing project timelines and costs. By providing tools that facilitate real-time collaboration and document management, Bluebeam continues to play a pivotal role in modernizing the construction industry.

Greener Cement? CarbonCure’s Got It Set

Cement is one of the most widely used materials in the world, but it’s also a major source of pollution. Each year, it creates around 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions. To tackle this, companies like CarbonCure are finding new ways to make cement cleaner.

Their process involves injecting captured CO₂ into fresh concrete during mixing. Instead of releasing carbon into the air, this method locks it into the material forever—while actually making the concrete stronger.

This small change in the concrete-making process has a real impact. As of 2024, CarbonCure’s tech has prevented over 290,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions, which is about the same as removing 64,000 cars from the road for a year.

As demand grows for low-carbon construction, carbon-eating cement offers a simple, scalable solution. It won’t solve climate change alone, but it’s a smart start—one sidewalk, bridge, or high-rise at a time.

QUICK FIRE ROUND

Your quiz questions for this week:

A “mudroom” in residential construction is typically what?

A. A mechanical room // B. A small entry area designed to handle wet and dirty footwear/clothing // C. A storage area under the stairs

What do “Surety bonds” in construction mean?

A. Are a type of insurance covering defects // B. Guarantee that a contractor will fulfill contractual obligations // C. Replace building permits

The “ridge board” in roof framing is:

A. The horizontal member at the peak where rafters meet // B. The lowest part of the roof // C. A vertical support

What is a “miter saw” best used for?

A. Cutting angles in wood or trim // B. Breaking concrete // C. Cutting rebar

“Drywall” is primarily used for:

A. Flooring // B. Roofing underlayment // C. Interior wall surfaces

Check out the answers at the bottom.

WEEKLY FUNNY

THIS WEEK’S HOT JOBS

1. Electrical Project Manager – Texas – Commercial

2. Electrical Superintendent – Texas – Light Industrial

3. Electrical Project Manager – Georgia – Data Centers

4. Electrical Superintendent – Ohio – Data Centers

5. Scheduler – Georgia – Commercial

6. Estimator – North Carolina – Accubid/Bluebeam

7. BIM Manager – Georgia – Commercial

8. MEP Project Manager – Arizona – Data Centers

9. MEP Superintendent – Arizona – Data Centers

10. Project Manager – Kentucky – Healthcare

REFLECTION

This week’s question to ask yourself..

What do I want to achieve in the next five years?

🚧Answers

Q1 B. A small entry area designed to handle wet and dirty // Q2 B. Guarantee that a contractor will fulfill// Q3 A. The horizontal member at the peak where rafters meet // Q4 A. Cutting angles in wood or trim // Q5 C. Interior wall surfaces

How many did you get?

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

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