TheJobWalk E.37

Welcome to this week’s edition of TheJobWalk! Trump’s dancing plans for the $200M ballroom get underway, Procore shows strong Q2 results with 14% revenue growth, Mars goes big with $2 billion invested into US factories, and Union Pacific sets out to acquire Norfolk Southern for $85 billion… transcontinental express incoming. Let’s dive in!

NEWS
Union Pacific to Acquire Norfolk Southern for $85B

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have announced a major deal to build America’s first transcontinental railroad.

Union Pacific will buy Norfolk Southern for $85 billion. That means the new company will stretch across more than 50,000 miles of track in 43 states. It will also connect to around 100 ports from coast to coast.

This deal is expected to bring major changes in construction, building and upgrading rail lines, bridges, tunnels, and terminals will take years and create thousands of jobs. The project will need heavy equipment, skilled workers, and new materials to connect tracks and improve rail yards across the country.

Leaders say the new railroad will help move goods faster, reduce traffic on highways, and lower shipping costs. It will also make rail travel safer and support union construction jobs.

The companies hope to finish the deal by early 2027, but it still needs approval from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. This could be one of the biggest construction efforts in U.S. history- linking east to west like never before.

TheJobWalk’s got eyes on this too...

📰Trump Announces $200M Ballroom Upgrade(WhiteHouse)
📰Construction Partners Acquires Durwood Greene(Construction Partners)
📰Lochner & Egis Merge to Increase US Growth(PRNews)
📰Cat Financial Announces Q1 Results(Caterpillar)

PROJECTS
Build of The Week

131 Acre GigaPop Data Center Campus, Texas

Lincoln Property Company, Gigabit Fiber, and Tradition Holdings are building a 131-acre, $1 billion data center campus near Red Oak, TX. The site will deliver 800,000 sqft of tech space and up to 540 MW of capacity.

Phase 1 started in early 2025 with a 7500 sqft, 2 MW facility. A larger hyperscale buildout is planned for 2026 to support cloud, AI, and digital infrastructure.

This is one of several projects in South Dallas, with over 1.5 GW of data center capacity expected across the region by the end of 2026.

• Developers: Lincoln Property Company, Gigabit Fiber, Tradition

• Sector: Data Center/Mission Critical

• Value: $1 Billion

• Location: Red Oak, Texas

Movement in the field:

🍫Mars Pours $2B Into U.S. Factories: This month, Mars announced they would be investing $2B into US manufacturing to expand production capabilities. Part of this investment will include a 240 million facility for Nature’s Bakery in Utah that is opening on Wednesday. This will create roughly 230 jobs in the area. The plan is to invest $2B by the end of 2026, which is set to create hundreds of construction and operational jobs. 

Key Details: Client: Mars, General Contractors: TBD, Award: Manufacturing, Value: $2 Billion, Location: United States

🔌NTT Goes Big in AZ, Data Centers Are Coming: NTT Global Data Centers is expanding its US footprint with a major new campus in southeast Phoenix. The 174-acre site will support one of the largest developments in Arizona's Elliot Road Tech Corridor. The phased buildout will deliver over 324 MW of capacity, with multiple data halls. Construction is targeting an initial delivery by 2028. This follows the success of NTT’s existing 102-acre Phoenix PH1 campus nearby.

Key Details: Developer/Operator: NTT Global Data Centers, Sector: Data Center, Location: Mesa, Arizona

🪩$200M for a Dance Floor? White House Says Let’s Boogie: Clark Construction has been awarded the contract to build a new state-of-the-art ballroom at the White House, part of an expansion to the East Wing in Washington, D.C. The project includes a 90,000-square-foot ballroom designed to accommodate approximately 650 guests- more than triple the capacity of the current East Room. Estimated at $200 million, construction is scheduled to begin in September 2025.

Key Details: General Contractor: Clark Construction, Client: U.S. Government, Engineer: AECOM, Architect: McCrery Architects, Award: Commercial, Value: $200 Million, Location: Washington, D.C.

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WORLD
The Fernsehturm “TV Tower”, Berlin

The Fernsehturm Berlin stands 368 meters tall, making it Germany’s tallest structure and the third tallest in the European Union. It is located beside Alexanderplatz in the center of Berlin and is one of the city’s most famous landmarks.

Construction started in the 1960s, and the tower officially opened on October 3, 1969. It was built to broadcast television signals in East Germany and was also meant to show off modern progress.

Visitors can ride an elevator to the viewing deck at 203 meters, where they can see all across the city. Just above that is a revolving restaurant at 207 meters. The restaurant slowly turns, so people can enjoy a full view while they eat.

The point is simple: the Fernsehturm is both an engineering wonder and a symbol of East Germany’s vision of the future. Today, it remains a top place to visit for anyone in Berlin.

TECH SPOTLIGHT
Procore Posts 14 % Revenue Growth in Q2 2025

Procore, the leader in construction software, reported its second-quarter results on July 31, 2025. The company earned $324 million in revenue, a solid 14 % increase from the same quarter last year.

The non‑GAAP operating margin was 13 %, while the GAAP operating margin showed a small loss of ‑9 %. Procore generated $31 million in operating cash inflow and $11 million in free cash inflow during the quarter.

Customer growth stayed strong. Procore kept 95 % of its revenue from existing customers and added 195 new customers, bringing its total to 17,501. The company also made two key moves: acquiring Novorender and Flypaper Technologies to expand its Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools, and earning a FedRAMP “In Process” designation to better serve public sector clients.

For the next quarter, Procore targets $326–$328 million in revenue (a 10-11 % growth) and expects to maintain a non‑GAAP operating margin of 13-13.5 %.

QUICK FIRE ROUND
Your quiz questions for this week:

What is the maximum allowable deflection for a simply supported beam under live load per ACI standards?

A. L/360 // B. L/240 // C. L/180

Which component is essential in a Variable Air Volume (VAV) HVAC system?

A. Constant-speed fan // B. Thermostatic expansion valve // C. VAV terminal box

What is the main reason for grounding electrical systems in commercial buildings?

A. Improve lighting efficiency // B. Prevent overloads in conduits // C. Ensure safety by directing fault current

In concrete construction, what does a slump test measure?

A. Strength of concrete // B. Workability of concrete // C. Water-cement ratio

Which construction delivery method typically offers the fastest project completion?

A. Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) // B. Design-Bid-Build // C. Construction Management at Risk (CMAR)

Check out the answers at the bottom.

WEEKLY FUNNY
“Passenger seat? Nah, that’s my mobile toolbox.”

REFLECTION
This week’s question to ask yourself✌️

How often do you pause to connect with something greater than yourself?

ANSWERS

Q1 A. L/360 // Q2 C. VAV terminal box // Q3 C. Ensure safety by directing fault current // Q4 B. Workability of concrete // Q5 A. Integrated Project Delivery (IPD)

How many did you get?