TheJobWalk E.52

Welcome to this week’s edition of TheJobWalk! Google announces a massive $40B investment in Texas, while Toyota commits $10B to U.S manufacturing expansion. Rockwell Automation plans a new 1M sqft site in Wisconsin, and Alabama enters the hyperscale race with the $14.5B “Project Marvel” data center proposal. Novartis doubles down in North Carolina with a $771M expansion, HUMAIN & Musk team up to grow xAI, and the Top 100 Data Center Owners have been revealed worldwide.

What an edition it is today, we’re celebrating our 1st year anniversary of TheJobWalk. What a blast it’s been breaking down the biggest stories in construction, tech, and infrastructure. Thank you for walking with us every week and as always, let’s dive in!

NEWS
Google Announces $40 Billion Investment in Texas

Google has announced a $40 billion investment through 2027 to expand its digital infrastructure in Texas, focusing on new data center campuses in Armstrong and Haskell Counties.

The investment will support the development of cloud and AI infrastructure, including major commitments to energy and workforce development. Google has contracted over 6,200 megawatts of energy capacity in Texas and launched a $30 million Energy Impact Fund to accelerate energy initiatives across the state.

Additionally, Google plans to support the training of more than 1,700 electrical apprentices in Texas by 2030.

TheJobWalk’s got eyes on this too...

📰 Home Depot Launches AI-Powered Takeoffs(HomeDepot)
📰 Flexential Aims to Connect Singapore & USA(Flexential)
📰 Komatsu Expands in Northern California(Komatsu)
📰 Vulcan Elements Invests $1B into North Carolina(NCGov)
📰 QTS & Wisconsin Union Form Alliance(QTS)

PROJECTS
Build of The Week

Toyota to Invest $10B into U.S. Operations 

Last Wednesday, Toyota Motor Corporation announced they will be investing $10 billion into U.S operations over the next 5 years.

This investment comes after recently beginning production on the new  $13.9 billion electric vehicle battery plant in North Carolina, which is expected to create up to 5,100 jobs.

The focus of the investment will be to “support future mobility efforts,” and will make Toyota's total investment close to $60 billion since beginning U.S operations.

• Client: Toyota Motor Corporation / Toyota North America

• General Contractors: TBD 

• Award: Manufacturing

• Value: $10 Billion 

• Location: United States

Movement in the field:

🏈Ryan Field Hits the Roof, $850M Topped Out: Last week, Turner Construction and The Walsh Group topped out on the JV for project owner Northwestern University. The new stadium will have a seating capacity of 35,000, which is smaller than the existing stadium due to wanting more of an intimate venue. Construction broke ground back in 2024 and is expected to create ~2,900 construction jobs by completion in 2026.

Key Details: Client: Northwestern University, General Contractors: Turner Construction Company / The Walsh Group - Walsh Construction & Archer Western, Award: Stadium, Value: $850M, Location: Evanston, Illinois

🩺Turner’s Prescription? One Completed Oncology Office: Last month, Turner Construction Company completed Tennessee Oncology’s five-story, 311,881-square-foot Midtown Medical Office in Nashville. The building now consolidates multiple oncology specialties: imaging, medical oncology, radiation oncology, and surgical oncology are all in one place. The build created hundreds of construction jobs and now supports a growing healthcare corridor in Nashville.

Key Details: Client: Tennessee Oncology, General Contractors: Turner Construction Company, Designer / Engineer: Gresham Smith, Award: Healthcare, Value: $105M, Location: Nashville, Tennessee

⚙️Rockwell Goes Big in Wisconsin: Rockwell Automation has announced plans to build a new greenfield manufacturing site in Southeastern Wisconsin. The facility is planned to span more than 1 million square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space and is described as potentially Rockwell’s largest manufacturing campus globally, part of a $2billion investment. “It will integrate the latest in Rockwell’s production technologies, including AI and analytics tools, to increase efficiency and precision”- Bob Buttermore.

Key Details: Client: Rockwell Automation, Award: Manufacturing, Value: $2 Billion, Location: Southeastern Wisconsin

🔌Alabama Goes Hyperscale with $14.5B Project Marvel: A hyperscale data center project known as “Project Marvel” has been proposed in Bessemer, Alabama. The development is estimated to cost approximately $14.5 billion and would occupy a 700-acre site currently slated for rezoning from agricultural to light industrial use. The proposed facility would require around 1,200 megawatts of electricity annually and potentially use between 2 to 10 million gallons of water per day, depending on final design specifications. Indicators to who is building this facility has been kept well under wraps; no news on this yet.

General Contractor: TBD, Client: TBD, Award: Data Center, Value: $14.5 Billion, Location: Bessemer, Alabama

💊Novartis Doubles Down in NC with $771M: Novartis will invest $771 million to expand its pharmaceutical manufacturing operations across Durham and Wake Counties in North Carolina. The project will nearly double the company’s local footprint to over 700,000 square feet through new construction and renovations at three sites. The expansion is expected to create 700 new jobs by the end of 2030. The State of North Carolina is supporting the project with a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) valued at up to $7.56 million over 12 years. The project is expected to deliver a 215% return on investment to the state.

Key Details: Client: Novartis, Award: Manufacturing Expansion, Value: $771 Million, Location: Durham County & Wake County, North Carolina

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WORLD
HUMAIN & Musk Expand xAI, Saudi Arabia

HUMAIN and xAI have announced a strategic partnership to build and operate next-generation GPU-based data centers across Saudi Arabia. The flagship facility will exceed 500 megawatts of AI compute capacity, making it one of the largest GPU deployments globally.

The initiative will support the rollout of xAI’s Grok models across Saudi Arabia, advancing the nation’s goal to become the most AI-enabled country in the world. The project leverages HUMAIN’s capabilities in developing low-cost, high-efficiency infrastructure and xAI’s expertise in large-scale AI models and supercomputing technologies.

These AI supercomputing centers will serve national priorities across education, healthcare, energy, and technology, and are expected to become a foundational part of Saudi Arabia’s AI and digital transformation strategy.

TECH SPOTLIGHT
Top 100 Data Center Owners Announced

The global data center market continues to be dominated by hyperscale operators, with Amazon Web Services (AWS) leading as the largest data center operator worldwide.

AWS currently operates more than 30 regions and over 100 availability zones, with ongoing expansion across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East.

Microsoft follows as the second-largest player, with a growing network of Azure data centers focused on AI and enterprise cloud services.

Google ranks third, with a robust and energy-efficient data center footprint. Google has been a leader in sustainability, achieving 100% renewable energy matching since 2017 and recently committing to carbon-free operations by 2030.

Meta (formerly Facebook) holds the fourth-largest position, operating massive custom-built data center campuses primarily across North America. Meta's facilities are designed to support its large-scale social platforms and AI-driven applications.

These companies, among others, are featured in Data Centre Magazine’s Top 100 Data Centre Companies 2025, a global ranking that highlights the most influential and innovative players in the industry. 

QUICK FIRE ROUND
Your quiz questions for this week:

What type of conduit is typically used for underground electrical installations?

A. EMT (Electrical Metallic Tubing) // B. PVC Schedule 40 or 80 // C. FMC (Flexible Metal Conduit)

Which mechanical system is most effective for energy recovery in HVAC systems?

A. Variable Air Volume (VAV) // B. Chilled Beam System // C. Energy Recovery Ventilator

In concrete mix design, what does a low water-cement ratio typically result in?

A. Lower compressive strength // B. Increased permeability // C. Higher durability and strength

What’s the primary hazard of silica dust on construction sites?

A. Electrical shock // B. Respiratory diseases like silicosis // C. Skin irritation

Which code primarily governs accessibility standards in U.S. building design?

A. ADA Standards // B. NFPA 70 // C. ASHRAE 90.1

Check out the answers at the bottom.

WEEKLY FUNNY
you can’t park there

REFLECTION
This week’s question to ask yourself✌️

What feedback have I received this year that changed the way I approach my work?

ANSWERS

Q1 B. PVC Schedule 40 or 80 // Q2 C. Energy Recovery Ventilator // Q3 C. Higher durability and strength // Q4 B. Respiratory diseases like silicosis // Q5 A. ADA Standards

How many did you get?