Welcome to this week’s edition of TheJobWalk! It’s new President week... well, sort of. With Donald Trump back settling into the Oval Office, there’s plenty of chatter about walls, towers, and data centers to come. Whether you’re pro-wall, no wall, or just here to keep building, strap on your hard hat—because if the White House can shake things up, your job site might too!

PROJECTS

Project Announcement: $17 Billion 'Project Sail' Data Center in Georgia

Recently plans were proposed for a $17 Billion data center near Newnan, 45 miles south of Atlanta in Coweta County. The campus is set to span across 832 acres and could house 13 data halls, with each of the data halls on the site will be 378,000 sq ft. The project has been proposed by Atlas Development LLC and is still in very early stages but with the goal to complete the campus in 2036.

• Developer: Atlas Development LLC

• Award: Data Center

• Value: $17 Billion

• Location: Coweta County, Georgia

Major Project Announcement: $10 Billion Compass Data Center Campus

Compass Data Centers recently announced plans to build a $10 billion data center campus in Meridian, Mississippi, set to be one of the largest hyperscale data center developments in the Southeast US. The 500MW campus will consist of 8 data centers constructed over an 8 year period- contractors are yet to be announced. Both Lauderdale County and Mississippi Power are assisting with the project, with Mississippi Power supplying 500 MW of power to the facility.

• Client: Compass Datacenters

• General Contractors: TBD

• Award: Data Center

• Value: $10 Billion

• Location: Meridian, Mississippi

Breaking Ground: $2 Billion Columbus International Airport

After years of negotiations and planning, The John Glenn International Airport located in Columbus, Ohio, officially broke ground on their $2 billion development. The airport is set to replace a 66-year-old terminal, upgrading to 36 gates from their current 29, increasing capacity to accommodate up to 13 million passengers a year. As well as this, plans are also set to build a new 5,000-car garage, connecting to the rental facility. The project is expected to be completed in 2029, ready for the airport's 100th anniversary.

• Client: John Glenn Columbus International Airport

• General Contractors: HENSEL PHELPS

• Architects: Gensler // Moody Nolan

• Award: Aviation

• Value: $2 Billion

• Location: Columbus, Ohio

Under Construction: Microsoft $3.3 Billion Mount Pleasant Data Center

Microsoft is currently constructing a $3.3 Billion data center campus in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. The Walsh Group was selected as the General Contractor on this project, with the new investment, Microsoft expects that the project will supply ​​a total of 2,300 union construction jobs to market. Microsoft has also partnered with National Grid Renewables to build a 250-megawatt solar project in Wisconsin, that will begin operating in 2027 to help ease the strain data centers are causing on local grids.

• Client: Microsoft

• General Contractor: The Walsh Group - Walsh Construction & Archer Western

• Award: Mission Critical

• Value: $3.3 Billion

• Location: Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin

NEWS

Anthony Johnson Takes the Wheel at Clayco

In January 2025, Anthony Johnson was appointed CEO of Clayco, succeeding Russ Burns. Johnson, a 17-year Clayco veteran and former Executive Vice President, previously led the Industrial Business Unit to significant success (PR Newswire). As CEO, his priorities include scaling Clayco’s design, engineering, and construction capabilities, entering new strategic markets, and expanding in mission-critical sectors such as advanced manufacturing, data centers, life sciences, and e-commerce (Finance Yahoo).

Under Johnson’s leadership, Clayco launched "Clayco Compute," a business unit focused on advanced technology facilities like data centers and quantum computing, capitalizing on growing demand. In 2024, data center projects generated $3.6 billion—half of Clayco’s total revenue (Bisnow).

Trump’s ‘Yuge’ 2025 Vision

President Donald Trump announced the "Stargate" project, a $500 billion initiative to develop AI infrastructure in the U.S., in partnership with OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle, and MGX. The project begins with a $100 billion investment to construct data centers, starting in Texas, and aims to create over 100,000 jobs.

Additionally, Trump plans to modernize urban infrastructure, focusing on roads, bridges, and public transportation, with a proposed $1 trillion investment over the next decade. This includes upgrading over 20,000 miles of highways and 10,000 bridges, targeting a 25% reduction in transportation bottlenecks to boost economic productivity.

WORLD

Grand Ring, Japan

Japan's "Grand Ring" is a huge wooden structure built for Expo 2025 in Osaka. It’s 2 kilometers long and will circle the main parts of the event. The design uses traditional Japanese wood techniques, like strong wood joints, and includes cedar wood from Japan and Europe. The Grand Ring stands 12 meters tall, with a roof that slants up to 20 meters, and visitors can walk on a skywalk to see great views.

The Grand Ring represents the Expo's theme of "Designing Future Society for Our Lives", showing how different cultures can unite to build a better, sustainable future. It’s a symbol of "Diversity in Unity" that was completed back in August 2024. After the Expo, which runs from April to October 2025, the Grand Ring will be taken down, and they plan to reuse the wood for other projects.

TECH SPOTLIGHT

Self-Healing Concrete & Magic Wood Take Center Stage

Self-healing concrete and cross-laminated timber (CLT) are transforming construction with enhanced durability and sustainability. Self-healing concrete uses microcapsules containing agents like bacteria or polymers that activate to seal cracks, reducing maintenance and environmental impact (Illustrarch).

CLT, made from layered wood panels glued perpendicularly, offers strength, lower carbon emissions, and fire resistance, as its charred outer layers protect its core (Illustrarch). US contractors like DPR Construction and Nabholz Construction are adopting these materials. DPR has integrated CLT into multiple projects, while Nabholz showcases its versatility in large-scale builds.

It’s expected that throughout 2025, these advanced materials are expected to play a critical role in construction trends, offering more cost-effective solutions (CMS Material Solutions).

The Future of Construction with Leica iCON

The Leica iCON GPS 120 is a state-of-the-art smart antenna designed for construction machine control, launched in 2024 by Leica Geosystems. Integrated with the Leica MC1 platform, it supports GNSS configurations with RTK accuracy, offering up to 8 mm horizontal and 15 mm vertical precision. The dual GNSS system reduces setup time by 30%, improving job site efficiency. Its modular design enables compatibility across different machines, cutting fleet management costs by up to 20%.

The antenna enhances productivity, saving up to 25% in operational time on construction projects. This makes it an ideal choice for contractors and rental companies managing diverse fleets.

QUICK FIRE ROUND

Your quiz questions for this week:

What does the “HVAC” system primarily control?

A. Lighting and electrical distribution // B. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning // C. Elevator operations

What is a “bond beam” in masonry construction?

A. A decorative layer of brick // B. A horizontal reinforced element to strengthen walls // C. A damp-proofing course

“Hydrostatic pressure” in foundations is:

A. Pressure from water in soil // B. Pressure from wind forces // C. Pressure from seismic activity

What does “Turnkey” in construction mean?

A. Client must finish the interior // B. Only the structure is built // C. The project is delivered fully complete and ready for occupancy

“Shop drawings” are:

A. Artistic impressions // B. Draft blueprints by architects // C. Detailed drawings by subcontractors/fabricators showing how components will be manufactured or installed

Check out the answers at the bottom.

WEEKLY FUNNY

THIS WEEK’S HOT JOBS

1. Electrical Project Manager, DFW, Data Centers

2. Electrical Project Manager, DFW, Healthcare

3. Electrical Superintendent, Atlanta, Data Centers

4. MEP Superintendent, Atlanta, Data Centers

5. Project Manager, Kentucky, Healthcare

6. MEP Project Manager, Kentucky, Healthcare

7. Traveling Superintendent, Manufacturing

8. Business Development Manager, Texas, Mechanical/HVAC

9. Business Development Manager, California, Mechanical/HVAC

10. Business Development Manager, Washington D.C, Mechanical/HVAC

REFLECTION

This week’s question to ask yourself..

What are my core values?

🚧Answers

Q1 B. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning //  Q2 B. A horizontal reinforced element to strengthen walls // Q3 A. Pressure from water in soil // Q4 C. The project is delivered fully complete and ready for occupancy // Q5 C. Detailed drawings by subcontractors/fabricators showing how components will be manufactured or installed

How many did you get?

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