Delivering mission critical facilities on schedule requires aligning the right people, processes, and materials from day one.

This was the central theme to a recent panel discussion I participated in at the Advancing Data Center Construction West conference in Phoenix. Members of our panel represented different parts of the project lifecycle, but we were in agreement that without meticulous preplanning, seemingly small missteps or missing information early on can snowball into costly change orders and missed deadlines down the road.

Jason Hopper, Director of Project Development for Mortenson, did a great job of addressing the challenge of not always knowing who the tenant will be when the process begins. He said the situation can feel like running the ball in football without knowing where the goal line is. When developers commit to defining key parameters like rack density before bringing in a tenant, it brings the goal line into clearer focus.

I also appreciated Vinnie Figlioli’s (Spectrum Engineers) perspective on bringing trade partners into the conversation early. The sooner the full team is aligned, the more efficient and coordinated the execution becomes, and Hunt Electric can help by bringing our expertise as a trade partner to the table early in the process. Vinnie’s insights tied closely with comments from Tyson Williamson (The Will Group) on the “speed of trust”— that when you have a cohesive team in place that have built trust with each other, you reduce friction and eliminate second-guessing to maintain momentum.

I was able to share some of what Hunt is doing to address speed to market. As it says on my office wall, “We Sell Time.” When the priority is speed, we can buy the client time through helping them source alternative options that will arrive sooner. Prefabrication is our not-so-secret weapon to speed up the pace of projects, and our ICC Manufacturing expansion will boost our ability to meet the demand of the moment.

A key piece of the puzzle moving forward is addressing the significant labor shortage facing our industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we are already short 500,000 construction workers and 80,000 electricians year over year. With tens of thousands of electrician roles already unfilled and demand only increasing, it’s forcing a shift in how we think about project delivery.

Our teams at ICC Manufacturing and Hunt Electric have extensive experience powering mission critical facilities in the western United States. If you’re interested in learning more about what tools we can bring to the table for your project, reach out anytime at sales@iccslc.com.

I was honored to be able to represent Hunt Electric and ICC Manufacturing on the panel alongside some of the people who have become trusted partners in these important projects. Thank you to Jordan Gillman of The Will Group for bringing the team together and guiding the discussion!