As demand for semiconductor facilities and data centers surges across the Southwest, Graycor Construction is positioning itself to capture a growing share of the market. Brett Helm, recently named general manager of Graycor’s Southwest division, says the company is ready to diversify and expand despite persistent labor shortages and power supply constraints.

“A mutual subcontractor friend had mentioned to me that there could be a great opportunity here, and that he had nothing bad to say about them. So, that really perked my interest,” Helm told Construction Dive. “I’m very grateful to be here and very grateful for the opportunity.”

Helm, who brings three decades of experience from firms such as DPR Construction and HITT Contracting, said his first priority is to push Graycor into adjacent markets in the Southwest. “We do have great builders, but the idea is to get a little bit more diversified in our markets. So, as one market goes down, ideally another market goes up, and we can just transfer our people from market to market. Ideally, that’s where I want to take us,” he explained.

The semiconductor and advanced manufacturing sectors are central to that vision. “Yes, I’m definitely seeing strong [momentum],” Helm said. “We have opportunities in our pipeline right now that we’re going after. The resources that we have as an organization from the projects that we’ve completed over the years, and bringing that information to the Southwest from our other offices throughout the U.S., is how we are competitive. That is really the strength that we have.”

In the data center space, Helm sees room for growth. “We have a lot of builders that can do parts of a data center, but what I’m going to do is bring in some additional resources to help us fill that market,” he said, noting that the Phoenix area’s data center activity has accelerated over the last 25 years. “A lot of the colocation type markets — the quick hitters — those are a little bit easier for us to get into. And ideally, we would build that market to where we can get at the hyperscale type of clients.”

Helm said the tariff concerns that loomed over the industry have begun to ease. “The tariff issue seems like it has really settled down. I know if you would have asked me this question three or four weeks ago, I probably would give you a different answer,” he said.

With competitive subcontractor bids and steady project coverage, Helm believes construction activity in the Southwest will hold steady through 2025. “Our subcontractors are getting very good coverage on the projects that we’re going after right now. So, hopefully that continues throughout 2025,” he added.

But he also pointed to a looming challenge: delivering enough power to the region’s booming data center sector. “When we talk about data centers, our next big challenge that we’re going to have is power, getting power to these mega data centers,” Helm warned.

While small modular reactors (SMRs) show promise, Helm emphasized that permitting and regulatory hurdles are still significant. “I know the technology is there right now, but just getting through the permitting and all the hurdles that they have in their way to start building on these sites is difficult,” he said. “Because right now, we have two great utility companies here in the Phoenix area, but there’s only so much power they can deliver. I think that’s what’s going to hold us back in this area.”

Originally reported by Sebastian Obando in Construction Dive.