Meeting Workforce Challenges in a Rapidly Expanding Data Center Market

In a recent Bisnow article, “Private Jets, Huge Raises, and ‘Man Camps’: How Data Center Builders Are Luring Workers in Short Supply,” Gray’s Vice President of Data Centers, Ben Burgett, offered insight into how Gray is meeting these challenges head-on.

Gray is currently overseeing more than 1 gigawatt of data center development across seven campuses, positioning the company as a key player in one of the fastest-growing sectors in construction. Burgett emphasized the critical role of skilled trades — particularly electricians — in sustaining this pace of development. “It’s all about electricians on every project,” he said. “That’s the longest pole of a tent on every project.”

As developers race to bring facilities online, the demand for experienced labor has become one of the industry’s greatest bottlenecks. Burgett noted that Gray’s scale of operations often requires thousands of workers on a single job site — including a current project with nearly 3,000 team members on-site daily. Coordinating that level of workforce requires precision, collaboration, and resilience in the face of evolving timelines and technologies.

Despite these challenges, Gray continues to deliver data centers at record speed while maintaining the company’s hallmark focus on safety, quality, and innovation. Burgett described the culmination of every project — commissioning — as “our Super Bowl,” marking the moment when systems come to life and Gray’s integrated design-build approach proves its value.

As the global demand for data and computing power continues to accelerate, Gray remains committed to leading with expertise, efficiency, and integrity — helping customers build the infrastructure powering the world’s digital future.

To read the full Bisnow article, “Private Jets, Huge Raises, and ‘Man Camps’: How Data Center Builders Are Luring Workers in Short Supply,” click here.