Matt Kunz
Vice President and CEO
Turner Construction Co.
Matt Kunz, Vice President and CEO of Turner Construction Co., claims that Columbus and Central Ohio construction companies are occupied, and many report a decline in opportunities.
“The construction market is very active and will remain like this for the predictable future,” he says.
One of the areas that seems to be a priority for local leaders and taxpayers is public transport. In November 2024, voters approved an increase in sales tax to help pay public transport in the city. The movement increases the rate to 8% of 7%, and additional revenue goes to the Ohio Transit Authority power station.
“The tax allowed the Linkus/Rapid Bus traffic system to advance, which results in billions of dollars of investment in the coming years,” says Kunz.
The goal is to invest about $ 8 billion over the next 30 years in the development of fast bus runners and other infrastructure improvements, including sidewalks, bicycles and routes to support multimodal transport.
Another traffic -oriented improvement is the capital line, an urban road of two miles of $ 100 million in the center of Columbus that also advances. It will begin by 2025 with the transformation of Gay Street. The route is expected to increase connectivity by linking green spaces, employment centers and residential neighborhoods.
In addition to improving connectivity and public traffic, the region has numerous significant projects in the pipeline, including the data centers for the goal, Amazon, Google and Vantage; several major projects for the National Children’s Hospital, the State University of Ohio, Ohio Health and Mount Carmel Health; and the renovation of the center of 360 hectares Ohio Expo and the State Fairgrounds.
Turner participates in the construction of a $ 200 million manufacturing installation, Project Sunrise, in New Albany, Ohio, for Pharmavite, which will produce gummies for the brands of Nature Made and Megafood and that is the place of the Gummy Innovation Center of excellence of the company, which includes research and development of products.
Another major project recently announced in Columbus is Arsenal-1, a hyperscala manufacturing facility built by Anduril, a defense manufacturer.
The company said that he chose Ohio for his first Arsenal factory due to his “robust infrastructure to support the unique needs of Anduril, a highly qualified and diverse manufacturing labor and a aerospace and defense leadership legacy.”
The company invests about a billion dollars on the project.
The capital line will have a pedestrian path with public art, street furniture and landscaping.
Courtesy of the Center of Columbus Inc.
Even with such optimistic news, increasing costs is always a concern. Kunz points out that construction costs in the center of Ohio have increased to levels higher than the national average, but nevertheless they remain more affordable than equal markets.
“Next year, we expect this climbing rate to be established in historical rules,” he says.
As in all the United States, Kunz says that the main problem in the AEC community is the availability of work.
“The construction market is very active and will remain like this for the predictable future.”
—Matt Kunz, Vice President and CEO, Turner Construction Co.
“Sustained and robust investments in data centers, advanced manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, health care and aviation have maintained the demand for higher levels, especially for MEP shops,” he says.
Turner uses various strategies to deal with labor shortages.
“Early commitment, out -of -place prefabrication, autonomous work with our own work, labor development programs and the introduction of new commercial partners have been useful for mitigating this risk,” says Kunz.
Treat any problem of the supply chain, according to Turner, is based on its management company of the internal supply chain, Sourceblue, which seeks to mitigate the risk of the project and guarantee lead times in important teams of teams of MEP and architectural and laboratory systems.
Looking to the future, Kunz foresees that the AEC regional sector will continue to meet the demands that arise as new projects and development occur.
“The industry has been able to grow and respond to this increase in activity,” he says.
