Alicia Dupies
Milwaukee Vice President and Business Leader
Gilbane Building Co.
Shannon Metoxen
Milwaukee Division Manager
JP Cullen
The Milwaukee construction market is robust with numerous approved or running projects.
“Most construction companies are especially busy and short -term prospects seem promising,” says Shannon Metoxen, responsible for the Milwaukee Division of the JP Cullen contractor. “There is a significant interest in large data centers in the area, private health care and public school projects.”
Alicia Dupies, Milwaukee Vice President and Business Leader for Gilbane Building Co., agrees that the ACE industry thrives in sectors such as data centers, health care and education, along with the demand for food and drinks, advanced manufacturing and corporate commercial work.
“Design and construction companies are actively addressed [corporate] The needs of customers for innovative and functional spaces, “he says.
Dupies states that Wisconsin is emerging as a main location for the development of the data center, fueled by the availability of power, a climate that respects business, a tax exemption for sales use for data centers, economic incentives and large poorly developed lands.
“The region’s strategic location and infrastructure make it an attractive option for companies that seek to establish or expand their data center operations,” he says.
Perhaps the best known of these projects is Microsoft’s $ 3.3 million investment to build a Ai -focused data center in Mount Pleasant, Wis., About 25 kilometers from Milwaukee. The construction is moving forward in the initial phase, but the portions of the multifase project have stopped to address the changes of design that reflect the advances in the AI and the cloud infrastructure technologies.
Players in the construction industry not only monitor data centers and changes, but also how they will affect emerging technologies in the construction industry.
“The industry continues to monitor, understand and adapt to constantly transforming technologies and, of course, in the way I am will affect and integrate into the way we design and build buildings and infrastructure,” says Metoxen.
Dupias says that demand for advanced manufacturing facilities also grows, as evidenced by an expansion in Wisconsin by Eli Lilly, which invests $ 3 billion to expand an installation he acquired from Nexus Pharmaceuticals in Pleasant Prairie, about 35 kilometers south of Milwaukee. It will be used to meet the increasing demand for medical treatments for diabetes, obesity and other conditions.
A project that will support investment and global development is the Interstate 94 East-West project. It began by the end of 2025, the work of $ 1.2 million will be extended the I-94 to eight lanes of six along a 3.5 mile streets between 16 and 70 streets on the west side of Milwaukee.
As positive as the construction landscape has been in the Milwaukee area, it has not arrived without obstacles.
“Demand for technical design work, handmade labor and technical construction hand is still high.”
—Alice Dupies, VP and Milwaukee Business Leader, Gilbane Building Co.
“The Wisconsin AEC community faces various challenges, such as labor shortage and increasing material and equipment costs,” says Dupies. “Demand for technical design work, handmade labor and technical construction hand is still high.”
Gilbane has recently worked with the Wisconsin Policy Forum, a non -supportive think tank, to evaluate whether the current construction labor and the Pipeline of New Milwaukee subway workers are strong enough to meet demand. The investigation was deepened in the demographic of the metro area, and identified certain operations that would experience greater attression in the coming years, and how the construction labor can be recruited and retained in the Milwaukee area.
The report, entitled “Built to Last”, published in Wispolicicyforum.org, found that demographic trends suggest the need for extended hiring efforts.
Metoxen says that contractors have done “commendable” work by treating these problems with local commercial partners, especially informing young people about industry opportunities.
Increasing the costs of the material is another concern. “The costs of materials and equipment increase at an average rate of 4.5% year -on -year, with the availability and lead times that involve additional challenges,” says Dupies. “Some mechanical and finished components last six months more than a year, affecting the general schedules of construction.”
Gilbane has responded to actively managing contracting and maintaining strong relationships with suppliers.
“Increasing the prices of construction materials due to inflation and supply chain interruptions have a significant challenge,” Metoxen agrees. “To mitigate it, companies are adjusting project offers and supply agreements and exploring alternative materials to manage costs effectively.”
