Earnings roundup: Data centers buoy builders’ bottom line

Demand for infrastructure to support the AI boom is strong, but tariff uncertainty persists, leaders of major public construction firms said in the latest round of earnings calls. 

Tips to maximize a construction internship: McCarthy lead

Planning, tasking and an open feedback loop are vital for a robust, mutually rewarding internship, said McCarthy’s early career program manager.

Why we need to rethink RFPs in construction

Too often, this “request” draws the legal battle lines of a project early on. For owners and GCs to win, they need to become partners instead, writes Compass Datacenters’ Nancy Novak.

AbbVie to build API plant in Illinois as it steps up US production

The expansion is part of AbbVie’s larger $10 billion commitment to U.S. investment in the face of Trump’s tariff threats. 

Latest Producer Price Index report offers little relief

Domestic producers are “raising prices in line with the protection tariffs are providing them,” said a construction economist, a move that could further stoke inflation.

Balfour Beatty profits rise, but US arm struggles

The contractor's U.K. construction segment hit its 3% margin target in the first half of 2025, but its U.S. business languished due to issues at a Texas infrastructure project.

Jacobs nabs slice of $2.2B port project in LA area

The Dallas-based contractor will manage expansion of a rail facility at the Port of Long Beach, the No. 2 container port in the country.

California developers hit pause on projects due to high costs

Inflated input prices from tariffs and interest rates caused delays and cancellations, according to a survey from Allen Matkins and UCLA.

Walsh teams with Goodwill to train workers on Kentucky healthcare job

The Chicago-based contractor is training workers while it builds a $781 million hospital for the University of Kentucky, a frequent practice for pre-apprenticeships.

Updated Aug. 26, 2025

Gilbane hires 20-year industry veteran for new growth role

Veronique Bourgier will help create and execute the Providence, Rhode Island-based contractor’s long-term strategy.

Lane Construction picks up $238M highway job in Florida

The design-build project involves essential infrastructure enhancements along a vital section of I-75, a major route for freight and passenger travel through North Central Florida.

Data centers, public works boost backlog, but confidence cracks

About four in five ABC members reported higher material price notices, a factor that cut into contractors’ optimism around sales and profits, according to ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu.

Massachusetts awards skilled trades grants, approves private apprenticeship program

The approval of C&W Services’ apprenticeship program offers the facility service firm “a competitive advantage in a tight labor market,” an executive said.

Don’t fall into the apples-to-apples trap

When clients use black-and-white comparisons, low bids always win, writes consultant Chad Prinkey.

Balfour Beatty invests nearly $10M in Microsoft AI

As part of the initiative, the London-based builder will pilot an artificial intelligence agent on a Scotland infrastructure project.

Market still ‘very dynamic’: WSP CEO

The Montreal-based firm has seen little election-related disruption and is focused on its AI strategy, CEO Alexandre L'Heureux said in a second-quarter earnings call.

HDR, Jacobs JV ties down $166M NYC rail job

The team landed a contract to design the long-awaited $5.5 billion Interborough Express that will link Brooklyn and Queens.

AI could cut disaster infrastructure losses by 15%, new research finds

Artificial intelligence applications like predictive maintenance and digital twins can help keep the power on and the roads open during natural disasters — and save $70 billion in losses by 2050, per a Deloitte Global report.

Construction stress eases, but contractors remain cautious

Abandonments and delays eased in July, though a “volatile economic environment” lingers, according to ConstructConnect.

Higher ed ramps up modular construction

Standardization and a factory-like quality control process could lead to fewer problems once buildings are put into service, a Suffolk executive says.

Micron awards Gilbane preconstruction contract on $100B plant

The Providence, Rhode Island-based builder will lead site preparation work for the semiconductor fabrication facility in New York.

Granite continues buying spree as backlog hits $6.1B

The California-based road builder and materials company benefited from a robust bidding environment and continued healthy funding levels from the IIJA.

Wave of projects lifts construction planning to record high

Notable strength in data center and warehouse activity accounted for the growth as developers absorb tariff-related cost increases, according to Dodge Construction Network. 

Tutor Perini fends off tariff impacts as backlog doubles

The Los Angeles-based firm posted record backlog and its highest revenue since 2009 for the second quarter as its strategy to take on megaprojects produced results.

Contractor optimism for robots grows, but usage drops

Even though builders have an almost universally positive view of the technology, fewer are actually adopting it on jobsites, according to a new report.