One of Chicago’s largest construction companies remains confident in the data center and advanced manufacturing project pipeline, according to its CEO.
In May, Clayco made a slate of key leadership promotions, including Ryan McGuire as president of construction and new national roles for several division leaders, according to a release. The moves aim to strengthen project delivery across key sectors including life sciences, e-commerce and institutional work, according to the company.
Meanwhile, Clayco continues to ramp up its data center construction efforts with its new business unit, Clayco Compute, said CEO Anthony Johnson. The design-build firm generated $3.6 billion in 2024 from data center projects, accounting for half of the company’s total revenue, according to Clayco.
Here, Johnson talks with Construction Dive about Clayco’s growth outlook for the second half of 2025, cost pressures and overall uncertainty in the construction industry.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity
CONSTRUCTION DIVE: What trends or market shifts are you most closely watching in the second half of 2025, and how is Clayco positioning itself to respond?
ANTHONY JOHNSON: In the second half of 2025, we're closely watching persistent cost volatility, high demand and continued constraints in lending.
These forces are making clients more cautious, and rightfully so. Our focus is on helping them understand and manage their risk exposure early so they can secure financing and move forward with confidence. We're doubling down on collaboration during the planning and pricing phases, ensuring decisions are data-driven, not reactive.
It’s about smarter investments, not just faster ones.
Which of Clayco’s sectors do you see driving the most growth?
Clayco continues to see strong activity in data centers, artificial intelligence-driven projects, advanced manufacturing and life sciences.
The rapid acceleration of AI technologies and the growing demand for data processing have fueled a surge in data center construction, which led to the launch of our newest business unit, Clayco Compute.
Another growth area for our company currently is privately developed student housing at some of the major university campuses throughout the country. Our investors continue to be excited for this asset class in core markets.
We also are beginning to see a resurgence of multifamily and mixed-use projects in select urban markets throughout the country.
Some firms are pulling back or consolidating due to economic uncertainty. What's allowing Clayco to keep scaling across sectors right now?
We are leaning into high-growth sectors with real staying power, like data centers and advanced tech. Our launch of Clayco Compute wasn’t just a new unit, it was a strategic bet on the future of infrastructure, and it’s paying off.
We also are investing heavily in expanding our engineering, design, and self-perform mechanical and electrical capabilities, giving us more control over critical systems and execution speed.
How are rising construction costs, supply chain issues and labor pressures shaping your approach to construction and procurement strategy?
We are experiencing impacts on a couple different fronts, which has positioned us to focus heavily on supply chain and also project underwriting.
On one hand, we have companies looking for reshoring opportunities, clients looking to continue to expand their data center businesses and domestic companies looking to continue their expansions already underway. On the other hand, we also have these same clients looking to us to help them navigate the current tariff constraints, potential cost uncertainties and a challenging lending environment.
So, in essence, the same company can be both optimistic and growth focused, but also cautious and uncertain about their investment at the same time. We are working closely with these clients to provide complete transparency to our supply chain, help them understand alternates and contingency plans and, in doing so, de-risk their projects.
Are there any other trends you’re keeping close tabs on?
The quest for power is leading many users to more and more remote locations, which makes finding skilled labor an even greater challenge.
This trend, in conjunction with the drive for acceleration and speed to market, drives the need for further innovation in project execution. Off and onsite modularization and prefabrication are examples of strategies Clayco is implementing to address these challenges.
