Latest news with #Clayco
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Clayco CEO sees cautious clients, smarter investments
This story was originally published on Construction Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Construction Dive newsletter. 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 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Recommended Reading New Clayco CEO expects data center boom to thrive Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Journals
29-05-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Big construction firm names 4 to new leadership roles
Clayco, the Chicago-based design-build firm with a large presence in St. Louis, has made four promotions it said are aimed at increasing the integration and operation of the firm's existing markets. The moves follow this year's appointment of a new CEO.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Contractors join forces to tackle tornado debris
ST. LOUIS – Since the devastating tornado struck, some of the biggest names in construction have come together to clean up storm debris and move forward in the recovery. Enter the Greater St. Louis Tornado Recovery Effort. 'There's a lot going on,' Rick Moeckel, Clayco executive vice president, said. 'This right here is the path. Over 10,000 structures were impacted; 80% of those were inhabited. You had debris everywhere. So, the first thing we started with was debris removal.' The list is long; from Alberici Constructors, Fred Weber, Spire, McCarthy, Goodwin Brothers, Paric, TW Constructors, Cass, Musick, Paradigm, Hillsdale, Tarlton, Keeley, Arco, Millstone Weber, all gathering in the Urban League parking lot and heading out each day into the community since Saturday, May 17. 'Devil in the Ozarks' escapes north Arkansas prison 'Maybe you had 10 pieces of equipment and 10 people,' Moeckel said. 'By Thursday, that number grew and grew, and we were at 150 people Thursday and Friday, with 40 pieces of equipment and 25 trucks and really making a dent.' A Greater Ville resident said they need quality contractors and bricklayers to fix what can be fixed and rebuild what can't, so residents can move on emotionally. 'The thing that I've been most impressed with is that everyone is just ready to jump in,' Moeckel said. 'We're working on figuring this thing out and it's been almost seamless in a way. It's been kind of this one team, one love for the city push.' Tornado Recovery Info 🌪️ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
13-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Funeral to be for Lori Healey, former Daley chief of staff and Obama Center executive
Longtime civic leader and urban planner Lori Healey, who died earlier this month from pancreatic cancer, will be laid to rest on Tuesday. A celebration of life will be held Tuesday morning at Chicago Women's Park and Gardens in the South Loop near McCormick Place. Healey began her career as a policy aide to Kansas Gov. John Carlin in 1983, according to the City Club of Chicago, where Healey was a board member. In Chicago, Healey served as commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development under Mayor Richard M. Daley, and was appointed his chief of staff in 2007. In 2009, Healey was appointed president of Chicago 2016, where she co-led Chicago's ultimately unsuccessful bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Healey also coordinated the organizational and planning activities for the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago as executive director of the NATO Host Committee, the City Club of Chicago noted. Healey later served as chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, also known as McPier, which owns Navy Pier and McCormick Place. In 2019, Healey became the president of the Chicago regional business unit at Clayco, a Chicago-based development and design firm. In December 2020, Healey joined the Obama Foundation as senior vice president and executive project officer for the Obama Presidential Center. She was at the helm of the project to develop the 19.3-acre Obama Presidential Center campus in Jackson Park, which is still under construction. Healey's family called her "a remarkable woman — a deeply devoted mother and grandmother who found her greatest joy in time spent with her adoring family."
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lori Healey, senior VP of Obama Presidential Center and former CEO of McPier, dies at 65
Lori Healey, chief of staff to Mayor Richard M. Daley, co-leader in the city's bid for the 2016 Olympics, former CEO of McPier and head of Clayco in Chicago, died of pancreatic cancer Saturday, her family said in a statement. She was 65. 'Our mother was someone who was fiercely loyal not just to us, but to her friends, mentees, and those who entrusted her to lead. Her career was filled with extraordinary accomplishments that will help define her legacy,' said the statement from her children. 'So many knew her as a transformative force in public service, city planning, and civic development, but to us, her most meaningful role was as our mom.' More recently, in 2020, Healey joined the Obama Foundation as senior vice president and executive project officer for the Obama Presidential Center, where she was leading construction of the Jackson Park campus. 'Chicago is a better city because of Lori Healey. Lori established herself as one of the most respected and sought-after voices in both the public and private sector thanks to her brilliance, indefatigable work ethic, wise judgment, and wit,' said Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the foundation. 'Lori could connect with anyone in any room: heads of state, developers, construction workers, young people and every member of our team. She was generous with her time and passionate about living a purposeful life and (being) a mighty force for good.' Before being hired in 2019 as Chicago's regional president of Clayco — the development firm tied to expansions of O'Hare International Airport and Willis Tower — Healey was appointed in 2015 the CEO of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, also known as McPier, which owns Navy Pier and McCormick Place. In that role, she supervised the construction of Wintrust Arena and Marriott Marquis, according to City Club Chicago. 'The loss of Lori Healey is devastating. Lori was not just my former boss and colleague, not just a mentor, she was a dear friend,' said Larita Clark, Healey's successor as McPier CEO. 'She was a wise and charismatic leader who, in her humble way, was a champion for all people and a tireless advocate for women. Always willing to give of herself, Lori led by elevating those around her.' Bob Clark, executive chairman and founder of Clayco, told the Tribune over email that he couldn't think of anyone who had 'this much impact' on the city. 'She loved Chicago with all of her being,' he said, 'and every morning I'm sure she thought of how to make our community bigger, better and more functional. For everyone.' After earlier stints both in state government and City Hall, Healey worked under Daley and then ran his family's firm, Tur Partners, until her appointment to McPier. In 2012, Healey coordinated and planned the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit in Chicago as executive director of the host committee. A few years earlier, in 2009, she had helped lead the city's failed bid for the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics. Just last week, Healey's son Ramsey Al-Abed accepted the 2025 Game Changer Award on her behalf when she was unable to attend the 37th Chicago Commercial Real Estate Awards. 'Her impact has definitely helped shape the landscape of this city over the past decades,' Al-Abed wrote on an Instagram post. In a video montage presenting the award, friends talked about Healey's interests and passions beyond work, including golf, the Chicago Bears, her horses and hot sauce she used to stash away in a cabinet. 'I want to thank you. Thank you for not only changing the city of Chicago for the better, and our state and our country, but also for the kind of person that you are,' Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said in the video message. Healey's relatives called her 'a remarkable woman — a deeply devoted mother and grandmother who found her greatest joy in time spent with her adoring family.' She was also 'a loving partner' to Walt Eckenhoff, 'and an inspiring leader, a friend to so many and a tireless advocate for Chicago.' 'We are heartbroken by this loss but comforted in knowing that her legacy lives on in the countless lives she touched — in her grandchildren, colleagues, friends, and the city she loved so much,' the statement read. The family asked for privacy and said additional details about a celebration of life would be shared soon. adperez@
