Walbridge launches L5 Mission Critical unit

Walbridge has created a new company, L5 Mission Critical, as the Detroit-based construction firm expands from data center development and building work into long-term operations and facilities management.

The new business will be based in Chicago and will be led by Matt Landek, who has been named President and CEO. Landek previously served as Global President of JLL’s Data Center and Critical Environments business, where he led about 2,500 employees supporting 340 data centers worldwide.

L5 Mission Critical is set to provide services including commissioning, site readiness, steady-state critical operations, retrofits and project management. Walbridge said the unit will work with third-party data center owners and operators, while also supporting existing Walbridge construction clients seeking a more continuous path from development and construction into ongoing operations.

The launch comes as Walbridge points to rising pressure across the U.S. data center market. According to Data Center Frontier data cited by the company, U.S. data center capacity is expected to approximately double within three years, with nearly 45 GW of additional capacity planned as AI and cloud computing drive higher electricity and infrastructure needs.

At the same time, developers are contending with limited access to power, grid reliability concerns, workforce shortages and community opposition, according to the company. Walbridge said those conditions are increasing the focus on reducing operational risk and maintaining uptime after new facilities open.

L5 is intended to give Walbridge a more integrated model that stretches from design and construction through commissioning and ongoing facility operations. The company said that approach could reduce handoffs between contractors and service providers over the life of a data center and help customers rely on one organization across design, construction and operations.

"Together, we offer multi-disciplinary perspectives and a shared understanding of data center operational challenges and opportunities, whether those projects are enterprise facilities or gigawatt-scale campuses", said Matt Landek, President and CEO of L5 Mission Critical.

Walbridge also said L5 is developing a data center workforce training curriculum aimed at accelerated career pathways for skilled tradespeople. The program is expected to cover roles from entry-level critical facility technicians to infrastructure engineering and operations leadership.

"As demand skyrockets, our clients not only need to get their projects up and out of the ground fast - they need critical operations and value-add services that reduce risk, ensure uptime and educate communities."

"With the addition of L5 Mission Critical, our clients will be able to tap into a wider depth of service that goes across the entire lifecycle of a data center."

Walbridge is one of America’s largest privately held construction companies and has more than 1,500 professionals across North America. Engineering News-Record ranks the company among the top 10 data center constructors.

The company launched its mission-critical construction business in 2016 and has since delivered more than 50 data center projects representing over 6 GW of capacity constructed or under development across Indiana, North Carolina, Michigan, Virginia, Texas and Mexico. Its portfolio includes The Barn in Saline Township, Michigan, which Walbridge describes as an AI and data center development and the largest economic investment in Michigan’s history.

Walbridge said the formation of L5 builds on that existing pipeline by adding recurring operational capabilities after construction is completed, positioning the company to serve more of the data center lifecycle as AI and cloud providers continue investing in larger computing campuses.

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