Technology & Innovation

Building the Future Together: Respect, Opportunity and the South Side of Chicago

Explore how the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park is transforming Chicago’s South Side through economic development, innovation, jobs, and community investment.

A Rivian R2 SUV car parked in front of the Clayco St. Louis office sign with trees

American Manufacturing Is Back, and Rivian Is Building at Scale

Rivian’s Georgia manufacturing campus is taking shape. Bob Clark shares how long-term commitment, integration, and strong partnerships are bringing it to life.

quotes about AI with text bubbles throughout the screen

We All Have a Responsibility to Our Collective Future

Bob Clark responds to Bill Gates on AI, sharing five principles for leaders navigating trust, responsibility and progress in the AI era.

picture of 3 men on a panel for global quantum forum

Global Quantum Forum in the Windy City

Chicago's Quantum Shore is transforming the former U.S. Steel South Works into a global quantum hub, with Clayco and LJC helping bring this visionary project to life.

Construction progress at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park on the former South Works site in Chicago, with Lake Michigan and the city skyline visible in the background.

The Future Is Taking Shape on the South Side

The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park is transforming a historic South Side steel mill into a global center for quantum computing, innovation, and economic growth.

Bob Clark and a student present sustainable bioconstruction research at an ASH Scholars academic poster session.

The Future Isn’t Something That Happens to Us

Bob Clark explores how AI is transforming architecture, engineering, and construction, creating new opportunities for innovation, sustainability, and leadership.

Zack Kass Appointed to Clayco Board of Advisors

Clayco welcomes Zack Kass, former Head of Go-To-Market at OpenAI, to its Board of Advisors to help guide innovation, AI strategy, and future growth.

A conference stage scene where two men sit in armchairs during a fireside chat. A large screen behind them displays a red and white presentation slide reading “Construction Forum: The Path Forward on Data Centers,” featuring Clayco and Bob Clark, Executive Chairman & Founder, along with his photo. One man speaks into a microphone while the other listens, with construction imagery and a crane shown in the background.

The Construction Forum and What Comes Next

Data centers, AI, and the future of construction take center stage as Bob Clark joins The Construction Forum for a fireside chat on the next trillion dollar building cycle, infrastructure demand, and the Midwest’s role in shaping what comes next.

Humanity Just Went Around the Moon

NASA’s Artemis II marks humanity’s return beyond low Earth orbit—695,000 miles around the Moon—showcasing innovation, precision, and a renewed spirit of exploration.

Built by Humans, Powered by What’s Next

A forward-looking perspective on AI in construction, focusing on empowering people, increasing productivity, and driving growth rather than replacing the workforce.

I'm a Waymonaut

Waymo’s autonomous vehicles are proving that self driving technology is no longer theoretical. After experiencing a real ride, it’s clear the system safely navigates complex city traffic and could transform transportation, urban design, and the future of car ownership.

A sleek, white humanoid robot shown from the chest up in a futuristic, light-blue environment. The robot has a smooth, human-like face and is posed thoughtfully with one mechanical hand touching its chin. Blue lights glow through a transparent section of its neck, and subtle metallic details are visible around its ears and joints. The background features soft, geometric shapes and a clean, high-tech interior setting.

The Risk of Making Robots Too Human

Are human-like robots a breakthrough or a mistake? For decades, automation transformed American industry quietly, from robotic welding arms in auto plants to laser screeds revolutionizing concrete work. These machines improved safety, speed, and precision without threatening human identity. But today’s push toward humanoid robots—machines designed to look, speak, and act like us—marks a cultural shift with serious implications. As artificial intelligence accelerates fears about job displacement and economic insecurity, the rise of human-like robots risks deepening public distrust. Unlike industrial automation that stayed in factories and job sites, humanoid robots blur the line between tool and replacement. Work is tied to dignity, identity, and social standing. When machines begin to imitate people, the issue moves beyond productivity to something far more emotional and political. This article explores the social backlash, economic consequences, and cultural risks of making robots overly human-like. It argues that innovation should expand human capability—not compete with human identity—and that trust, not novelty, will determine the future of robotics and AI adoption in America.

Bob Clark with Zach Kass and Shawn Clark during a relaxed conversation in a lodge-style room, with Kass holding his new book on ethical AI.

A Practical, Optimistic Guide to the AI Future

Bob Clark reviews Zach Kass’s new book on ethical AI, offering a grounded, optimistic guide to working with artificial intelligence in real-world leadership and business.

A collage of four images from the Pacific Telecommunications Conference in Honolulu. The top image shows a split screen Yahoo Finance interview with a female news anchor on the left and a male executive joining remotely on the right, with a headline reading “Growing Backlash to AI Data Centers.” The bottom left image shows a conference badge labeled PTC’26 for a Clayco participant. The bottom right image shows four men wearing leis, smiling and holding drinks at a conference networking event.

Growing Backlash to AI Data Centers

Bob Clark discusses the rapid growth of AI data centers, community engagement, and infrastructure challenges during a Yahoo Finance interview at the Pacific Telecommunications Conference in Honolulu.

an image of a construction site with cranes and a warehouse building with machinery

Infrastructure That Powers What Comes Next

A look inside the Galaxy Digital Helios data center conversion and how large-scale infrastructure, execution, and planning are shaping the future of the digital economy and national security.

Construction worker in a yellow safety vest and hard hat standing on a desert job site, facing large equipment and distant mountains, with the text “Why AI? Why Now?” symbolizing the intersection of technology, industry, and the next era of innovation.

The Engine of Progress: Why We Need Data Centers—and Honest Conversations About Them

A powerful reflection on the evolution of American progress and the role of artificial intelligence in shaping our modern world. Exploring how AI, data centers, and energy infrastructure are driving the next industrial revolution—and why responsible innovation, not fear, must guide the future.

Quantum Computing: The Next Great Leap

Quantum computing offers a fundamentally different approach. Instead of processing information in bits (ones and zeros), quantum computers use qubits, which can exist in multiple states at once. This isn’t about making today’s computers faster; it’s about tackling problems that were previously unsolvable.

Refocus. Recommit. Refresh. — Reflections from Beyond the Summit 2025

Clayco’s executive leadership team gathered in Old Snowmass, Colorado for “Beyond the Summit” 2025 — a retreat to reflect, reimagine, and shape the future of building, innovation, and leadership with purpose and creativity.

Leaders from Clayco, Related Digital, and local officials participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for a 115-acre data center campus in Cheyenne, Wyoming, standing under two excavators holding an American flag.

Breaking Ground in Cheyenne: Innovation at Every Layer

In Cheyenne this week, we broke ground on a large-scale data center campus being developed by our client, Related Digital. The site spans 115 acres. The first phase includes a 184,000-square-foot building with 88 megawatts of capacity, already leased by CoreWeave, with plans to scale that to over 300 megawatts. These numbers are big, and they're part of an even bigger shift. Data infrastructure is accelerating, and Cheyenne is becoming a key stop on that digital map.

Collage of photos from an AI + Pizza event showing people collaborating on laptops, group discussions, and presentations. A large central graphic reads “AI + Pizza” with a note “No coding skills needed.” Winners of an in-person AI challenge are announced on stage, while attendees enjoy networking, teamwork, and casual conversations in a modern office setting.

AI is Shaping Clayco’s Future. Connection Keeps Us Grounded

Clayco’s AI + Pizza event highlights hands-on learning, collaboration, and innovation—where AI meets people, teamwork, and real-world problem solving.

Construction workers pouring and leveling concrete at a job site, wearing safety gear including helmets, gloves, and protective clothing.

Why There's More to the Pour with CSI

Clayco’s CSI team builds lasting structures with concrete expertise, innovation, and workforce training in Hazelwood, MO.

The Anatomy of a Job Site: How Preconstruction and Logistics Lay the Groundwork for Everything

When people imagine a construction site, they often see the visible: cranes lifting steel, workers in vests, machines pushing dirt. But long before any of that happens—and long after crews leave for the day—there’s a quiet force keeping it all together: preconstruction and logistics.

What Our Weekly Drone Reports Really Show

Each week, I get a report that quietly captures something pretty extraordinary: how far we’ve come in integrating drone technology into the construction process. It’s not just about flight logs or video counts, it’s about technology changing the building process.

A Year of AI at Clayco

Change is scary. When I first heard about the potential of AI—how it could reshape jobs, blur what machines can do—I felt it, too: that unsettling tug. It’s natural to worry. I worried that AI might widen economic gaps or replace human skills. But then I looked at why we worry, and realized those fears often mirror our greatest ambitions: curing diseases, building sustainable homes, accelerating innovation. What if AI could help solve those fears?

Powering the Future of American Manufacturing — Hadrian Comes to Mesa

At Clayco, we believe in building for what’s next — and there’s no better example of that than our latest announcement at The Cubes at Mesa Gateway in Mesa, Arizona. Hadrian, a cutting-edge advanced manufacturing company, is bringing its third factory — Factory 3 — to life inside a 269,500-square-foot facility developed by CRG, Clayco’s real estate development arm.. This project represents a $200 million investment and will create 350 high-skill manufacturing jobs in the Southeast Valley. Even more impressive: Hadrian plans to be fully operational by January 2026 — just six months from now.

Chicago’s Quantum Moment: Building a Global Hub at the South Side

Chicago is staking its claim as a global leader in quantum innovation—and last week’s Global Quantum Forum (July 23–24, 2025) was proof of that momentum.

Building the Future at the Kali Hotel: A Masterclass in Integrated Delivery

At Clayco, when we talk about the art and science of building, we mean more than just construction—we mean using the power of people, teams, and ideas to invent better ways to build. Our work on the Kali Hotel at Hollywood Park is a perfect example of what’s possible when we bring together the right people, the right processes, and the right technology from day one.

Thoughts and Guidance for Building a Business

Deanna Kuhlmann-Leavitt was a big part of shaping Clayco’s brand. She’s always been a designer—and now she’s starting something new with her husband, Rob Leavitt: Pershing Works, Inc. while continuing to lead Kuhlmann Leavitt, Inc., their design studio in St. Louis.

Tipping the Scales on Carbon: Concrete Strategies Building Smarter

At Clayco, we know the art and science of building is always evolving. We believe there’s always better way to build, you just have to challenge yourself to figure it out. That mindset doesn’t stop at the skyline—it runs all the way down to the concrete we stand on. In our latest field test, our teams at Clayco and Concrete Strategies set out to answer a simple but important question: Can we reimagine the materials we use every day without slowing down the work?

Not Just Talking Shop: Real Conversations with ULI Chicago

I had a terrific chat with the CEO of The McShane Companies, Molly McShane, at an event for the Urban Land Institute of Chicago (ULI).

Building More Than a Campus: The Art & Science of the Illinois Quantum Park

Art inspires, connects, and brings meaning to the spaces we share. At Clayco, great design and development go beyond function and speak to the heart of a community.

Marc Lore: Innovator, Disruptor, Future-Builder

Marc Lore is one of the most forward-thinking entrepreneurs of our time. His ability to see far beyond the horizon and create innovative solutions that disrupt industries is something I’ve admired for years.

Gearing up for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan!

The countdown to Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, has officially begun!

Highlights from 2024 with my AI Avatar and I

I teamed up with an AI version of myself (yes, you read that right!) to highlight the innovation and incredible milestones of the past year and our excitement for the future. This conversation looks back at some of the landmark developments that defined our year.

Chewy’s Fulfillment Centers: A Blueprint for the Future of E-Commerce

Clayco has worked with Chewy.com on several groundbreaking projects across the United States, building state-of-the-art facilities ranging from 690,000 to over 800,000 square feet.

Lessons from Satya Nadella at The Executives’ Club of Chicago

I had the incredible privilege of attending an event hosted by The Executives’ Club of Chicago, where Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft, was honored as the International Executive of the Year!

Talking Booming Construction + Infrastructure on Yahoo Finance

I’m glad I had the opportunity to speak with Julie Hyman on Yahoo Finance’s Opening Bid about the thriving construction industry, evolving AI infrastructure, and the future of America.

Electric Adventure: How Rivian is Redefining the Future of EVs

Rivian is making the “impossible” an everyday achievement! The company stands at the forefront of the EV industry and is working to implement sustainable manufacturing methods to promote a healthier planet.

PsiQuantum Chicago Campus is Building the Future of Tech

PsiQuantum, Quantum Campus on the former USX site on the South Side of Chicago. This project is a tremendous milestone in ensuring the city’s future as a global hub for Quantum Computing, and our Clayco team will deliver the facility at scale and high speed.

A New Era for Chicago: The Rise of the Quantum Computing Hub

Clayco is part of a team redeveloping a 400+ acre site that was once the country’s leading steel producer into a future-forward project that will establish the city as a global quantum computing hub. The Quantum Campus at 8080 South Lakeshore is set to lead the nation in quantum research.

Yahoo Finance Interview: The Insane Growth in Data Center Demand Driven by AI

I recently joined Julie Hyman and Josh Lipton on Yahoo Finance’s Market Domination Overtime to discuss the rapid and extraordinary growth in data center demand, largely driven by AI.

Honored to Speak at Missouri S&T Commencement Ceremony

It was an honor beyond words to speak at the Missouri University of Science and Technology graduation ceremonies! Everyone looked awesome out there and should be amazed at their accomplishments.

Celebrating Safety Milestones with AESC Gigafactory

AESC’s 1.5 million square foot state-of-the-art battery cell gigafactory in South Carolina is paving the way for improved global welfare!

Hard Hats of the Future

Clayco is always safety FIRST. Our team is proud to be improving safety with the next generation of hard hats.

Blue Origin’s Rumbles from Rocket City

That’s what Blue Origin’s Marshall Space Flight Center's historic Test Stand 4670 in Huntsville, Alabama, represents.

12 Trailbalzing Women in Tech

Artificial Intelligence is sweeping the world in every aspect of life. But who are the big faces behind the technology? According to a list produced by the New York Times, the “who’s who” in AI was shockingly lacking in diversity – they didn’t name one single woman. Whether inside the walls of Clayco or beyond, I am committed to helping foster inclusive communities and uplift the voices of underrepresented demographics to the best of my ability. The exclusion of women in high-ranking positions, public media, and authoritative roles is unacceptable, and we must work to ensure they have the resources and respect they deserve. For my January Inspiration of the Month, I am highlighting 12 incredible women who are the driving forces behind AI and the wave of tech that is evolving global societies. Anima Anandkumar

DealBook Summit: Leading in an Existential Moment

Talk about an innovative meeting of the minds! The DealBook Summit in New York showcased leaders in politics, business, tech, sports, and entertainment to examine some of the world’s most crucial concepts. I watched every single discussion led by Founder and Editor of DealBook, Ross Sorkin, and I feel inspired and more educated because of it.

Communities Powered by the Cloud

I often post about the Cloud, and people ask me, “What is it?” While I could explain that the energy that powers our technology comprises over half a million miles of undersea cables, hundreds of exchange points, around 8,000 data centers, and more, it may be easier to show you.

Clayco’s Mission-Critical Expertise Supports Data Center Boom

Clayco has been at the forefront of the data center boom across the US! Our team delivers high-performing centers fast and efficiently as we work alongside mission-critical design teams and engineers. Data centers are built by people for people, with every project team committing to positively impact the local community through improved morale, attracting labor, and setting up career paths with top talent in nearby cities. If there are construction elements that we can consistently guarantee, it’s that our team will deliver a fusion of high-performance projects with creative solutions. As society increasingly depends on technology, so does the need for more facilities with enhanced performance capabilities. We also understand the importance of confidentiality in projects and design and use proven practices to build facilities safely and privately.

United States Postal Service – Williamsport

Known for their determination to get the job done, American postal workers often endure harsh conditions to keep loved ones, businesses, and officials connected. Now, Clayco is helping the United States Postal Service in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, upgrade its facility to better assist its customers and communities. As America’s technology and businesses become increasingly electrified, the USPS is following suit and moving toward greener energy. This project will help modernize USPS’ delivery network with electric vehicle charging stations and improved package handling. It will also help centralize carrier operations in new and extensive sorting and delivery centers and make processes more efficient.

Life 3.0 explores the exhilarating future of AI and humanity

I recently read the exhilarating (and terrifying) book Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (2017) by the Swedish American Max Tegmark, a professor of physics at MIT and president of the Future of Life Institute. The book explores the impact of artificial intelligence on our future, and questions whether AI is the best or worst thing that is happening to humanity and life itself. WARNING: it can be depressing.

Entek’s Lithium Battery Separator Plant

Clayco has been selected as the design-build contractor for ENTEK International's new $1.5 billion production facility in Terre Haute, Indiana! ENTEK Lithium Separators is the only producer of “wet-process” lithium-ion battery separator materials owned and based in America. The new 1.4-million-square-foot facility will house equipment for producing the lithium battery separators.

Reinsurance Group of America HQ Established in MO

Clayco served as the design-builder for the Reinsurance Group of America’s (RGA) $150 million headquarters in my hometown of St. Louis, Missouri! Gensler and Fox Architects also worked on the project as the building design consultant and interior architect to help bring the 415,000-square-foot interactive and connective workplace to life. The design of the corporate campus mirrors RGA’s global brand and the local roots of its people, featuring two high-tech, five-story glass office towers connected through a stone-clad base that conceals the parking structure.

AppHarvest Expands Across Kentucky

The Appalachian sustainable food company, AppHarvest, opened its two latest indoor agriculture facilities in Kentucky! AppHarvest develops and operates some of the world’s largest high-tech indoor farms. Clayco's Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) team is focused on helping solve the company’s challenges to “fight the food fight for a resilient food system.” AppHarvest has locations throughout Kentucky in Berea, Richmond, and Somerset, aiming to operate 12 high-tech indoor farms by the end of 2025. At the Berea 15-acre leafy green farm, Richmond 60-acre CEA farm, and 30-acre Somerset CEA farm, Clayco has acted as lead program manager to greenhouses, headhouses, utility plants, and site work while providing design, engineering, and construction services for the office portion of the projects.

Climate Week at Clayco

Climate Week is the perfect time to open the dialogue about what companies and individuals alike are doing to leave a positive impact on our environment. NYC hosts an annual Climate Week with a program of events dedicated to analyzing climate change and evaluating what methods and transformations are needed to make a sustainable change.

Blue Origin Embarks on 6th Space Tourism Mission

Blue Origin successfully completed its sixth human spaceflight and the 22nd flight for the New Shepard program. The astronaut crew included: Coby Cotton, Mário Ferreira, Vanessa O'Brien, Clint Kelly III, Sara Sabry, and Steve Young. It was exciting to see it LIVE!

Clayco Named A Category Standout

I am so proud that Clayco was named to Fast Company’s 2022 Best Workplaces for Innovators United States list! Fast Company, a world-leading business media brand that focuses on transformative technology, ethical economics, leadership, and more, recognized Clayco as one of nine category standouts for our creative infrastructures and breakthroughs. We are honored to be ranked again among so many incredible pioneering companies across industries. Innovation is what has enabled Clayco to grow from humble origins and has always been the center of our company’s foundation.

Xalt Energy (Dow Kokam) Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing Facility

I am always excited to see how Clayco’s use of transformational design-build technology helps our construction projects come together so efficiently. Our construction innovation paired with technology and automotive innovation produced a 400,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art battery manufacturing facility for XALT Energy (Dow Kokam). This futuristic plant produces affordable lithium-ion batteries and consistent energy solutions for customers in the expanding electric vehicle market. The single-story manufacturing plant includes 45-foot clear heights and clean-dry rooms for manufacturing processes as well as 600 million additional watt-hours and incorporated battery pack assembly equipment and production. It was also built with insulated tilt-up concrete wall systems and features glass exterior design elements.

Aspen Security Forum

Keeping up-to-date and informed regarding national and domestic security threats is imperative. Only in America could there be such a world-class group of speakers in an almost completely open forum discussing such crucial issues with thoughtful options and observations, AND taking direct questions from the audience. This week, I attended the Aspen Security Forum, an annual three-and-a-half-day conference in Aspen, CO. It’s where domestic and foreign government officials, business executives, leading academics, and journalists gather to discuss solutions to critical national security and foreign policy challenges.

Aspen Ideas Festival

It was interesting to attend the Aspen Ideas Festival in the beautiful Rocky Mountain State! There were so many incredible events and leaders gathered from around the world to discuss societal issues, advances, and how to best engage in change. The theme of the festival is Heat, Money, Trust, Connection, Power, and Beauty, and it explores global concepts that impact everyone.

Keeping it Current – Book Reviews

It’s important for me to keep up-to-date and informed regarding current affairs – not only global politics, but also looking at the world’s business leaders and what has fueled their success. I also get a lot from reading the history of specific issues and events.

Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel

Although I generally don’t agree with this author on many things, including his politics, I believe this book is required reading for entrepreneurs and investors … Zero to One: Notes on Startups, Or How to Build the Future. Written by Peter Thiel, one of the founders of PayPal, the book is assembled from some of the class notes that were taken from his lectures held at Stanford University in 2012. It is very insightful, and I agree with a lot of the main points Thiel makes, especially when it comes to thinking outside the box and innovation. The book starts off with the premise that even though it might not seem like it, we’re currently living in an age of what Thiel calls ‘technological stagnation.’ He basically means that instead of people building new companies or products to solve problems that no one else has thought of, we’re mainly doing much of the same thing that other established companies are already developing. Using examples like the rapid advancements in information technology and companies in Silicon Valley, he illustrates how imitating or copying what another business is already doing isn’t really moving us forward.

Siebel Center for Design at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Of all the building projects we work on at Clayco, some of my favorites are the ones that we do for universities and higher education institutions, as they really make an impact on the lives of students and the next generation of leaders who will drive our future. We actually just completed construction on a great new project on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and it definitely fits into our mission to go “Beyond These Walls.”

Unmanned Systems and New Tech in Construction

At Clayco, we’re always looking for new ways to innovate our build processes. A big part of this is seeking out partnerships and collaborators that will help us do our best work, and we’ve been actively looking into the ways that the drone industry could complement our own. One of the solution providers we’ve worked with on this front is Skycatch, and our good collaborative relationship with them was important to successfully gain FAA approval to fly the first drones over a construction site. We also worked with them to develop and analyze 3D scans of sites so we can compare them to the original model and plans, which has opened a lot of doors in modernizing our process.

Clayco Named One Of Fast Company’s 2021 Best Workplaces for Innovators

Clayco just made Fast Company’s 2021 list of Best Workplaces for Innovators, amongst other industry leaders such as Google, Gensler, and Oracle and this is an honor that we’re really proud of. Recognizing the leading organizations around the world that are empowering their employees to improve processes, create new products, or invent new ways of doing business, the annual list highlights the companies that have continued to excel by innovating during a period of so many challenges. We’re the only builder to make the list, and it shows that we are really the best at what we do. When I started Clayco, finding innovative ways to do business was at the core of the company’s foundation, and it still is after over 37 years. From the people we bring on to the projects we build, innovation defines our culture, our values, and our mission. We have found that our practice fosters innovation that goes beyond the bounds of tradition, and this is why we’ve been able to hire the best and brightest in the industry and create a culture where everyone can thrive.

Blue Origin’s Historic Launch

Today’s launch of Blue Origin’s first crewed mission is a first on so many fronts, and it was really exciting to watch. It also signals that we’ve entered into a whole new era in space exploration and travel. The mission’s success is sure to open a lot of new doors for even more people to get to experience what was once unthinkable and unimaginable not too long ago. From the start, I knew that Clayco’s work on the Blue Origin Engine Facility project would be so important to the manufacturing process of their rocket engines. Designed by Lamar Johnson Collaborative, Blue Origin's Engine Plant in Huntsville, Alabama won Engineering News-Record's Best Manufacturing Project in the Southeast for 2020. This facility manufactures seven of the LNG fueled BE-4 rocket engines that provide nearly 4 million pounds of thrust to Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket.

Supporting Alderman Burnett at Fulton East

As the first next-generation office building in the nation, Fulton East is built for the future. In addition to 85,000 square feet of floor-to-ceiling glass skyspace, this groundbreaking project includes health protection measures, like a hands-free elevator system, plasma disinfection technology, and touch-free secure access systems. My favorite feature of Fulton East is its amenity deck that includes 2,925 square feet of vegetated space and reflective roofing that earned the building LEED certification for reducing the project’s urban heat island effect. There was no better place to host a fundraising event for Alderman Walter Burnett, Jr. who currently represents Chicago’s 27th ward. For 26 years, Alderman Burnett, Jr. has been a great advocate for the communities he serves, and he’s a leader who has shaped Chicago in many ways.

My Conversation with Bisnow

In this series, Bisnow highlights people and companies pushing the commercial real estate industry forward in myriad ways. Clayco is one of the nation's design-build giants, undertaking commercial and residential building projects nationwide for the likes of Amazon, Illinois' Cook County, Kohl's, Pfizer, Penn State University, Zurich and the University of Chicago Medical Center. Even during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the company took in $4.8B in revenue and had about 2,000 employees.

Blue Origin Engine Facility Named ENR’s Best in Manufacturing in the US

I am proud that every one of our employees at Clayco is committed to producing top-quality work across the country. Although we don’t do what we do to win awards, it’s always great to be recognized for the work that we do. Our Blue Origin Engine Facility project has been named Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) Best of the Best winners for 2020. We were already named Best of Manufacturing for the Southeast, and now have won the same category for the entire country.

ICON Mechanical

ICON is a full-service design-build mechanical firm that has on-site pre-fabrication ability. ICON has been working with Clayco since 2004 when we first partnered together on the design-build of the Cortex One facility. From the beginning, ICON has been a solid and capable partner. They have been an advocate for the advancement in technology and creative thinking that Clayco brings to the table, helping to improve the project delivery process and overall end-product for our clients. They are always eager to help us with our most difficult assignments. ICON was recently instrumental in helping us implement our new approach to prefabrication and modularization. This method was successfully applied to our Pfizer project in Chesterfield, MO, where they built all of the pre-fabricated core walls that lead to millions of dollars saved and a tremendous improvement to the overall schedule. The President of ICON, Mike Bieg, said: “The collaboration between all of the partners involved is what made this project a big success. By communicating with our partners during the process, we were able to adjust traditional decisions to minimize risk while ensuring we were not only completing the work on time but also ahead of schedule.”

The New, New Workplace

My Design/Build company, Clayco, delivers approximately 4,000,000 square feet of class A office and call center space per year to Fortune 100 companies and other major employers. For us, creating productive work environments has always been second to the safety, security and well-being of our clients’ employees. That was before COVID-19. Now those three are even more of a priority. During recent conversations with CEOs, facility managers and chief talent officers/HR executives, we’ve speculated about what preparations may be necessary to return the workforce to the office. CEOs want their employees back for various reasons, and there are important decisions to be made, both for a few months from now, hopefully, and far beyond. A number of us working from home are struggling with tools we may have dabbled in before but which are now front and center for conducting business. Between the user interface, an overloaded Data Center capacity because of the unanticipated surge in use of Microsoft Teams, Webex, Zoom and other products, it’s been challenging. While the option of having some our workforce at home is probably here to stay, it’s often easier to collaborate, communicate and find efficiencies in the office. However, the executives I’ve talked to are eager for a return to normal, but ONLY when it’s safe. We will certainly require new guidelines, CDC recommendations and suggestions from major health institutions. As employers, it will be our job to create work environments where “de-densifying” and social distancing can work in every department. Some companies have already started thinking about a “care package” to be distributed to their workforce before they return to work. This could include guidelines and maps for new routes to their workspaces, healthcare products like hand sanitizer and masks, and even goggles. Work hours may be staggered in some facilities. Making workers feel that their managers care about them and their families will be critical. The front-line facility people will be more important than ever. Property management, security, compliance and life safety should be top of mind. Re-evaluating every step from receiving for deliveries to the dock door itself, as well as the best cleaning products to use, will need to be scrutinized to protect those involved. Safeguarding up-close contact areas with plexiglass separations, to having more sophisticated UV protection in the HVAC system, more fresh air overall, and other mechanical changes, will be required.

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