259: Data Centers, Modularity, and Mission Critical Manufacturing featuring Keith Hutchens of BW Design Group

Data centers are popping up all over the country, and for good reason. Capacity is doubling every three to four years, equipment is booked years out, and the race for AI computing power is creating opportunities that didn't exist five years ago.

Keith Hutchens from Barry-Wehmiller Design Group joins us to discuss how data centers are driving manufacturing activity across the entire supply chain. He compares this moment to building railroads in the 1800s or the oil boom of the 1970s and how we're witnessing transformative infrastructure that's reshaping American industry.

The conversation covers why "mission critical" means something different in data centers, with downtime costing millions per hour. Keith explains how modularity is revolutionizing construction timelines, why industrial controls are replacing commercial systems, and how different data center builders each have varying priorities when it comes to speed, cost, and density.

Keith also shares BW Design Group's approach to managing massive site teams and their philosophy of "truly human leadership” which has informed how they develop leaders, prevent burnout, and foster collaboration, even with former competitors.

In this episode, find out:

• Why data center growth is creating supply chain strain across all manufacturing sectors
• How modularity enables building before location selection and faster deployment
• The differences between colocation, startup, and hyperscaler data center priorities
• Why industrial PLCs are replacing commercial DDC controls in mission-critical applications
• How the Barry-Wehmiller Design Group manages 70-person teams on single sites
• The shift from competition to collaboration in tackling massive projects
• Why leadership development needs the same rigor as engineering training

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Tweetable Quotes:

• “I consider it almost like building railroads in the 1800s or the oil boom in the 1970s. This is the next transformative infrastructure that's coming to America.”
• “Mission critical definition is [how] downtime is not an option. Losses can be millions of dollars per hour or just result in, major safety concerns.”
• “Don’t fear collaboration, even with people you thought were traditional competitors. It’s such a different market that there really is room for everyone and you should be ready to open your mindset to that.”

Links & mentions:

• Connect with Keith Hutchens, Partner at Barry-Wehmiller Design Group: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kthutchens/
• BW Design Group, partners with manufacturing and technology companies in the food and beverage, life-sciences, advanced-technology, and industrial sectors, delivering fully-integrated strategy, architecture, engineering, construction and system-integration services: https://www.bwdesigngroup.com/

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.