Gray Construction and Southwire Company, LLC commenced work on October 5, 2026, to expand a manufacturing campus in Starkville, Mississippi. The design-build initiative will add approximately 380,000 square feet of new space while removing two older structures that total roughly 40,000 square feet. Southwire stated the project addresses rising demand for electrical infrastructure linked to data centers and broader electrification efforts.
What it means
The expansion is projected to generate about 130 new positions at the Mississippi site. Gray Construction indicated that nearly 250 laborers will be on-site during peak construction phases. The facility is scheduled to reach full operational capacity in 2028, with Southwire’s current production lines remaining active throughout the build-out.
The new construction features a six-story tower dedicated to the extrusion process for jacketing copper wire. The building design targets LEED Silver certification and incorporates a rainwater collection system for gray water reuse, along with infrastructure ready for future solar installations. This project falls under Southwire’s broader pledge of more than $2 billion in modernization investments.
“This facility is built for the long term,” said Rebekah Gray, President and CEO of Gray Construction. She added that every new data center campus relies on the power infrastructure produced by Southwire as the market expands rapidly. Gray Construction has operated since 1960, while Southwire reports a global workforce of more than 9,000 employees and an organizational value of $9.7 billion.
Key facts
- Groundbreaking date: October 5, 2026
- Location: Starkville manufacturing campus, Mississippi
- New space added: approximately 380,000 square feet
- Existing space demolished: roughly 40,000 square feet
- New jobs created: approximately 130
- Peak construction workforce: nearly 250 workers
- Expected full capacity: 2028
- Modernization commitment: more than $2 billion (Southwire)
- Certification target: LEED Silver
Source: Gray Construction news release (PR Newswire)