Walbridge announces the formation of L5 Mission Critical to Support Increased Demand in Data Center Operations

Matt Landek, former Global President of JLL Data Centers and Critical Environments, to lead the new Walbridge-backed offering for mission critical services

CHICAGO, Sept. 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Walbridge, a full-service construction company headquartered in Detroit, MI, today announced that it has launched L5 Mission Critical, a new company that will provide a full range of data center services. The integrated offering will include services ranging from commissioning and site readiness through steady-state critical operations, retrofits and project management services. Matt Landek is serving as President and CEO of L5 Mission Critical. He will work alongside Walbridge leadership including John Rakolta III, President and CAO and the broader Walbridge organization. L5 Mission Critical will be headquartered in Chicago, IL.

Landek, most recently was the Global President of JLL's Data Center and Critical Environments, lead a workforce of 2,500 employees across 340 data centers across the globe.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join forces with Walbridge,” said Landek. “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. With the data center market rapidly evolving, our ability to bring multi-disciplined leaders with a wide range of experience across hyperscale, enterprise, and services providers, will be a differentiator to our customers. As more service providers continue to consolidate, our ability to provide a flexible, transparent, community-based approach to operational delivery will pay dividends to the clients and the communities we serve.”

Operating at the Speed of Data Center Demand

Data center capacity in the U.S. is expected to double within three years, with nearly 45 GW of additional capacity planned, driven by AI and cloud growth, according to Data Center Frontier.

Walbridge is making a strategic step to meet demand during a time when power availability, grid reliability and community opposition are making projects more difficult to bring to fruition. L5 Mission Critical will serve third-party data center clients as well as offer an integrated solution for Walbridge construction clients that envision a seamless transition from construction to operations and facilities management.

“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. Matt’s expertise will allow us to scale our data center construction practice to a full build to operate model that our clients need in this complicated time,” said John Rakolta III, President & Chief Administrative Officer of Walbridge. “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. One partner across design, construction and operations. They will be able to spend less time managing handoffs and risk, while having the confidence that their critical operations are where they need to be from day one.”

Recognizing that the industry's growth is constrained as much by workforce capacity as it is by power and infrastructure, L5 Mission Critical is also developing a robust data center workforce training curriculum. The program is designed to create clear, accelerated pathways for skilled tradespeople, from entry level critical facility technician roles through infrastructure engineering and operations leadership, helping address the technician shortage facing the industry while opening new career paths in the trades.

About L5 Mission Critical

Founded to meet the challenges of soaring demand for mission critical facilities operations, L5 Mission Critical offers third-party data center and mission critical operations and management services across North America. It serves the full range of data center owners and operators, including hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, AI/neocloud, and investor/developers. L5 leverages Walbridge design and construction resources, supply chain partnerships and industry relationships to deliver and operate projects at scale, from single-site enterprise facilities to gigawatt-scale campuses. L5 Mission Critical was founded in 2026 and is backed by Walbridge, a Detroit, MI-based national construction firm.

Visit l5mc.com or connect with us on LinkedIn to learn more.

About Walbridge

Walbridge is one of America’s largest privately held construction companies, founded in Detroit in 1916. The company offers construction management, engineering, and real estate services for customers in manufacturing, hyperscale data centers, automotive, defense, higher education, health care, and government. Walbridge employs more than 1,500 professionals in North America.

Recognized by Engineering News-Record as a top 10 data center constructor, Walbridge launched its mission critical business in 2016 and has since delivered more than 50 data center projects representing over 6 gigawatts of capacity constructed or under development across Indiana, North Carolina, Michigan, Virginia, Texas, and Mexico. The company's portfolio includes The Barn in Saline Township, Michigan, a landmark AI and data center development that represents the largest economic investment in Michigan's history.

Visit walbridge.com or connect with us on LinkedIn to learn more.

Media Contact:

Aimee Val, Senior Vice President, Akrete Communications
Aimee.Val@akrete.com or 847.942.1458

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cf5c4a74-b51b-430d-bfa4-e8aa2fca65d1

Matt Landek, President and CEO of L5 Mission Critical

Matt Landek, President and CEO of L5 Mission Critical