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Schedules might be shifting, but demand hasn’ t gone away.“ Even with less federal tax incentive, there’ s still plenty of solar activity nationwide. We get one or two requests a week for pricing. Some projects start in six months, others in two years.” To diversify, Sargent is identifying opportunities beyond solar.“ Gas turbine power plants are making a comeback across the country. We’ ve already started work on one and will kick off another early next year.”
Demand keeps shifting between technologies, but it still flows to companies that can handle complex power infrastructure. Sargent is negotiating more solar projects in Nevada and West Virginia, plus a gas turbine project in Iowa. Now the challenge isn’ t just finding opportunities; it’ s delivering them.
Labor availability shapes how projects are chosen and planned. In many places, contractors compete with manufacturers, infrastructure developers, and data center builders for the same workers. That means location is just as important as scope. The real constraint isn’ t demand; it’ s labor.“ The lack of skilled labor has kept Sargent from pursuing projects in some areas,” Russ confirms.
Solar projects help because they need a broader mix of skills than many other generation projects.“ Solar is a sweet spot for us. We can build these using lots of entry-level employees, which eases the strain on skilled labor,” Russ explains.“ These projects are in places not affected by huge data centers or other big developments, so we’ re more confident we can find the labor we need.”
Workforce issues are closely tied to another big pressure: procurement. Lead times and equipment availability are now strategic, not just administrative. That shift pushes contractors to start conversations earlier with customers and suppliers.“ We’ re always watching material lead times with our vendor partners and encouraging customers to order key items early, so everything stays on track,” Russ points out.
The power of partnerships
Behind the focus on lead times and schedules sits something less measurable: relationships built over years with customers, vendors, and project teams. Throughout his 47-year career in construction, design, and operations, Russ has viewed successful projects as the product of strong partnerships rather than process alone. The same philosophy influences how he approaches leadership inside the business.
Developing people is a growing focus as Sargent expands. The company has added project managers and keeps building its management team to support new work.
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