Michael Bedell, General Manager & Vice President, Walbridge

Invest: sat down with Michael Bedell, general manager and vice president at Walbridge, to discuss how a people-first strategy is shaping the company’s mission-critical and industrial work in Charlotte and across the Southeast. In a tight labor market, he says Walbridge’s focus is on flexibility, sustainability and technology that supports teams rather than replacing them. “Being an effective leader starts with listening,” he notes, as the company refines its talent pipeline, deepens relationships with repeat clients and leans into AI and ISO-driven sustainability to stay ahead of industry change.

How would you characterize the past year for Walbridge in Charlotte and across your broader footprint? What has stood out to you most?

The past year has underscored how critical people are to everything we do. Staffing – both for Walbridge and for our subcontractors – continues to be one of the defining challenges and opportunities in every market. In response, we’ve leaned into a people-first mentality, looking at how we make it as easy as possible for people to come to work, be at work, and feel like they are truly part of a team.

We’ve focused on flexibility where the work allows and on creating an environment where employees feel included, supported, and valued.

How is that people-first focus shaping your talent strategy and workplace culture today?

A big part of it is strengthening communication and listening. Being an effective leader starts with listening, and we’ve been intentional about hearing what’s important to our employees and future employees. From there, we look at where we may need to adjust how we do things so we’re aligning with what they value while still meeting project demands. Expectations around workplace culture, growth, and work-life balance have evolved, and our approach is to be open about what’s possible in a project-driven industry while making sure people see real opportunities to grow and have a voice.

Where are you sourcing talent, and what role do partnerships play in strengthening your pipeline?

Our intern program is one of the most important parts of our pipeline. We partner with several universities across the Southeast and the country, bringing in interns and exposing them to different parts of the business so they can see where they want to focus their careers.

We now have people who have interned with us all four years of college and then transitioned into full-time roles. That continuity lets them build relationships, see our culture up close and step in ready to contribute. In addition, we are active at career fairs and similar events, which help us introduce Walbridge to future talent and listen to what students and young professionals are looking for.

How does Charlotte fit into Walbridge’s broader regional footprint? What differentiates this market from others you serve?

The themes we’re dealing with in Charlotte – especially around talent – are similar to what we see across the country. The need to attract, retain, and grow people is not unique to one region. What makes Charlotte stand out is the strength of the talent pool and the fact that it sits within a fast-growing Southeast footprint where we see a lot of opportunity.

Our mindset is to be open and responsive to what current and future employees are asking for, regardless of the specific market. In Charlotte and elsewhere, we’re keeping that inflow of new talent coming into the business so we can support our backlog and growth.

Repeat business has long been a core part of Walbridge’s model. How is your client base evolving, and what are you seeing in terms of demand?

Repeat business remains the foundation of our work. Roughly 85% of what we do is with existing clients, so maintaining and strengthening those relationships is a top priority. In terms of markets, mission-critical data centers are our largest and fastest-growing segment today, and they continue to be a dominant force in construction for us.

Beyond data centers, we remain active in industrial work and were recently recognized as the number one industrial contractor in the U.S. Like many in the industry, we tend to see some slowdown in decision-making at the end of the year as owners decide whether to move projects into the current or next fiscal year. Even with that normal seasonality, our backlog is strong across markets, and we don’t see a slowdown in the near term.

How is the shift toward adaptive reuse and mixed-use projects showing up in your work, particularly in a market like Charlotte?

The bulk of what we do – probably around 90% – is still new greenfield construction. That’s where most of our focus and experience lies. That said, we do see opportunities where owners want to expand existing campuses or repurpose facilities, and we’re able to support those needs as they arise.

What technologies are having the greatest impact on how Walbridge delivers projects today?

Technology has been a big driver of efficiency and quality for us for many years, and that continues. On top of the tools we’ve already implemented – like drones and advanced digital layout – artificial intelligence is now coming into play across the industry, and we’re actively embracing it.

Right now we’re determining where AI fits best for our business and our projects. That involves experimenting, learning, and scaling the use cases that clearly add value, whether that’s in planning, coordination, safety, scheduling, or other aspects of project delivery. The goal is to use technology to support our teams and clients, not to replace the judgment and experience that our people bring.

Sustainability has become a much bigger focus for owners. How is Walbridge responding, and how does your ISO 14001 certification support that effort?

We’ve had clients place a strong emphasis on sustainability for several years now, and our job is to meet those expectations. ISO 14001 is one piece of that. It reinforces the discipline around how we measure, manage, and continuously improve our environmental performance on projects.

We have a dedicated sustainability team within Walbridge that focuses on tracking key metrics like carbon emissions, water usage, and other resource impacts. They gather data, measure progress against goals and help project teams identify ways to reduce our footprint. That structure also allows us to set new targets each year so that sustainability remains an active, measurable priority.

Are there particular types of projects that best illustrate Walbridge’s current strengths and positioning in the market?

Because of nondisclosure agreements, we can’t always highlight specific projects by name. What I can say is that mission-critical facilities and vehicle manufacturing are two areas where we’re seeing a lot of activity and where our teams are doing highly complex work.

Across those markets, the common thread is that owners are asking for increased efforts around both performance and sustainability. Our experience in delivering large, technically demanding projects, often under tight timelines, positions us well to meet those expectations while maintaining the safety, quality, and reliability our clients expect.

Beyond talent, what external trends are having the biggest impact on how you operate today?

One of the key areas we watch closely is the manufacturing and procurement environment for materials. Tariffs and other trade-related factors can have a significant impact on cost and schedule if you’re not paying attention to how they’re trending.

Our teams track those developments so we can anticipate potential disruptions, mitigate risks, and avoid unexpected cost or time impacts for owners. That proactive approach is critical to keeping projects on track and maintaining trust with our clients.

Looking ahead over the next two to three years, what are your top priorities for Walbridge in the Charlotte market and the broader region?

The first priority has to be people. You can’t claim to be people-first without making top talent your focus – finding, retaining and growing that talent across the organization. That includes giving people clear pathways to develop and ensuring they feel connected to our mission and our teams.

Second is deepening our relationships with our top-tier clients. With about 85% of our work coming from repeat business, we are intentional about maintaining and strengthening that core group of customers and continuing to earn their trust on every project.

Third is embracing change. The industry is evolving quickly, whether it’s AI, new technologies, or sustainability expectations. Our mindset is to grow with the industry – to be willing to adapt, to learn and to lean into those changes so that we’re not just reacting to the future of construction but helping to shape it.