Gray's New Era: How Integrated Design-Build is Shaping America's Industrial Future

LEXINGTON, KY – January 13, 2026 – As the U.S. accelerates its push to re-shore critical manufacturing and build a resilient domestic supply chain, Gray, a national design-build leader, is positioning itself at the forefront of the boom. Closing out a transformative 2025 with nearly 80 complex projects under execution and almost 40 million square feet of active construction, the company is carrying significant momentum into the new year, buoyed by new leadership and a sharpened focus on its integrated project delivery model.

The past year was marked by major milestones, including the appointment of Rebekah Gray as President and CEO of Gray Construction, a strategic expansion into the booming Southeast market with a new Atlanta office, and the advancement of landmark facilities for global brands like the LEGO Group, Isuzu, and American Foods Group.

A New Generation of Leadership

A pivotal development in Gray's 2025 journey was the leadership transition to Rebekah Gray, a third-generation member of the founding family. Stepping into the CEO role, Gray brings a unique blend of institutional knowledge and external experience, having spent nearly a decade managing complex construction initiatives for a global aerospace and defense contractor before rejoining the family business in 2010. Her comprehensive experience across the company’s operations, from food & beverage to advanced technology markets, has prepared her to steer the firm into its next chapter.

Under her guidance, the company is doubling down on the integrated approach that has been its hallmark for decades. "The success we've seen this year is a testament to the hard work of all our teams," said Rebekah Gray in a recent statement. "Our continuing commitment to design-build delivery has only strengthened our position as a trusted partner for the world's leading brands. This consistency is what earns trust and allows us to deliver increasingly complex work around the world."

Her leadership tenure also includes serving as the 2025 President of the Associated General Contractors of Kentucky, where she has advocated for the broader construction industry, reinforcing her commitment to workforce development and industry advancement.

The Design-Build Differentiator

At the heart of Gray's strategy is its unwavering commitment to the design-build model, a project delivery method that is rapidly becoming the industry standard for complex, fast-track projects. This approach unifies the design and construction phases under a single contract, creating a cohesive team from day one. According to the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), this method consistently delivers projects faster and with greater cost certainty than traditional design-bid-build processes. Industry research supports this, showing design-build projects can be delivered up to 33% faster while reducing cost growth and change orders.

As projects in sectors like advanced manufacturing and data centers become more technically sophisticated, the value of this integration grows exponentially. "As our projects become more complex, integrating architecture, engineering, and automation expertise early is essential to successful delivery," noted Dowell Hoskins, CEO of Gray AES, the company's architecture and engineering services division. "Gray's integrated design-build approach is a powerful differentiator where our customers can reduce risk and gain greater certainty through robust up-front planning and design activities."

A prime example of this model's power is Gray’s recent completion of the world's first LEED-certified beef harvest facility for American Foods Group. The state-of-the-art, 800,000-square-foot plant, which began production in early 2025, required seamless collaboration to meet both rigorous production demands and stringent sustainability benchmarks. The project, expected to create over 1,300 jobs and generate a $1 billion annual economic impact, sets a new global standard for the industry and showcases the ability of an integrated team to deliver on a complex, visionary goal.

Building the Backbone of U.S. Industry

Gray's 2025 project portfolio reads like a blueprint for strengthening America's industrial core. The company broke ground for Isuzu North America's new vehicle production facility, continued progress on a massive toy manufacturing plant for the LEGO Group, and launched HiTHIUM's U.S. energy storage manufacturing operation. It also partnered with UBE C1 Chemicals America on a facility critical to the domestic battery and semiconductor supply chain.

These projects align directly with a national surge in demand for manufacturing, energy, and technology infrastructure. This demand is particularly acute in the Southeast, where Gray strategically opened a new Atlanta office in 2025. The region is a hotbed for data center construction, with Georgia emerging as a primary destination due to land and power availability, and is expected to see sustained growth in manufacturing and civil infrastructure projects through 2027.

This industrial renaissance, partly fueled by federal initiatives like the CHIPS and Science Act, presents both immense opportunities and significant challenges. Timelines are more compressed than ever, and the technical requirements for facilities like semiconductor fabs and data centers are exceptionally high. By managing design, engineering, and construction under one roof, Gray aims to provide the speed-to-market and certainty that clients in these fast-moving sectors require.

Looking ahead to 2026, the company expects the pace to accelerate. The focus remains on refining its delivery model and partnering closely with customers to bring these vital facilities online efficiently and responsibly. As projects grow in scale and complexity, the discipline and collaboration inherent in the design-build model will be more critical than ever.

"Our work doesn't stop at the end of the year," Rebekah Gray added. "The same focus, discipline, and collaboration that carried us through this year will guide us forward, supporting our customers, our team members, and the industries that rely on what we build."