Downstream Products
Nucor targets ‘white hot’ data center boom
Written by Laura Miller
October 31, 2025
With infrastructure demand shifting toward digital capacity, Nucor Corp. is positioning itself as the go-to steel supplier for the data center boom.
During a conference call on Oct. 28 to discuss third-quarter earnings results, executives highlighted surging demand and Nucor’s unique competitive edge in the sector.
The company forecasts data center construction will surge by 30% year over year to 60 million square feet in 2026. Virginia alone saw 54 new permit applications in the first nine months of this year, underscoring the pace of expansion, said Nucor Chairman, President, and CEO Leon Topalian.
Nucor’s top executive described the data center opportunity as “white hot.” Traditional warehouse construction may be flat, but data centers are expected to grow at double-digit rates for the next five to six years, he said, noting “every major category we’re looking at is tracking.”
As John Hollatz, EVP of fabricated construction products, put it: “We see that market being so hot moving into the coming years.”
Through several acquisitions and to meet growing demand, the Charlotte, N.C.-based company launched dedicated Warehouse and Data Systems groups in 2022 and 2024, respectively. Some facilities have already been converted to support data center build-outs, the company said. It also sees strong cross-selling potential across its portfolio.
Nucor says it supplies over 95% of the steel products used in data center construction. According to the company, it is the only domestic provider capable of delivering steel for both conventional and pre-engineered buildings at scale.
Indeed, its product mix is extensive: insulated metal panels, joists, decking, foundations, rebar, sprinkler conduit, overhead doors, structural sheeting, server cabinets, and hot-aisle containment structures.
“It’s really the gambit,” Topalian told analysts. “It’s the full purview.”
