Soft Craft Labor Solutions

Soft Craft Services for Data Centers in Texas

Data center construction in Texas is accelerating faster than the available skilled labor market can support. Owners and contractors face growing pressure to deliver projects faster while managing labor shortages, fragmented trades, and rising coordination costs.

Mericka Group provides soft craft services for data center construction designed to remove bottlenecks, improve productivity, and reduce strain on critical-path trades. Drawing from decades of experience delivering complex oil and gas projects, we bring proven industrial execution methods into the data center environment—where speed, precision, and reliability matter.

Built for Texas Data Center Markets

Texas has become one of the most active data center development regions in the country, driven by energy availability, land access, and business-friendly conditions. Rapid expansion has intensified competition for skilled labor across electrical, mechanical, and specialty trades.

Mericka Group helps Texas data center projects move forward by optimizing soft craft scopes and consolidating trade management. Our approach allows projects to progress without overloading scarce, high-skill labor or adding unnecessary site complexity.

A Smarter Approach to Labor Constraints

The labor shortage cannot be solved by hiring faster. It must be solved by working smarter.

Mericka Group increases efficiency through a proprietary planning and execution methodology focused on work performed at heights and across secondary trades. This approach routinely improves productivity by 15–25%, allowing projects to be delivered with fewer labor hours and less congestion.

Key Outcomes

• Reduced reliance on scarce, high-skill labor
• Improved sequencing and site flow
• Fewer trade conflicts and schedule delays
• Faster turnover between construction phases

Efficiency at this level allows Texas data center projects to scale without breaking delivery schedules.

General Subcontractor Model for Data Centers

Data center construction requires coordination across numerous smaller but essential trades. Managing these scopes independently increases administrative overhead and coordination risk.

Mericka Group operates as a general subcontractor, aggregating and managing multiple soft craft and specialty scopes under a single contract. This simplifies procurement, scheduling, and site logistics while improving accountability.

Benefits for Owners and General Contractors

• Fewer subcontractors to manage
• One point of responsibility
• Reduced site supervision burden
• Greater schedule certainty

Self-Performed Soft Craft Capabilities

Mericka Group self-performs critical soft craft scopes commonly required on data center projects, ensuring quality control and consistent execution.

Self-Performed Services

• Painting and Coatings
  • Concrete sealing
  • High-performance coating systems
• Fireproofing
  • Intumescent
  • Cementitious
• Mechanical Insulation
  • Piping
  • Equipment
• Elevated Work Platforms
  • Engineered scaffolding
  • Rope access
  • Specialty lifts

Trade Aggregation Through Trusted Partners

In addition to self-performed work, Mericka Group manages a vetted network of specialty trade partners to deliver comprehensive scope coverage.

Trade Partner Capabilities

• Modular and prefabrication services
• Pipe fabrication (stainless, carbon, PVDF, PFA, copper)
• Structural steel and sheet metal fabrication
• Mechanical systems and component installation
• Mechanical controls installation
• Plumbing systems (above and below ground)
• HVAC systems
• Temporary and permanent containment systems
• Chemical product supply
• Fireproof drain covers
• Testing and inspection services
• Cleanroom and whitespace containments
• Custom millwork and décor
• Server rack anchoring and installation
• Interior and exterior signage and wayfinding

These scopes are coordinated as a single delivery package, reducing fragmentation and improving execution speed.

Segmented Value by Stakeholder

For Data Center Owners

• Faster speed to market
• Improved schedule predictability
• Reduced labor risk
• Fewer coordination failures

For General Contractors

• Lower administrative burden
• Fewer subcontractor interfaces
• Simplified scheduling and logistics
• Ability to take on more projects with existing resources

For EPC and Project Teams

• Industrial-grade execution methods
• Clear scope definition and accountability
• Reduced site congestion
• Improved productivity across trades

Pre-Qualification and Bidding Support

Mericka Group integrates seamlessly into pre-qualification and estimating workflows. Once approved, we can bid individual scopes or bundled trade packages, providing flexibility and added value during procurement.

Even when selected as an alternate bidder, our proposals provide estimating teams with meaningful pricing benchmarks and risk-mitigation options.

Soft Craft Execution Built for Data Centers

Our experience in oil and gas taught us how to deliver complex, high-risk projects under pressure. That discipline now supports data center construction—where uptime, quality, and schedule are non-negotiable.

Mericka Group helps Texas data center projects overcome labor shortages, reduce coordination friction, and deliver on aggressive timelines without compromising execution quality.