One Million Union Craft Hours Building Michigans Future

By Josh Pitcock, senior vice president, Oracle-Sep 28, 2026

At The Barn data center in Saline Township, Michigan's union skilled tradespeople recently celebrated one million craft hours building the infrastructure that will support the next generation of AI. The milestone reflects the essential role Michigan workers are playing in building the computing capacity that will advance scientific discovery, strengthen businesses and public services, and create new opportunities across the state.

Behind that figure are the electricians, welders, equipment operators, carpenters, ironworkers, plumbers, and other union tradespeople whose skill and care are bringing the campus to life. Their work carries forward Michigan's long tradition of building the industrial and technology infrastructure that keeps Michigan at the forefront of innovation.

The Barn is being built in partnership with Michigan's union trades workforce, whose training, experience, and commitment to safety are essential to delivering a project of this scale. The project's labor agreement brings owners, contractors, and all 14 affiliated trade unions together around shared standards for safety, opportunity, and respect-creating good union jobs and ensuring Michigan workers play a central role in building the next generation of technology infrastructure.

"Being from Michigan, on a job this big, it makes me proud to see what the union workers are capable of accomplishing for our state," said Kathy Short, general laborer foreman on Compute 1 and a member of Local 499. "It feels exciting to be part of the million hours, seeing what we're capable of doing and seeing all the union workers put their skills to work."

Short is one of more than 2,000 skilled tradespeople currently building The Barn. The project will create more than 2,500 union construction jobs during the build phase. When the campus is operational, it will support thousands of project-supported jobs across Washtenaw County.

The work at The Barn is also grounded in a sustained focus on safety. "Successfully accomplishing one million work hours just shows how hard we work every single day and the commitment and effort that we put in toward safety to make sure we can reach a million more," said Cordele Rocks, safety manager with Walbridge Industrial Process.

Beyond the work underway today, The Barn is creating real pathways for people to build careers close to home. As we build and operate The Barn, Oracle is committed to helping expand access to the skills needed for the next generation of technology jobs. Through programs including Oracle Academy and our paid, hands-on Data Center Trainee program-which requires no degree or prior experience-we are helping people prepare for careers in technology.

We know a project of this scale comes with responsibilities. We are committed to meeting them by protecting local natural resources, paying our own way for the energy infrastructure required to serve the campus, and investing in the community where we will operate for decades.

The Barn will use closed-loop, non-evaporative cooling designed to minimize operational water use. More than 75% of the more than 1,000-acre site will remain farmland, wetlands, woodland, and open space. Oracle and our partners will fund the energy infrastructure needed to serve the campus-including a new onsite substation and battery storage-so those costs are not passed on to other DTE customers.

The project will generate billions of dollars in tax revenue over the better part of two decades-averaging more than $150 million annually-to support Washtenaw County, Saline Area Schools, the State School Aid Fund, fire services, roads, and the local library. Saline Township will receive more than 2,000 times the tax revenue it would have received had the property remained farmland. We have also committed $8 million for local fire departments, $4 million for farmland preservation, and $2 million for a township-controlled community investment fund.

Michigan has always built what comes next. The work underway at The Barn reflects that legacy: skilled people building infrastructure that will advance scientific discovery, strengthen businesses and public services, and create new opportunities for Michigan's workforce. Alongside our union, business, and community partners, we are proud to help build the infrastructure that will support America's economic prosperity and global leadership.

Learn more at TheSalineBarn.com.