Fortress Reports $37M in 2Q Engagements

In the latest sign of activity in data center construction and expansion, Fortress International Group (FIGI) said Thursday that it booked $37 million in new business in the second quarter, bringing new engagements for 2008 to $91 million, a 46 percent increase from $62 million during the first six months of 2007.

The new business for Fortress included $32 million in construction management, $3 million in facility management and $2 million in technology consulting. Fortress International is a holding company for a portfolio of companies that design and build mission-critical facilities, including notably Total Site Solutions (TSS). Fortress has now booked $80 million in new construction work this year, including two new projects announced Monday.

"We are seeing customers requiring upgrades, facilities modifications, green initiatives and new space for their data processing activities," said Fortress International Chief Executive Officer Tom Rosato. "The work is across the board. We are also seeing a surge in the closure of design-build construction management contracts which indicates that customers have the capital to fulfill their data center needs.

"Our success at winning new business continues at a very strong pace, growing 46% over the same period last year," Rosato added. "At the same time, our new proposal activity reflects a very robust business environment in our market sector. New proposals this quarter exceeded $200 million and our closure rate remains high."