“On Aire Ep. 9 w/ Michael and Jim Clifford – The Art of Industrial Real Estate Podcast” featuring Michael and Jim Clifford from XCC
⚡ Keeping the Lights On: Mission Critical Construction with Mike and Jim Clifford 🎙️ Episode 9 of On Air with Team Jensen In the ninth episode of On Air with Team Jensen: The Art of Industrial Real Estate, the team hosts brothers Mike and Jim Clifford from XCC. Specializing in “Mission Critical” construction, the Cliffords pull back the curtain on a high-stakes world where construction work cannot interfere with the operations of buildings that process the nation’s cellular traffic and data.
📡 What is Mission Critical?
Mission critical construction is uniquely complex. XCC works primarily with major telecom providers to upgrade power and cooling systems in data centers—all while the facilities remain fully operational. Because these buildings house servers that handle critical communication, a single mistake could cost a client millions in downtime or reputation loss.
“You can’t just turn the lights off in a building that’s processing all the cell phone traffic in a city… it’s really careful, methodical, risk-averse construction.”
🗺️ A National Footprint
While headquartered in Kansas City, XCC “follows the work” across the country. From Boston and Milwaukee to Sacramento and McAllen, Texas, the firm manages major existing facility renovations. Mike and Jim explain the difference between acting as a General Contractor and a Construction Manager, emphasizing the importance of getting involved early in the design phase to inject “constructibility” into complex projects.
🕰️ Navigating 100-Week Lead Times
The global supply chain remains a primary hurdle in the industrial world. Mike shares the startling reality that lead times for critical equipment like generators spiked from 20 weeks to over 100 weeks. To keep projects on track, XCC has pivoted to a proactive procurement strategy, often ordering hardware when a design is only 30% complete to ensure equipment arrives by the time construction begins a year later.
👨👦👦 Brotherly Dynamics
Like the Jensens, the Cliffords are a family team. Mike (Vice President/Lead Estimator) and Jim (Senior Project Manager) leverage their shared background in Construction Science from K-State to run a lean, 20-30 person operation. They even live within 200 feet of each other, proving that the bond of family is a powerful asset in a high-pressure industry.
“We want to be the best mission-critical builder… we don’t want to be the biggest.”
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