2026 Executive Outlook: Brad Williams, Construction Operations Senior Vice President, Granite Construction
Granite Construction's Senior VP of Constructions Operations Brad Williams talks 2026 trends and goals.
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As the construction industry looks ahead to 2026, industry leaders are navigating a landscape shaped by persistent economic pressures and targeted pockets of strength.
Tariffs, high interest rates and inflation are pressuring contractors' bottom lines and sowing uncertainty across the market. At the same time, the data center and energy infrastructure demand tied to the AI boom is fueling growth in many regions throughout the country.
For this series of Q&As, Equipment World tapped more than a dozen construction industry leaders to find out what trends are shaping their strategy in 2026, how they plan to invest in their operations and how the current political climate is impacting their roadmap.
This year’s participants include:
Morgan Stallings, Senior Director of Dealer Development & Marketing, Develon
Kyle Fuglesten, Vice President of Construction, Hitachi
Paul Barlow, President, Huddig
Mike Ross, Senior Vice President, HD Hyundai Construction Equipment
Paul Manger, Executive Director of Product Marketing, Kubota
Illmars Nartish, Vice President, Manitou North America
Jeffery Ratliff, Director of Sales & Marketing, and Jeff Stewart, President, Takeuchi
Scott Young, Head of Region North America, Volvo CE
Brad Williams, Construction Operations Senior Vice President, Granite Construction
Keep reading to see where Brad Williams, Construction Operations Senior Vice President, Granite Construction, is placing his bets in 2026.
Equipment World: How does your current project backlog compare to last year, and what does that indicate about your workload for 2026?
Committed and awarded projects (CAP) increased significantly in 2025 over 2024, to a record of $6.3 billion, signifying a strong pipeline of work for 2026. Funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) continue to drive a significant amount of work, while Federal government construction programs are abundant and the private market remains robust led by the e-infrastructure industry.
EW: Do you expect it will be easier or harder to find skilled labor in the coming year, and how will that affect your project delivery?
There’s a well-documented skilled labor shortage in the United States and as we grow our backlog and perform more work, the skilled labor shortage will continue to be a consideration. We are focused on maintaining strong relationships with our union partners and being an employer of choice so that we retain our skilled craft and continue to deliver for our clients.
EW: What role do you see new technologies—AI tools, machine control, electric equipment, autonomy or connected equipment, etc.—playing in your operations next year?
Granite is investing in technology – especially automation and AI – across our operations. In the near term, the largest impact will likely continue to be on our materials operations, where a number of our plants have received automation upgrades in recent years. We see significant opportunities to use these technologies to drive safety innovation in coming years whether in monitoring workers, work zone intrusion, or other possibilities. We are piloting the implementation of autonomously operated equipment to supplement our skilled labor and deliver projects on-time.
EW: Which sectors—public infrastructure, private development, industrial, energy—do you expect to provide the most opportunity for your company?
Granite is seeing a strong market for all our services. Even though the IIJA expires in September of 2026, monies from the bill will continue to flow into infrastructure projects for a long time after that date. This critical investment in our nation’s infrastructure will continue to provide excellent opportunities for the company.
EW: What’s your outlook on profitability next year—are you expecting margins to tighten, hold steady or improve?
We expect to see an increase in adjusted EBITDA margin in 2026 as we continue to work towards our 2027 adjusted EBITDA margin target range of 12.5% to 14.5% of revenue.
EW: Beyond the next 12 months, what’s your confidence level in the construction industry over the next 3–5 years?
We see a strong market for construction through 2030 at least. There is a widespread understanding that up-to-date infrastructure supports the rest of the economy. We are confident that there will be a continued bipartisan consensus on the critical nature of infrastructure investment to our nation that will keep funds flowing to our industry. On the private side, we anticipate a continued strong e-infrastructure market due to the country’s power and data needs.
