Issue: Local Hiring — Where Things Stand
Hiring Update: What We've Done, Who We've Hired, What's Coming
We committed to prioritizing Baxter County residents for construction and permanent roles. Here's a first accounting of how that commitment is tracking against real numbers.
In February, we committed publicly to sourcing at least 60% of construction labor from Baxter County and surrounding counties, and to working with local partners — not just posting jobs on a corporate website. Three months into active construction, here's where things stand.
Construction Workforce — Current Status
- Total active construction workers on site: 214
- Baxter County residents: 89 (42%)
- Surrounding county residents (Fulton, Marion, Boone, Stone): 61 (28%)
- Combined local workforce: 70% — above our 60% commitment
- Primary trades on site: concrete, electrical rough-in, steel erection, site utilities
These numbers will shift as the project phases in specialty work — particularly mechanical and data infrastructure installation — where regional or national contractors with specific certifications are sometimes required. We'll report those numbers transparently when they change.
Partners We're Working With
- Arkansas Workforce Services — Mountain Home office: active referrals for construction labor
- North Arkansas College: we've sponsored 8 students in the Electrical Technology program
- Baxter County Economic Development Corporation: joint referral pipeline for permanent roles
- Mountain Home High School: toured the site with 24 students in February (a second visit is planned for September)
Permanent operations roles — data center technicians, facilities engineers, security staff, and administration — will begin posting in Q1 2027. We'll hold local job fairs before any of those roles go to external recruiters.
What's Next
Phase 1 construction peaks in Q3 2026, when we expect the on-site workforce to exceed 400. We'll publish another hiring update then. If you're a local contractor or trade worker looking to get on the bid list, contact us at jobs@cpdatacenters.com and we'll connect you with the appropriate general contractor.
Have a follow-up question?
Reach us at community@cpdatacenters.com or use the contact form.