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Transcript
We’re here for Texas
Texas continues to lead in strategic growth sectors, from advanced manufacturing and semiconductors to technology, distribution, and higher education.
With this growth comes rising complexity. Labor markets are increasingly competitive. Utility systems face greater load demand. And expectations for service visibility, uptime, and performance are escalating across every asset class. Across the state, from Dallas to Austin to Houston and beyond, facility leaders are being asked to do more.
Whether supporting cleanroom manufacturing, operating high-density data centers, or managing corporate campuses with dynamic occupancy, teams must ensure consistent execution while navigating staffing constraints, rising costs, and a tightening regulatory environment.
Commercial real estate is realigning around experience and efficiency. Tech campuses are optimizing operations. And critical infrastructure across life sciences, education, and public venues must perform under pressure.
ABM’s Texas teams help organizations ensure continuity, meet compliance standards, and align facility operations with long-term business goals. From mission-critical HVAC and energy services to integrated cleaning and engineering programs, we anticipate challenges and deliver measurable outcomes.
Facility performance is now a true differentiator. The organizations that succeed will invest in systems, partnerships, and teams that can support growth while delivering resilience.
This report is based on firsthand insight from our Texas operations and the clients we support daily. It outlines the trends shaping facility strategy in 2026 and offers guidance for leaders focused on long-term performance.
Scott Salmirs
President & CEO, ABM Industries
Power, performance, and partnerships
How Texas facilities are meeting the moment
Texas is entering a critical phase. Growth remains strong across the state, but the demands placed on facilities are intensifying. Labor constraints, energy volatility, and performance expectations are no longer isolated challenges—they are interconnected pressures reshaping how buildings are managed in every major sector.
From Austin’s tech campuses to Houston’s commercial office towers, facilities are expected to deliver more: greater reliability, more responsive service, and measurable value. What was once considered best-in-class is now a baseline. Facility strategies must evolve to meet rising expectations around uptime, sustainability, workforce stability, and operational transparency.
The data center market is doubling in capacity, but grid stress and staffing shortages are tightening the margins for error. Semiconductor fabs and adjacent manufacturers are creating a regional corridor of production, where facility readiness directly impacts speed to revenue.
In commercial real estate, tenant demands and cost constraints are accelerating the shift toward integrated service models and experience-centric operations. Across education, healthcare, life sciences, and public venues, teams must navigate hybrid usage, tighter SLAs, and expanding compliance requirements—all while contending with a competitive labor market.
What we hear consistently from facility leaders across Texas is the need for partners who simplify complexity. They are managing broader portfolios with fewer on-site resources and greater accountability. They need teams that can anticipate challenges, execute precisely, and provide visibility into every aspect of service delivery.
Our team has identified the key areas where that shift is already underway—and what facility leaders must prioritize next to remain competitive.
Katie Pearson is Director of Sales for the Central Region at ABM Industries, leading strategic partnerships and innovative facility solutions for clients across the Greater Houston area and beyond. A respected leader with over 17 years of experience, Katie helps organizations navigate complex challenges while continually elevating standards and delivering impactful results.
Cynthia Halsey is National Director of Enterprise Solutions at ABM, leading enterprise-wide operational alignment and quality assurance across complex commercial real estate portfolios nationwide. A President’s Club honoree and Coast Guard Reserve officer, she brings disciplined leadership, cross-functional insight, and a deep commitment to service excellence.
About this report
Backed by market data and firsthand client engagement across industries, the ABM Texas team has identified the trends shaping the state’s future—equipping organizations to make more informed, strategic decisions for 2026 and beyond.
Our 12,877+ team members in Texas are dedicated to providing maintenance to 1,800 facilities, including Hines, Transwestern, CBRE, Stream, TMC, JLL, Cushman Wakefield, Brookfield, Colliers, and more.
CLEANING & MAINTENANCE
420+ sq. ft. of buildings cleaned each day
FACILITIES ENGINEERING
We’ve helped multiple facilities achieve LEED Certification
DATA CENTERS
4GW+ of data center capacity managed
HVAC & MECHANICAL
6,000+ heating and cooling systems serviced and maintained
Commercial real estate realigns around efficiency and experience
The commercial real estate sector is undergoing a structural realignment. In major markets across Texas and nationally, building owners and asset managers are shifting focus from square footage to performance. As occupancy patterns evolve and return-to-office strategies stabilize, the market is rewarding assets that offer both tenant experience and operational efficiency.
High-performing Class A properties are capturing a disproportionate share of demand. Tenants are prioritizing buildings that offer hospitality-level service, advanced air quality management, and seamless integration between amenities and infrastructure. These expectations are redefining the role of facility services—from back-of-house operations to frontline tenant experience delivery.
At the same time, operating cost pressures are intensifying. Owners are navigating tighter margins, aging infrastructure, and a more complex energy environment. Traditional service models are proving insufficient for a portfolio approach that demands visibility, scalability, and consistency across asset types. In response, asset leaders are adopting standardized facility platforms and data-driven service models that improve responsiveness while managing spend.
Staffing is another inflection point. With fewer on-site teams and a growing need for proactive maintenance and tenant-facing services, many are consolidating under single-source partners capable of delivering integrated cleaning, engineering, and HVAC services. Cross-trained teams aligned to portfolio-wide KPIs are now a strategic advantage.
Over the next year, real estate operators are expected to focus on:
Expanding experience-centric services, including air quality monitoring, smart restroom systems, and responsive tenant support platforms.
Implementing integrated service models that simplify vendor management and accountability.
Utilizing real-time facility data to optimize resource allocation, maintenance scheduling, and energy use.
Right-sizing service approaches for lower-performing assets to maintain safety and asset value while controlling cost.
FOR DECISION MAKERS:
Service execution, tenant satisfaction, and operational precision now shape asset value. Invest in occupant experience, implement standardized operations across portfolios, and consolidate under integrated service providers.
Semiconductor expansion fuels regional manufacturing corridor
Semiconductor investment is reshaping the manufacturing landscape in Texas. Federal incentives, global demand, and a renewed focus on domestic resilience are accelerating the buildout of advanced manufacturing facilities, creating a corridor of strategic production capacity.
This expansion is driving more than capital investment. It is transforming the operational requirements for facility performance. Semiconductor environments demand strict contamination control, tightly regulated HVAC performance, and consistent power delivery. As fabs move from construction to production phases, facility readiness becomes a critical determinant of time-to-value.
Workforce availability is emerging as both a constraint and a differentiator. The technical complexity of semiconductor manufacturing requires highly skilled facility teams trained in cleanroom protocol, high-performance mechanical systems, and uptime-critical maintenance. Across the corridor, operators are reevaluating service partnerships to ensure continuity, compliance, and the ability to scale alongside production needs.
Energy reliability is also under scrutiny. The intensification of load demand is prompting a more deliberate approach to power infrastructure planning, including real-time load analysis, switchgear redundancy, and integration of microgrid or on-site generation options. These strategies are not only risk mitigation measures but also essential components of long-term ESG commitments.
Looking ahead, facility leaders engaged in semiconductor manufacturing are prioritizing:
Integrating commissioning and preventive maintenance programs that reduce risk during production ramp-up.
Improving decision-making and adherence to performance thresholds through real-time facility analytics and digital twins.
Adopting flexible staffing models to respond to production cycles while maintaining compliance with GMP and cleanroom standards.
FOR DECISION MAKERS:
Performance, compliance, and scalability are now central to manufacturing growth. Align facility readiness with production ramp-ups and prioritize contamination control and labor continuity. Incorporate energy resilience into operational strategy.
Austin’s advanced tech campuses shift from expansion to optimization
After years of aggressive growth, advanced technology campuses in Austin are entering a new phase. While development continues, the emphasis is shifting from expansion to operational optimization. Facility leaders are now focused on extracting more value from existing footprints, aligning infrastructure performance with evolving workforce expectations, and reinforcing system resilience.
Hybrid work models and evolving space utilization are reshaping facility requirements. Campuses must support dynamic occupancy while maintaining high standards for indoor air quality, sustainability, and service responsiveness. The goal is no longer just to accommodate growth but to ensure each square foot supports productivity, collaboration, and brand experience.
Technology firms are scrutinizing every aspect of facility spend. From HVAC performance and energy use to service workflows and staffing models, leaders are seeking greater visibility and control. In many cases, this means consolidating vendors, digitizing inspections, and implementing analytics platforms to track service quality and asset performance in real time.
Integrated solutions deliver simplicity at scale. Facility teams are expected to deliver across cleaning, maintenance, engineering, and tenant support—often with fewer resources and tighter SLAs. Cross-functional, tech-enabled service delivery models are emerging as the standard for efficiency and agility.
In the year ahead, Austin’s advanced tech campuses are expected to prioritize:
Driving system-wide optimization to improve air quality, equipment performance, and energy efficiency.
Deploying enhanced digital monitoring to identify trends, mitigate risk, and inform capital planning.
Adopting flexible service models that deliver premium experiences across variable occupancy.
Advancing workforce development and cross-training to ensure reliability and responsiveness at scale.
FOR DECISION MAKERS:
Adaptability, visibility, and user experience are now key to sustained productivity. Optimize infrastructure for hybrid use, embed analytics for performance monitoring, and consolidate facility functions with accountable partners.
Data center growth raises power and reliability concerns
The data center market in Texas is expanding at an unprecedented pace. Hyperscalers, cloud providers, and colocation operators are significantly increasing their presence across Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. However, as demand accelerates, the fundamentals of power availability, reliability, and operational continuity are becoming more complex and constrained.
Power is now the primary limiting factor for new capacity. While Texas offers geographic advantages and attractive economics, data center leaders face increasing uncertainty in the energy landscape. The ERCOT grid, which covers much of the state, continues to experience volatility due to extreme weather, high load variability, and growing regulatory scrutiny. These dynamics elevate the strategic importance of load management, infrastructure hardening, and long-term energy planning.
Uptime remains non-negotiable. Data center tenants expect reliability at scale, yet traditional operating models are under pressure. The industry is contending with a tight labor market, rising operating costs, and fragmented service delivery. As a result, there is a shift toward integrated facility solutions that combine engineering, HVAC, cleaning, and electrical expertise under a single partner model. This approach enhances responsiveness, simplifies accountability, and ensures consistent execution across multiple facilities.
Operational visibility is also a growing priority. Operators are increasingly deploying sensor-based monitoring, predictive analytics, and real-time diagnostics to preempt failures and optimize performance. These capabilities are essential not only for maintaining service levels but also for meeting emerging ESG and compliance requirements.
Over the coming year, leading operators in Texas are expected to:
Adopt more comprehensive power management strategies, including microgrids, on-site generation, and infrastructure upgrades to mitigate grid risk.
Standardize preventive maintenance and cleaning protocols to align with uptime expectations and avoid cross-contamination in critical environments.
Expand workforce development efforts and rely more heavily on service providers that can recruit, train, and retain specialized talent at scale.
Tighten operational governance through KPIs, customer-facing reporting, and strategic facility partnerships that can scale with growth.
FOR DECISION MAKERS:
Implement energy resilience strategies, optimize infrastructure for uptime, invest in integrated facility partnerships, and deploy real-time visibility tools. Reliability, speed, and technical depth now define the competitive edge in Texas data center markets.
Workforce stability is the new competitive differentiator
Across Texas, organizations are reassessing their strategies amid talent scarcity, volatile energy markets, and rising service expectations. Workforce stability and operational continuity have emerged as strategic differentiators.
Facility leaders now manage risk as much as services. The ability to staff critical roles reliably, maintain uptime, and respond quickly to issues has become a core measure of organizational resilience. In industries ranging from semiconductor manufacturing to healthcare, even minor disruptions can have cascading impacts on productivity, compliance, and reputation.
The challenge is particularly acute in high-growth regions such as Central Texas, where facility footprints are expanding faster than the available labor pool. As retirements accelerate and technical talent becomes harder to source, companies are turning to partners with proven workforce pipelines, training programs, and high retention rates. These factors directly influence service consistency and regulatory performance.
At the same time, continuity is being redefined. Facility strategies must now support 24/7 operations, hybrid work environments, and increasingly stringent ESG commitments. This requires integrated service models that span cleaning, engineering, HVAC, and energy management—delivered with transparency, agility, and adherence to performance standards.
Leading facility operators in Texas are investing in:
Scaling staffing models with national talent pipelines, targeted training, and streamlined digital onboarding to reduce attrition risk.
Implementing integrated platforms to unify inspections, issue tracking, and KPI reporting for real-time performance visibility.
Building cross-functional teams to boost responsiveness and eliminate vendor complexity.
Using predictive maintenance and optimization tools to ensure continuity and cut total cost of ownership.
FOR DECISION MAKERS:
Continuity, responsiveness, and execution now directly impact outcomes across sectors. Build workforce resilience, standardize operational protocols, invest in integrated delivery, and adopt predictive technologies.
Onsite Insights: Q&A with Katie Pearson
A native Texan with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Economics from Texas A&M, Katie blends strong analytical skills with a people-first mindset to drive client satisfaction and long-term partnerships. When you meet Katie, ask about her favorite Texas baseball team.
What is most on the minds of ABM’s Texas clients? Here is an inside perspective.
Q: Texas is a unique market. What stands out about the current moment?
A: Data centers and semiconductor sites are evolving quickly. The pace of growth is fast, but so are the expectations around performance. For data centers, it’s about power reliability and staffing. For semiconductors, it’s about precision and uptime from day one.
In both cases, facility services aren’t background support anymore. They’re core to operations. Clients want to know the building can support production, and that the team running it understands the environment.
Q: Talk about how that’s playing out in commercial real estate.
A: Consistency and communication. In cities like Dallas and Austin, a lot of Class A buildings are still performing well. But the pressure is on to deliver a premium experience—without overextending budgets.
Property managers are stretched. They’re covering more buildings and relying more on partners to help keep things on track. That means issues need to be caught early, standards have to be met, and communication has to be clear.
Q: What kinds of infrastructure upgrades are clients prioritizing?
A: Resilient systems, microgrids, and battery backups are something clients are talking about and implementing. We have many clients who are in industries where any loss of power has substantial cost and customer impact, so they have taken steps to ensure they have backup power. More companies in more industries are actively investigating how to apply these technologies to their facilities.
Q: What’s different about supporting environments like data centers?
A: The buildouts are happening fast, but operations can’t be rushed. Once a data center is live, everything has to run clean and stable. That includes power, cooling, and how the facility is maintained day to day.
We’re helping clients build out integrated teams that can handle HVAC, cleaning, and basic engineering together. That reduces handoffs and keeps the focus on uptime. There’s very little room for error in these environments.
Q: As semiconductor fabs come online, what are clients asking for?
A: It’s highly technical, but also fast-moving. A lot of focus has shifted from construction to operations. That means tighter controls, cleaner environments, and more pressure to get it right the first time.
These clients want service teams who know the protocols, especially in GMP and cleanroom settings. They don’t have time to explain expectations twice. What they’re really looking for is a partner that fits in as part of the operation.
Q: Let’s shift to Higher Ed and public institutions. What’s happening there?
A: They’re dealing with aging buildings and tighter budgets. But expectations haven’t gone down. There’s still pressure to hit sustainability targets, meet compliance standards, and deliver a safe, reliable experience for staff and visitors.
What they want is visibility. They’re asking for better data, better documentation, and better planning. Our job is to help them focus on what matters most—and to make the most of the resources they have.
Q: Where does continuity show up most clearly?
A: People want to see familiar faces. Turnover used to be expected, but now it’s a top concern. Clients are looking for stability, and they want to know who’s accountable.
We’ve worked hard to build teams that stay. That means good onboarding, local leadership, and cross-training so no one is starting from scratch. When you show up with consistency, the relationship gets stronger—and the outcomes are better.
Q: What about tech? How are digital tools changing how you support clients?
A: Definitely. Especially when clients are managing multiple sites or don’t have someone onsite every day. They need to know what’s happening without having to chase it down.
Digital platforms help with that. Whether it’s tracking HVAC performance, logging sanitation, or sending alerts, the key is visibility. It gives clients more control and helps our teams stay ahead of issues.
Q: What do clients tend to discover once they’ve worked with ABM?
A: People are surprised by our range. They may come in thinking we can handle cleaning, and then realize we also manage HVAC, energy systems, engineering support, even EV infrastructure. That opens up new conversations about how to streamline services and reduce risk.
The other thing they notice is our presence. We’re in the buildings. We’re walking the floors. We’re catching issues that might have been missed. That level of involvement makes a real difference—especially for teams that are already stretched thin.
Q: From your perspective, what really builds trust with clients?
A: Customers want to know that we truly understand their business and their goals. That only happens by being present, solving problems before they escalate.
We’re not just there to deliver a checklist. We’re there to make the building work better with one team, fewer handoffs, and clear accountability. This reduces complexity, and builds confidence and trust.
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Restoring confidence and stability for a Texas Class A office building
In October 2024, after decades of continuity, a Houston Class A office building faced a pivotal transition when new ownership decided to reset its vendor relationships.
Challenge
Replacing a janitorial provider of 28 years created a significant challenge: rebuilding tenant trust while maintaining seamless service amidst day-staff turnover during onboarding. Building management needed a partner capable of rapid stabilization and transparent communication to navigate these operational and perception hurdles.
Solution
ABM implemented a high-touch strategy centered on clarity and proactive engagement. From the bidding process through startup, ABM ensured that ownership and tenants were fully aligned with the transition plan. Key operational improvements included:
- Centralized Communication: A dedicated site cell phone was introduced to bridge day and night teams, eliminating the need to track individual staff and improving response times.
- Operational Efficiency: Right-sized garage maintenance and streamlined supply vendor accounts captured cost efficiencies without sacrificing quality.
- Strategic Oversight: A structured cadence of quarterly on-site quality assurance visits was established to maintain long-term standards.
- Strong Leadership: A proactive night supervisor and account team provided a professional presence, ensuring all issues were addressed promptly.
Results
The property quickly achieved stability, resulting
in a professional environment that restored confidence for both management and tenants. Outcomes
were significant:
- Faster stabilization: Fewer operational gaps occurred during the vendor transition.
- Cost-conscious delivery: Targeted garage support and supply savings optimized the budget.
- Enhanced tenant experience: A visible, attentive cleaning team and responsive leadership improved the daily occupant experience.
Ongoing impact
Quarterly quality assurance walk-throughs are now scheduled to formalize continuous improvement and ensure the building continues to maintain its high standards.
With clear accountability and open communication, the partnership continues to strengthen—ensuring the building delivers the professional environment ownership and tenants expect.
