McCarthy Breaks Ground on National Employee Development Campus

TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 12, 2026--

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. (McCarthy), one of America’s oldest and largest builders, recently broke ground on the reimagination of a 12-acre learning and training campus that also includes a hotel and conference center in Tempe dedicated to employee development and leadership training. Set to open in early 2028, the McCarthy Anchor Campus (2100 S. Priest Drive) will serve as a central hub for the firm’s more than 8,000 salaried and craft employees across the U.S., providing a place for professional development, technical training and collaboration opportunities designed to support business growth and strengthen McCarthy’s employee-ownership culture.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260812372379/en/

The new campus expands McCarthy’s nationally recognized employee development programs by creating a dedicated environment for employees to grow professionally, learn from one another and build connections across the organization. As the construction industry continues to face workforce challenges across both salaried and craft positions, the campus reflects McCarthy’s commitment to investing in its people and creating the engagement, learning and career development opportunities that support long-term retention and business success.

“The construction industry has always been a people business, but the knowledge and leadership needed to deliver today's projects are evolving faster than ever as owners demand greater certainty,” said Ray Sedey, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for McCarthy. “This campus represents a significant investment in our people, bringing them together to learn, share expertise and build lasting connections. This campus will create an immersive environment that strengthens our ownership culture and develops future leaders, which benefits our people, our clients and the future of our business.”

McCarthy selected integrated architectural firm SmithGroup to reimagine the existing campus that will maintain its Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired design. The renovated campus will feature flexible classrooms, breakout spaces, on-site lodging accommodations, wellness amenities and adaptable outdoor spaces designed to support learning, collaboration and relationship building.

"From the beginning, this project has been driven by a shared vision to create more than a training facility, but rather a place that inspires connection, collaboration and growth,” said Dawn Brown, Principal and Senior Project Manager for SmithGroup. “Through our partnership with McCarthy, we're bringing that vision to life by creating a destination that reflects culture, fosters meaningful relationships and supports the development of future leaders."

McCarthy has also partnered with Pyramid Global Hospitality, a leading hospitality management company, to operate the campus and manage the guest experience under its PyramidWorks division. Designed for corporate, training, and learning environments, PyramidWorks applies hospitality principles to foster connection, engagement, and a strong sense of culture.

“At Pyramid Global Hospitality, we believe the best workplace experiences are built on the same principles that make great hotels memorable: thoughtful service, intentional design, and human connection,” said Warren Fields, Chief Executive Officer of Pyramid Global Hospitality. “Creating environments where people come together to learn, connect, and collaborate has been at the heart of what we have done for decades. Through PyramidWorks, we’re applying our deep expertise in operating hotels, resorts, and conference centers to help McCarthy create a campus to strengthen culture, support professional growth, and reinforce its commitment to investing in its people.”

The renovated campus, which was purchased by the firm in January, expands McCarthy’s broader workforce ecosystem nationally and within Arizona, which includes its Innovation and Craft Workforce Center (ICWC) in Chandler. While the ICWC provides hands-on training for skilled craft professionals and trade partners, the new campus in Tempe will serve as a learning hub for both salaried and craft employees. Together, these facilities demonstrate McCarthy’s comprehensive approach to employee development and skills training.

McCarthy's commitment to workforce development reflects a long-term investment in people, industry, and communities it serves. Nationally recognized by Training Magazine as the first construction company ever inducted into their Training Top 10 Hall of Fame, employees receive customized learning and development plans supported by hands-on instruction, digital learning platforms and immersive technologies. This integrated model builds a future-ready workforce across the organization. Learn more about McCarthy's workforce development approach at www.mccarthy.com/careers/learning-development.

About McCarthy

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is a leading U.S. construction company with more than 160 years of experience delivering complex projects across commercial, institutional, industrial and civil utility infrastructure markets.

Guided by its commitment as a community builder, McCarthy is passionate about investing in the long-term success of the communities where its employee-owners live, work and build.

As a 100% employee-owned company with more than 8,000 salaried employees and craft professionals nationwide, McCarthy is consistently recognized as a Best Place to Work and Healthiest Employer. With 19 offices across the U.S., McCarthy is ranked the 22 nd largest builder by Engineering News-Record (May 2026). For more information about McCarthy visit www.mccarthy.com, catch up on current projects with McCarthy Insights blog, or follow McCarthy on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

About SmithGroup

SmithGroup ( www.smithgroup.com ) is one of the world’s preeminent integrated design firms. Working across a network of 21 offices in the U.S., a team of 1,600 experts is committed to excellence in strategy, design, and delivery. The scale of the firm’s thinking and organization produces partnerships with forward-looking clients that maximize opportunities, minimize risk and solve their most complex problems. SmithGroup creates exceptional design solutions for healthcare, science and technology organizations, higher education and cultural institutions, urban environments, diverse workplaces, mixed-use and waterfront developments, and parks and open spaces.

About Pyramid Global Hospitality

Pyramid Global Hospitality is a leading third-party hospitality management company known for delivering innovative solutions to some of the world's most prestigious hotels and resorts. Formed by the 2021 merger of three prominent hotel management companies, Pyramid now manages a portfolio of over 240 properties across the U.S., Caribbean, and Europe, with offices in Boston, The Woodlands, Texas, Cincinnati, and London. For more information, visit www.pyramidglobal.com.

Rendering of McCarthy Anchor Campus Courtyard

Rendering of McCarthy Anchor Campus

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Africa’s imports of electric motorcycles and three-wheelers from China rose sharply in the first half of 2026, an increase that highlights a divide in the continent's transition to electric vehicles.

Two and three-wheelers account for a large share of vehicles on African roads and are heavily used commercially. So, switching to electric from gasoline and diesel engines could cut fuel consumption and urban air pollution.

Northern African countries like Morocco, Egypt and Algeria led the 60% surge in the continent's imports, to $114.6 million. The region has become a major destination for fully built Chinese electric scooters.

Investments in EV startups, meanwhile, are concentrated in East and Central Africa, where companies are building local assembly plants, battery-swapping networks and commercial motorcycle ecosystems.

Morocco led in imports in the first half, importing 80,188 units worth $21.7 million, followed by Egypt and Algeria. In sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa had the most imports, with 19,635 electric bikes worth $6.9 million.

Peter Kossakowski, an independent electric two- and three-wheeler specialist who has worked across Africa, said the difference reflects two distinct markets.

“In North Africa, Chinese imports are largely electric scooters and mopeds bought by consumers for commuting and short trips,” he said. In East and West Africa, motorcycles are more often commercial assets used by riders for up to 150 kilometers (about 100 miles) a day to carry passengers and goods.

Spiro, Africa's largest EV bike firm, raised more than $348 million in investments in the past year, while other companies are investing in local assembly, battery-swapping and charging networks aimed at commercial motorcycle taxi and delivery markets.

Tom Courtright, a non-resident fellow at the African Tech Futures Lab, said Chinese manufacturers supply many of the electric motorcycles used in East and West Africa, but local companies are adapting them for commercial use and operating the energy infrastructure.

Battery swapping allows commercial riders to replace depleted batteries rather than wait for a motorcycle to recharge, making the model more suited to riders who depend on the bikes for their daily earnings, he said.

Courtright said electric motorcycles are more likely to replace petrol bikes than to expand the overall motorcycle market, although lower running and maintenance costs could increase demand by about 20%.

The transition is already gaining ground. Electric motorcycles accounted for about 20% of motorcycle sales in Uganda last year and roughly 15% in Kenya, Courtright said.

The shift could also reduce fuel imports. Courtright estimated that widespread electrification of motorcycles could eventually displace roughly $600 million in fuel imports in Uganda and between $600 million and $800 million in Kenya.

The Chinese customs data captures vehicles entering a country, not necessarily those registered or used there, Kossakowski said.

In East and West Africa, much of the industry is still based on assembling imported components rather than manufacturing motorcycles from scratch. Motors, controllers and battery cells are still mostly imported. Local production is concentrated on simpler parts such as seats, footrests and metal frames.

Kossakowski said sub-Saharan Africa's bigger competitive advantage may be the supply chain that is developing around high-use commercial motorcycles, including battery swapping, financing and servicing.

But fragmented battery and swapping systems could limit the industry’s growth.

Operators often use proprietary batteries, connectors and software, preventing riders from using different networks and making it harder to build sufficient volumes for local battery production.

“Battery swapping solved the range problem by building closed systems,” Kossakowski said. “It now costs the sector twice by limiting manufacturing scale and battery resale value."

The transition, Courtright said, will depend on affordable financing, reliable electricity, charging and swapping infrastructure, predictable government policies and greater standardization across markets.

———

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

FILE - A rider sits on an electric Spiro motorcycle in Nairobi, Kenya, on Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Henry Naminde, File)