Craft Labor, Labor Strategy, and the Future of Industrial Construction

Greg Sizemore talks with Jimmy Farmer, craft labor manager at Southern Company Services, about how a major utility is planning for labor, managing risk, and building stronger supervisory capability across a growing capital program. They cover the realities of labor shortages, safety, union and contractor partnerships, and why front-end planning matters more than ever. This conversation matters because Southern Company is navigating the same workforce pressure hitting the broader power and industrial construction sector, with strong demand from AI, data centers, and major utility buildouts. Jimmy shares how early coordination, honest communication, and better supervision can keep projects moving without sacrificing safety or quality. Chapters 00:00 – Greg opens with CURT’s mission and introduces Jimmy Farmer 01:23 – Jimmy’s role at Southern Company and what the discussion will cover 03:16 – What Southern Company includes across power and gas 04:42 – What a craft labor manager actually does 05:53 – Jimmy’s career path from welder to labor strategy leader 07:12 – Labor relations versus labor strategy 08:36 – How labor availability affects outage and project scheduling 09:06 – The three labor priorities: safety, numbers, and quality 10:13 – Southern Company’s pro-union posture and contractor ecosystem 11:32 – AI buildout and data centers driving power expansion 13:27 – Why early notification is the key to successful labor planning 14:27 – Contingencies, honesty, and temporary labor arrangements 17:04 – What contractors still need to improve: contingencies and supervision 18:58 – Supply chain, long-lead components, permits, and tariffs as major risks 20:09 – How contracting is changing through smaller packages and shared risk 21:35 – Southern Company’s size as a labor and volume advantage 22:45 – Better integration across Southern Company entities and sites 24:13 – Sharing best practices with peers through CURT and industry groups 26:59 – Where Jimmy sees the best use for AI and technology 28:46 – What makes a strong supervisor in the field 30:43 – Why people resist supervisory roles 32:04 – Existing supervisor training programs and the need for more access 33:33 – Trade training examples that stand out 34:56 – Building an industry-wide leadership curriculum 36:51 – Safety improvements and the impact of workforce turnover 38:54 – Final thoughts on trades careers and building the talent pipeline 42:02 – Closing remarks and thanks