POSITION
REPORTS TO
DATE
COMPANY WEBSITE
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT DATA CENTER CONSTRUCTION
Mark Masi – EVP Data Center Development
November 2023
DC BLOX COMPANY OVERVIEW
DC BLOX vision is simple. Serve Locally, Connect Globally – Our mission is to empower growing communities with the digital infrastructure required to thrive in the digital economy. We do this by developing and operating secure, reliable tier III data centers, a robust connectivity ecosystem, and dark fiber solutions to businesses in growing markets in the Southeast US.
The rapid business growth in the Southeastern US, the massive increase in the production of data, and the desire of hyperscale cloud providers, technology companies, and content providers to deploy infrastructure closer to their consumers in the region is driving massive investments to expand digital infrastructure. The accelerating scale of digital communications and the need for richer user experiences in accessing content is driving demand for data center capacity across the region, with Atlanta alone expecting over 1 gigawatt of absorption over the next 10 years.
With its capabilities to fund, build and manage data centers and dark fiber networks across the region, DC BLOX is in an excellent position to capitalize on these compelling industry opportunities.
DC BLOX understands that businesses are facing increasing challenges that will have a profound impact on their ability to compete and grow in their markets. Key business challenges include:
- Digital transformation is changing the way businesses operate and deliver services, requiring an ability to connect customers to infrastructure in their markets and across the globe.
- The paradigms of IT infrastructure are radically shifting. The cloud, SaaS, and virtualization require businesses to increase their agility to shift to the speed of business today.
- New physical and network infrastructure is needed, and businesses must work with state and local governments to build that infrastructure and to develop the workforce and culture to grow their tech economies.
- DC BLOX exists to provide foundational infrastructure for the digital economy, focused on serving growing markets where secure, reliable multi-tenant data centers is limited.
“We serve local markets by meeting business’ local and regional data center needs with Tier 3-rated facilities that are secure, reliable and cost-efficient and with the expertise that allows them to focus their own resources strategically. Beyond that, DC BLOX enables the local communities in the places where it does business. We’re investing capital for data center construction, providing jobs and strengthening the local economy. We’re offering our resources and facilities to local organizations to enable training, collaboration and education.” – Jeff Uphues, CEO
MAP OF CURRENT AND FUTURE LOCATIONS
Current DC BLOX data center locations are in Atlanta, GA, Chattanooga, TN, Huntsville, AL, Birmingham, AL, Greenville, SC and our most recently completed Cable Landing Station and data center campus located in Myrtle Beach, SC. There are several others in various planning phases with major announcements expected soon.
TIER III COLOCATION DATA CENTERS ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN, US
Atlanta, GA – https://www.dcblox.com/data-centers/atlanta/
Located in the Brookhaven area, DC BLOX’s Atlanta data center delivers safe, convenient access for telecommunications, media and technology companies. Just 1MS away from Digital Realty’s ATL1 IX at 56 Marietta, it’s a low overhead, colocation node on our high-speed optical network.
– 3,350 sq ft, expandable to 6,470 sq ft / 2x1M generators / Tier III redundancy / Carrier-neutral meshed 8.8Tbs private optical connectivity to ATL1 IX at 56 Marietta
Birmingham, AL – https://www.dcblox.com/data-centers/birmingham/
The Birmingham data center is located in downtown Birmingham near UAB’s campus and the Innovation Depot, with easy access from Birmingham Shuttlesworth Airport and I-65. It is a 31,000 square foot colocation facility and is phase 1 of our plan to develop a Technology and Innovation Campus that will drive the connected digital economy in Birmingham and all of Alabama.
– 31K sq ft, expandable to 200K sq ft / 5MW critical load, expandable to 60MW / Tier III N+1 generator backup, UPS, and cooling / Private, optical connectivity across the SE – 100% SLA
Chattanooga, TN – https://www.dcblox.com/data-centers/chattanooga/
The Chattanooga data center is Strategically located within 150 miles of major metropolitan areas, so surrounding cities like Atlanta, Knoxville and Nashville can benefit from Chattanooga’s Gig. Its location also makes it an ideal Disaster Recovery site to businesses in nearby cities.
– 8K sq ft, expandable to 16K sq ft / 1 MW critical load, expandable to 3.5MW / Tier III N+1 generator backup, UPS, and cooling / Private, optical connectivity across the SE – 100% SLA
Huntsville, AL – https://www.dcblox.com/data-centers/huntsville/
Huntsville is the fastest growing metro in Alabama with a strong industry base in government, manufacturing, healthcare and professional services. Located near Redstone Arsenal, the Marshall Space Flight Center and Cummings Research Park, DC BLOX serves the needs of the Huntsville business community with a secure Tier 3 colocation facility equipped with high-speed connectivity to Internet Exchanges, other DC BLOX data centers and public cloud providers.
– 9K sq ft, expandable to 52K sq ft / 1.5MW critical load, expandable to 13.5MW / Tier III N+1 generator backup, UPS, and cooling / Private, optical connectivity across the SE – 100% SLA
Greenville, SC – https://www.dcblox.com/data-centers/greenville/
The DC BLOX Greenville data center will be located in the Global Business Park off of I-85 and less than 2 miles from the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research. The data center, designed to Uptime Institute’s Tier III standards, is the first-of-its-kind multi-tenant data center located in South Carolina.
– Up to 54K sq ft of data hall space / 1.5MW critical load, expandable to 16.5MW / Tier III N+1 generator backup, UPS, and cooling / Private optical connectivity across the SE – 100% SLA
Myrtle Beach, SC – Cable Landing Station – https://www.dcblox.com/data-centers/myrtle-beach-sc-cable-landing-station/
In partnership with global hyperscale partners, DC BLOX is redefining the hyperscale Cable Landing Station (CLS) with its new facility in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, set to open in the second quarter of 2023. The Myrtle Beach CLS will be located in the International Technology & Aerospace Park (ITAP).
DC BLOX LEADERSHIP TEAM
The DC BLOX leadership team is comprised of seasoned entrepreneurs, service providers and technology innovators with a fervent desire to change the data center and connectivity landscape in the southeastern United States. With over 200 years of combined experience in data center, networking, cloud, and managed services, we share a passion for building data centers with the services needed to meet the advanced IT needs of today’s growing enterprises, hyperscale customers and beyond. https://www.dcblox.com/leadership/
RECENTLY IN THE NEWS
Oct 2023 – DC BLOX Opens Myrtle Beach Cable Landing Station
Sept 2023 – DC BLOX purchases land and secures power in Berkley Count, SC
Sept 2023 – New Myrtle Beach subsea cable – Meet Nuvem
August 2023 – INC 5000 – Third Year in a Row
July 2023 – DC BLOX appoints Jason Walker SVP of Strategic Development
May 2023 – DC BLOX Announces 2nd Subsea Cable in Myrtle Beach
VICE PRESIDENT ENERGY PROCUREMENT
DC BLOX is entering a new chapter of growth enabling Hyperscale, mid-market and edge multi-tenant data center solutions. The Company builds new, state-of-the-art data centers fully connected by a high-speed, low-latency private network throughout emerging markets across the Southeast. DC BLOX continues to stand out as a unique pure-play data center operator focused on underserved growing cities to include scaling its robust infrastructure to offer local communities the next generation of digital commerce.
The data center market is experiencing “hurricane force tailwinds” requiring new orders of magnitudes of capacity development. At the same time AI, Machine Learning, Liquid Cooling, and other technological advancements are requiring revolutionary new architectures which require more capital and power. DC BLOX is in process of building campuses which may comprise as much as 30% of utilities total current power allocation. Power is one of the top 3 largest costs of building and managing a data center. This all contributes to a criticality of DC BLOX relationships with utilities. The ability to be aware and proactive in sophisticated and complex negotiations with the utilities is emerging as a strategic competitive advantage for data center developers. They need to be aware of the regulatory and political environments which affect the business and capital plan.
Enter the Vice President Energy Procurement (VPEP.) Reporting to Mark Masi, EVP Data Center Development, and working in extensive collaboration with the executive team, the VPEP requires a deep understanding of power and generation, how the industry is built, and what mechanisms are in place to leverage for DC BLOX advantage. The VPEP is responsible for overseeing and managing the procurement of energy to ensure DC BLOX has sufficient energy sources to continue developing an efficient and sustainable data center portfolio. The VPEP will leverage his/her expertise to support the company’s development of hyperscale single and multi-tenant data center facilities. The charter and range of account abilities for the VPEP include –
– Energy Procurement – Evaluate, negotiate, and secure energy contracts to ensure a consistent and reliable power supply to data centers. Develop and implement procurement strategies to optimize energy costs and ensure sustainability.
– Vendor Management – Establish and maintain relationships with energy suppliers and service providers. Manage contracts and service level agreements with vendors.
– Regulatory Compliance – Ensure compliance with energy procurement and consumption regulatory requirements by staying informed on current legislation and incentives.
– Budget Management – Develop and manage the budget for energy procurement which requires monitoring and reporting on energy costs and consumption.
– Sustainability Initiatives – Implement renewable energy initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint of data centers resulting from current innovative energy solutions and technologies.
– Risk Management – Evaluate and mitigate risks associated with energy procurement and consumption. Develop contingency plans to address potential energy supply deficiencies.
– Data Analysis and Reporting – Analyze data related to energy consumption, costs, and savings. Collaborate with, prepare, and present reports to stakeholders on energy procurement activities and performance.
QUALIFICATIONS
DC BLOX is looking for someone with a unique combination of technical and business credentials to set the VPEP up for success and impact from the onset. He / she should have demonstrated success with power rate negotiations with utilities relating to data center electrical infrastructure requirements to include industrial scale transmission and distribution systems.
On the technical side of the equation, the VPEP will have specific experience and knowledge relating to –
– High voltage systems, time-of-use rates, interruptible rates, Demand Side Management, real-time pricing, load shifting/shaping/shaving, transmission service vs. distribution service, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable energy technology/practices.
– Investor-owned utilities, cooperatives, and municipal power companies.
– Regulated rates and tariffs.
– A breadth of power generation, back-up generation, substations, transformers, and electrical/mechanical engineering practices.
– Technological and engineering knowledge to develop solutions to complex power delivery, capacity, and load growth equations.
– Energy contract negotiations and knowledge of energy contract compliance.
– State, local and community incentive negotiations.
– Ability to calculate and explain complex rate fees and structures to executive leadership in a business case format which requires excellent communication and presentation skills.
– Knowledge of applicable environmental regulations and legislation facing the energy and data center industries
– Development and/or utilization of energy usage data and data modeling software.
On the business side of the equation, the VPEP will be expected to –
– Develop strategic energy management business plans that enhance and maximize energy capacity growth at established and future data center sites.
– Influence executive leadership and internal/external cross functional stakeholders via strategic thinking and informative data that reinforces the business case.
– Be proactive and forward thinking to anticipate challenges and propose solutions.
– Work in conditions with tight deadlines, complex power contracts, and multiple stakeholders, internally and externally.
– Compile and distill market knowledge supporting the procurement of energy infrastructure for established and future data center sites.
– Detail-oriented and proven project management skills.
– Ability to develop analytical tools, processes, and procedures to establish standards, maximize efficiency, and enhance data center growth and energy capacity.
– Comfort and interest to travel as required by business conditions, not expected to exceed 20%
WHY CONSIDER THIS OPPORTUNITY WITH DC BLOX
Impact – An opportunity to put your fingerprint on a formidable growth chapter of an established yet emerging company poised for continued growth and scale. The SVP, Data Center Construction will dramatically impact the revenue growth and set the stage for DC BLOX rate of growth trajectory.
Leadership – DC BLOX’s executive teams’ precedent success and credentials growing successful businesses together rival anyone’s in the industry. The confidence in the success this organization can provide to existing and prospective customers is a rare find.
Focus – DC BLOX’s success is a result of an intense commitment to empower digital commerce, connect, and collaborate across organizations in the Southeast. They are well-positioned to capitalize on this expansion and deliver state-of-the-art data centers and network to metro markets.
Financial Strength – DC BLOX has secured funding by Bain Capital and Post Road Group to finance credit facilities, add liquidity to the balance sheet, and fund additional capacity in existing and new data centers.
Culture – DC BLOX’s culture embodies the dynamics of a start-up, with opportunities for every single person to define their contribution to progress of the organization. This requires creative, confident, forward-thinking professionals who solve problems rather than wait for answers.
COMPENSATION
The compensation package for the VPEP is comprised of a competitive base salary, annual performance bonus, and long-term incentive compensation in the form of equity participation. A comprehensive benefits program to Include medical, dental, optical, and pharmaceutical, and 401K participation Is also included.
SEARCH PROCESS
CFS Partners makes formal candidate recommendations following a situation and Interest call, receipt of resume, and a more formal Interview to address Key Qualifying Criteria specific to the VPEP. Initial calls with Mark Masi will qualify a short list of candidates to meet with other members of the Senior Leadership Team either via videoconference and/or in person. A finalist will be selected and offer extended, the acceptance of which will be contingent upon positive references and background check.