T5 Data Centers Spins Out Construction Arm as EverOn, Sells Operations Unit to Salute

T5 Data Centers has announced a major corporate restructuring, spinning off its construction division into an independent company now known as EverOn Data Center Services, while simultaneously reaching a definitive agreement to sell its operations business to Salute, a global provider of data center lifecycle services. The moves mark a significant shift in how the company intends to position itself amid surging demand for AI and high-performance computing infrastructure.

The sale of T5 Operations to Salute, announced this week, is expected to significantly expand Salute's managed portfolio to more than 15 gigawatts of data center capacity across approximately 150 markets worldwide. The acquisition will also increase Salute's global workforce to more than 3,800 employees. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

David Mettler, executive vice president of T5 Operations, who will join Salute's executive leadership team following the close of the deal, said the transaction validates the strength of the company's service model and operational focus. "For our customers, this represents the right partnership to meet their support needs across the full data center lifecycle," Mettler said. "I'm looking forward to bringing T5's owner mindset to the Salute team and be part of Salute's industry-leading portfolio of global data center solutions."

Salute, founded in 2013 and formerly known as Salute Mission Critical, provides integrated services including facility operations and management, quality assurance, technical commissioning, and retrofitting for data center owners. Erich Sanchack, CEO of Salute, emphasized that the deal reflects the company's growth trajectory driven by global demand for AI and HPC facilities. "We are highly aware that this growth brings with it significant responsibility," Sanchack said. "As a services provider developing a highly skilled workforce, we are citizens of the communities in which data centers operate, committed not only to meeting demand from customers, but to leaving a positive legacy."

Pete Marin, CEO of T5 Data Centers, who will join Salute's board as part of the acquisition, said the deal builds on what the operations team has established over the past 12 years while providing customers and employees access to the resources of a global platform. The acquisition follows a series of strategic moves by Salute since New Mountain Capital acquired a majority stake in the company in 2024 from LLR Partners, which retains a minority investment. Salute subsequently acquired Keysource in January 2025, Advanced Data Center Consulting Group in March, and engineering consulting firm Northshore in November of the same year.

In parallel, T5 Construction has been rebranded as EverOn Data Center Services, an independent general contractor focused exclusively on mission-critical digital infrastructure. The construction business, originally established within T5 Data Centers, has grown from $87 million in revenue in 2021 to $1.7 billion in 2025, with 83 percent of that revenue now coming from third-party construction projects. EverOn's team has completed more than 260 construction projects and delivered more than 12 million square feet of data center space across the United States.

"Establishing EverOn as an independent company provides the dedicated focus, agility, and scale needed to support this rapidly growing third-party customer base and meet the industry's next generation of demand," T5 said in a statement. The newly independent contractor offers services including ground-up campus development, data hall fit-outs, retrofits and upgrades, design-build delivery, LLE equipment procurement, commissioning oversight, QA/QC, owner advisement, and preconstruction services.

Tom Mertz, formerly T5 Services COO and president and now president and CEO of EverOn Data Center Services, said the change positions the business for future growth. "While our name is changing, what customers rely on is not," Mertz said. "EverOn gives us the opportunity to focus entirely on helping customers build increasingly complex digital infrastructure while creating the flexibility to grow alongside the industry we serve."

T5, founded in 2008 and backed by QuadReal, develops build-to-suit data centers across the U.S., with a presence in markets including Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Hillsboro, Dallas, and Charlotte. The company recently announced plans to develop multiple gigawatt-scale campuses, beginning with a site outside Chicago. The restructuring follows an organizational change announced at the start of the year, which split the company into T5 Services, encompassing construction and operations, and T5 Properties, which manages data center assets and developments.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal counsel to Salute, while Lazard served as exclusive financial advisor and King & Spalding LLP served as legal counsel to T5 Operations. The transactions underscore a broader industry trend in which data center owners are increasingly separating development, construction, and operations functions to sharpen focus and scale more efficiently in response to unprecedented infrastructure demand.