Gray and Valvoline Chart the Path Forward for Liquid-Cooled Data Centers
Partnership Combines Integrated Design-Build Expertise with Thermal Fluid Knowledge to Address Growing Demand for High-Density Computing Infrastructure
LEXINGTON, Ky., March 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Gray and Valvoline Global have partnered to help data center owners navigate the growing complexity of liquid-cooled infrastructure. This effort seamlessly combines Gray’s integrated design-build and facility delivery expertise with Valvoline’s deep knowledge of coolants and thermal-management fluids.
Rebekah Gray, President & CEO, Gray Construction, says:
Successful data center projects depend on strong teams with a shared vision.
”In a highly technical market, that vision must be constantly refined and verified across disciplines to avoid mistakes.That’s why Gray brings every scope under one roof—and why we’ve long been a leader in design-build and data center construction.”
As AI workloads push GPU rack densities beyond what air cooling can efficiently support, data center owners face a critical inflection point. We are proud to announce a new whitepaper—Building & Designing Data Centers for the Shift to Liquid Cooling—focuses on hybrid environments where air-cooled and liquid-cooled infrastructure must coexist, and outlines how early alignment across design, procurement, and fluid strategy can reduce risk and accelerate speed to market.
Ben Burgett, Vice President, Data Centers, Gray, says:
The shift to liquid cooling isn’t a future consideration—it’s happening now.
”The owners who move with intention and urgency will be the ones with the most options tomorrow.Our focus is on making sure our customers don’t have to choose between speed and flexibility. We bring the delivery capability to move fast and the integrated expertise to make sure the decisions made early hold up over the life of the facility.”
George Zhang, Vice President, R&D, Valvoline Global, says:
Because chip thermal design power has increased so significantly, you have to use liquid cooling,
“You need a way to remove heat to protect chip integrity and prevent thermal throttling—and the right fluid strategy is central to making that work reliably, long term.”
As rack densities continue to climb and liquid cooling moves from emerging option to operational reality, the window for proactive planning is narrowing. Gray and Valvoline are positioned to help owners get ahead of that curve, before design decisions become constraints and schedule pressure forces costly tradeoffs.
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Gray and Valvoline Chart the Path Forward for Liquid-Cooled Data Centers, source
