Powell Industries eyes record revenue as data center backlog powers growth. Powell Industries (NASDAQ:POWL) said it is on track to surpass the more than $1 billion in revenue it generated last year, supported by demand for medium-voltage electrical equipment from data centers, utilities and industrial customers. Speaking at the Midwest IDEAS Conference, Executive Vice President and CFO Michael Metcalf said the company reported approximately $860 million in revenue through the first nine months of its fiscal year. Powell manufactures low- and medium-voltage switchgear, circuit breakers, power control rooms and related automation systems, with its primary operating range between 480 volts and 38,000 volts. Discover more Defense news subscription Weapon development trends defense contractors Metcalf said Powell's equipment supports power distribution after electricity moves from high voltage to medium voltage, regardless of whether the power is generated by solar, natural gas or another source. The company primarily serves North American markets using ANSI electrical standards, with five U.S. manufacturing facilities, a large Canadian operation and a U.K. facility serving the IEC-standard market. Data centers represent about one-third of backlog. Data-center activity has become a major driver of Powell's order growth. Metcalf said data centers accounted for about one-third of the company's backlog, while core industrial markets such as refining, LNG, petrochemicals and oil and gas represented roughly another third. Utilities account for most of the remaining backlog. The company reported $934 million in orders during its most recent quarter, including a data-center contract valued at more than $400 million that was formally booked in the third quarter. Total backlog reached $2.4 billion, with approximately 55% expected to convert into revenue over the next 12 months, according to Metcalf. "2027 is essentially booked at this point, and we're booking into 2028 backlog," Metcalf said. Powell's data-center work includes power control rooms and medium-voltage equipment located outside the facilities, rather than equipment installed within the data centers themselves. Metcalf said the company has seen demand shift toward its highest-voltage offerings, including 38 kV systems, as operators seek more power capacity. While the company initially worked with hyperscalers and colocation providers, Metcalf said Powell has found opportunities serving "neoscalers," which he described as real-estate-oriented developers that build infrastructure and lease capacity to companies such as Google or Microsoft. He said these customers can offer more manageable contract terms than some hyperscaler agreements. Metcalf said management believes data-center demand could remain significant for another three to five years, though he acknowledged the pace of growth could soften. He said Powell has not seen a slowdown in current project activity. Integrated model and automation strategy. Powell competes with larger electrical-equipment companies including ABB, Siemens, Schneider Electric and Eaton. Metcalf said Powell differentiates itself by supplying an integrated solution that includes switchgear, circuit breakers and the power control room or module housing the equipment. He said competitors often must outsource the construction and integration of the building that houses their equipment, while Powell designs and builds the complete unit. That integrated approach has been particularly important in core industrial applications, according to Metcalf. The company is also expanding its automation business, which Metcalf described as a high-margin and rapidly growing operation. Automation offerings include sensors and systems intended to help customers monitor equipment condition, identify abnormalities and support predictive maintenance. Powell acquired U.K.-based controller company Remsdaq in August 2025. Metcalf said the business was integrated quickly and its technology was applied to a large U.S. data-center order during the first month after the acquisition closed. The company is pursuing additional opportunities in engineered services, particularly upgrades and support for its installed base of circuit breakers. Powell acquired GE's circuit-breaker business in 2006, giving it a broad installed base that management sees as a potential source of value-added service revenue. Cash position supports capacity investments. Metcalf said Powell had more than $600 million of cash and no debt at its most recent reporting date. He said the company does not currently need to raise debt or equity to fund planned capital expenditures, although a large transformational acquisition could require additional financing. The company expects a meaningful portion of its cash balance to support working capital because Powell receives advance payments on long-cycle projects and later deploys capital during project execution. Metcalf estimated that 12% to 15% of each revenue dollar will eventually be required for working capital. Powell is also completing a 335,000-square-foot expansion of its fabrication yard. Metcalf said the added capacity will allow the company to work on an additional 10 to 12 substations annually, with each substation typically valued at $10 million to $15 million. The expansion is aimed at supporting large, one-piece buildings for LNG, refinery and other industrial projects. Looking ahead, Metcalf said Powell may consider a $75 million to $100 million greenfield facility within roughly the next 24 months to address capacity needs. He said the company could fund such a project with existing cash reserves. About Powell Industries (NASDAQ:POWL). Powell Industries, Inc is an industrial electrical engineering company specializing in the design, manufacture and integration of customized power control and distribution solutions. The firm's offerings range from medium-voltage switchgear and power control centers to bus duct, motor control centers and specialty transformers. Powell also provides automation systems, protective relaying, metering, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) platforms, and turnkey engineering services to help clients manage critical power infrastructure. Serving the oil and gas, petrochemical, refining, utility, mining and industrial sectors, Powell's products are engineered to meet demanding performance, safety and reliability requirements.

Revolutionizing power distribution in industrial automation: new field power supplies from PULS. August 28, 2026. PULS is expanding its hardware portfolio to support direct sensor and actuator integration within industrial automation architectures. The company has launched new 100-watt and 200-watt field-mounted power supplies, designed for manufacturing environments outside traditional control cabinets. Decentralized power distribution & robust protection. Joining the existing FIEPOS series, these single-phase units enable system engineers to distribute continuous DC power directly to sensors and actuators at the field level. With IP65 and IP67 protection ratings, these modules withstand dust and high-pressure water in harsh production environments. Installing power supplies physically closer to the load eliminates the need for long cabling, reducing space requirements for central electrical cabinets. This decentralized architectural approach simplifies the integration of distributed I/O devices and smaller control ecosystems, directly supporting smart manufacturing and material handling operations. Technical specifications & IO-Link diagnostics. This hardware portfolio offers direct 24-volt DC outputs, including configurations compliant with National Electrical Code (NEC) Class 2 standards, with dual-output variations. Operating with up to 95.1% energy conversion efficiency, these power units minimize thermal dissipation, offering an estimated 200,000 hours of operational life under industrial mechanical stress. Furthermore, specific configurations feature integrated IO-Link communication interfaces. This standard industrial protocol allows programmable logic controllers (PLCs) to receive diagnostic data and monitor remote hardware health, forming a foundation for predictive maintenance frameworks. Operational impact. Martin Kram, Director of Sales at PULS, stated, "As manufacturers worldwide continue to embrace decentralized automation concepts, the need for robust and compact field power solutions is growing." Placing power architecture directly in the field allows machine builders to accelerate system commissioning processes and scale conveyor or warehouse automation systems in a modular fashion. Additional insights. In the decentralized industrial automation market, field-mounted power supplies are evaluated based on criteria such as ingress protection, thermal derating profiles, and communication protocol integration. Competitors like Siemens' SITOP and Phoenix Contact's TRIO IP67 series offer similar decentralized power architectures. A critical benchmark for these field devices is the physical footprint-to-watt ratio and the inclusion of IO-Link diagnostics. IO-Link integration provides a measurable operational advantage by enabling automated parameterization and remote voltage reset capabilities over existing digital supply chain and fieldbus infrastructure. This significantly reduces the Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) compared to unmanaged decentralized power units.

LinkedIn voices: Rowan Cheung. Rowan Cheung combines AI media, executive interviews, and practical education through The Rundown, helping millions understand emerging technology and its impac Wiam Asmar Blog Editor - Aug 27, 2026 Rowan Cheung sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, media, and practical technology education. As the Founder and CEO of The Rundown, he has built a career around translating complex AI developments into accessible insights, combining technology journalism, executive interviews, and education to help professionals understand how emerging tools are reshaping work and productivity. Name & professional identity. Rowan Cheung is the Founder and CEO of The Rundown, an AI-focused media and education platform based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Founded in January 2023, The Rundown has grown from a daily AI newsletter into a broader ecosystem covering artificial intelligence, technology, and robotics. Cheung combines technology curation, original interviews, commentary, and education, with a focus on explaining what emerging developments mean and how they can be applied in work and everyday life. Niche & specialization. Rowan Cheung focuses on making fast-moving developments in AI and technology easier to understand and apply. His work spans several areas: * Daily curation and explanation of major AI developments, tools, and industry shifts. * Exclusive conversations with technology executives and AI leaders about models, agents, product development, and the future of work. * Practical AI education through courses, workshops, guides, and community-based learning. * Commentary on emerging technologies and discoveries across science, history, productivity, and everyday life. Rowan Cheung's target audience. Cheung's content primarily appeals to professionals, knowledge workers, creators, and technology enthusiasts who want to keep up with AI without following every development themselves. He also reaches business leaders and decision-makers exploring AI adoption, workplace applications, and professional development. Through The Rundown's educational offerings, his audience can move from understanding emerging tools to applying them in practical settings. Career journey & achievements. Cheung founded The Rundown in January 2023 after initially building an audience by sharing what he was learning about AI and technology on social media. He grew the newsletter to 250,000 subscribers organically during its first year. By 2024, it had surpassed 800,000 subscribers and launched AI University as an EdTech product. The Rundown has since expanded into a broader newsletter ecosystem reaching more than 2,000,000 readers, alongside courses, live workshops, guides, tools, an AI job board, and AI University. Cheung has also developed a strong interview platform, hosting conversations with influential technology leaders including Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Satya Nadella, Sundar Pichai, Demis Hassabis, and Mustafa Suleyman. The Rundown has established partnerships with more than 350 major AI and technology brands and institutions, including Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, IBM, Siemens, Shopify, MongoDB, and Stanford University. In 2026, Cheung was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the Education category, adding industry recognition to his work in AI media and education. Content strategy & teaching approach. Cheung's content strategy centers on turning complex technology developments into concise, practical insights. The Rundown combines the latest AI news with context and applications, helping readers understand not only what has changed, but why it matters and where it can be useful. His interviews add a first-hand perspective to this approach. Conversations with leaders such as Mark Zuckerberg and Satya Nadella explore AI agents, open-source development, AI-generated code, workplace transformation, and the industry's direction. His personal LinkedIn content extends beyond AI announcements to cover emerging technologies and discoveries, including transparent Micro LED displays, scientific research, and the use of machine learning to recover information from ancient Herculaneum scrolls. Together, these formats give Cheung's content a broad technology focus while maintaining a consistent emphasis on relevance, accessibility, and practical understanding. Metrics & impact. 104,000+ followers on LinkedIn and more than 1,000,000 followers across broader personal social platforms. * 2,000,000+ readers across The Rundown's newsletter ecosystem. (therundownai.beehiiv.com) * More than 1,000,000,000 views across his personal tweets and newsletters. (Rowan Cheung) * Partnerships with 350+ major AI and technology brands and institutions. * A growing education ecosystem that includes AI University, courses, workshops, guides, and community resources. (therundownai.beehiiv.com) Media Appearances Why he matters? Rowan Cheung's significance goes beyond the size of his audience. His work demonstrates how technology media can evolve into a practical education layer for an industry changing faster than traditional learning and publishing models can easily follow. The Rundown combines three elements that are often separated: rapid technology curation, direct access to influential industry figures, and structured education. This creates a content ecosystem that does more than report what happened in AI. It helps audiences understand why a development matters and where it could have practical value. That distinction becomes particularly important as AI moves from an emerging technology into an everyday professional tool. Cheung's content sits between technology journalism and professional education, giving people a way to follow the pace of change while building a clearer understanding of how new capabilities can affect their work. His interviews strengthen that position by bringing first-hand perspectives from figures such as Zuckerberg, Nadella, Pichai, and other leaders shaping the industry. Combined with the educational infrastructure behind The Rundown, these conversations give his audience both context and access. Cheung has therefore created a role that extends beyond being an AI commentator. He operates as a media entrepreneur and educator who helps a large professional audience navigate one of the most significant technological shifts of the current decade. Profile summary. * Startup: The Rundown, an AI media and education platform * Mission: To make AI accessible, understandable, and practical by helping people understand emerging technology and apply it to work and everyday life * Recognition: Forbes 30 Under 30, Education, 2026