Full Breakdown
Inside Compass’s Red Oak Data Center: A Look at Texas’s Growing AI Hub
By Drooid · · How we work
Inside Compass’s Red Oak Data Center
A three-month approval process led Fox News Digital through six security layers to the Red Oak campus, located about 20 miles south of Dallas. The facility houses rows of towering server racks within a spotless, unusually quiet floor plan. Cooling relies on a closed-loop system that recirculates coolant, eliminating the need for fresh water. Security measures are described as essential for protecting the sensitive information and critical infrastructure stored on site.
Infrastructure and Environmental Design
The campus will eventually comprise ten data-center buildings covering roughly 2.6 million sq ft. A Schneider Electric manufacturing plant and a workforce-training center operated with Texas State Technical College share the site.
Economic and Workforce Impact
Construction began in 2019 and has cycled thousands of workers through the project. Currently, about 600 people are employed by Compass at the campus, while Schneider Electric adds roughly 300 more jobs. To address the industry’s demand for skilled labor, Compass helped launch the $12.6 million MEI Pathways program—a 12-week training facility that prepares electricians, mechanics, and technicians for data-center work. The company also donated $15 million toward a new animal shelter after the county’s previous arrangement ended.
Official Statements from Compass CEO
Compass CEO Chris Crosby emphasized that the center’s water-free cooling aligns with regional resource priorities. He framed the extensive security as a safeguard against hacking and infrastructure attacks, noting that public awareness of specific tenants could invite infiltration. Crosby described data centers as the future “economic engine,” stressing the need for more workers and the importance of blue-collar opportunities that do not require a four-year degree.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We haven't used water since inception,” — Chris Crosby, BOOM compass CEO
- “Hacking is real, attacks on infrastructure are real,” — Chris Crosby, BOOM compass CEO
- “Data centers are where the economic engine is going to be going forward,” — Chris Crosby, BOOM compass CEO
- “We can't get enough people into this career,” — Chris Crosby, BOOM compass CEO
- “There was a war on blue-collar jobs for a long time — everybody had to get a four-year degree,” — Chris Crosby, BOOM compass CEO