In this episode, Raymond Hawkins, Chief Revenue Officer at Compass Datacenters, sits down with Brad Meissner, Director of Product Management at Generac and proud Milwaukee native. Brad shares his journey from growing up as a farm kid in southeast Wisconsin to earning a mechanical engineering degree from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and ultimately leading Generac’s industrial stationary generator line.
The discussion explores Generac’s bold entrance into the data center market with the recent launch of high-capacity (2.25–3.25 MW) generator sets—addressing pressing supply chain and lead time challenges within mission-critical power. Brad delves into Generac’s evolution from primarily consumer backup power solutions into a fully-fledged energy technology company, including strategic acquisitions in smart controls and microgrid systems. The conversation also highlights Generac’s agility in manufacturing, its commitment to local production in Wisconsin, advances in monitoring and managed services, and the growing role of sustainable fuels like HVO.
Timestamped Overview00:00 Intro & Brad’s Generac Career Journey
04:38 Celebrating Generact at Summer Fest
07:58 Evolving into an Energy Tech Company
10:42 Generac's Rapid Strategic Entry
14:08 Streamlining Standby Power Lead Time
18:35 UK's Leading Generator Control Supplier
19:44 HVO: A Versatile Fuel Alternative
23:20 Exciting North American Expansion Strategy