Holiday lights bring seasonal cheer to the construction world

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It’s been quite the year for the construction industry.

Between a new presidential administration, a wave of data center activity and a changing regulatory landscape, builders have had a lot to account for. But with the holidays approaching, some of our readers decided to put down the hammers and string up some lights.

Here are Construction Dive’s selections for the 2025 Holiday Lights Contest. Submitted by readers over the past few weeks, the top submissions all have a Christmas twinkle in their eye, much like a certain, red-dressed crew leader.

SiteWORX

You’ve seen the commercials for Santa’s reindeer and various luxury vehicles. But what if his sleigh and the reindeer were a wheel loader and some skid steers?

That’s what SiteWORX, a total site development contractor based in Lebanon, Ohio, decided to find out. A Santa stand-in waves from near his sleigh, which is a CAT 938 wheel loader, and is guided by his reindeer in the form of CAT 255 skid steers, complete with Rudolph leading the way.

The team effort culminated in some very festive spirit — after all, the submission asks, what kid doesn’t love Santa, Rudolph and heavy equipment?

Superior Construction

If Charlie Brown was still in the market for the perfect tree, this 28-foot behemoth from Jacksonville, Florida-based Superior Construction would certainly make him feel like he’d struck silver and gold (paging Burl Ives!)

The “megatree” hangs from a Superior Construction crane at the company’s Portage, Indiana office and is illuminated with a whopping 3,200 lights. That doesn’t include the 150 additional lights in the star at the top, according to the submission.

Putting the tree up required a coordinated effort from 14 Superior Construction team members, per the submission (probably much more than the one in your living room), and the tree is supported by a restored 1969 American 5299 crane.

DPR Construction

Redwood City, California-based DPR has gone vertical again this year with some illuminated cranes. 

The contractor is working on the Inova Franconia-Springfield Hospital project in Springfield, Virginia, and decided to light up the sky with a show of festive cheer.

The display was designed to bring cheer to the community and crews while maintaining full safety compliance, according to the submission. The glow, it claims, is bright enough to guide even a certain red-nosed reindeer.