Powering Data Center Partnerships: How Cummins Builds Lasting Connections

In the rapidly growing world of data centers, success depends on more than just having the best equipment. Choosing the right power partner means choosing stability, expertise and trust that will endure for decades. Backed by over a century of expertise, Cummins has spent the last 35 years helping shape the data center industry, forming trusted partnerships with some of the world’s most innovative companies.

For the last decade, Brandon Ewing has been a driving force on Cummins’ data center team. Over his 19 years with the company, he has helped shape strategy, guide execution and strengthen relationships with some of the world’s largest data center operators. Today, he is part of a team that leads the Strategic Data Center Business for North America, setting the vision for the future of this critical industry.

“The relationship with our customers is beyond the sale or even the design or the execution,” said Ewing, “For us, it’s about partnership and working together to deliver a more prosperous world.”

Ewing says long-term working relationships don’t happen by chance; they’re built through consistency, adaptability and a willingness to go further than the transaction. What may start with a single generator set can soon grow into a broad, strategic partnership. 

“Cummins has always started with listening and delivering on the immediate need,” explained Ewing. “But over time, we ask, what else can we do? How else can we serve you? That willingness to adapt and align with our customers’ priorities is what strengthens the relationship.”

Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, Cummins thoughtfully builds customer-specific teams that bring together reliable technicians, engineering experts, supply chain leaders, sustainability specialists and other relevant professionals to tailor solutions to each customer's specific needs. This process opens the door for collaboration, sharing insights, exploring new approaches and refining strategies together. 

“If we can provide value for each other, you’re going to get some level of elevated experience. It’s going to look different every single time with each customer,” said Ewing. “We start to operate in a way that we’re educating each other. You’re dealing with the largest companies in the world, why wouldn’t you be willing to educate them and allow them to educate you?”

As data centers continue to grow and evolve at an unprecedented pace, this approach helps Cummins stay aligned with its customers’ long-term goals while simultaneously developing the technologies of the future. Through analytics and data, we are enhancing our ability to identify prognostics that support the data center, enabling planned maintenance and scheduled outages instead of unexpected interruptions.

“The misnomer in this industry is that anybody has it figured out,” said Ewing. “The growth is massive but in my time at Cummins, there has not been a challenge we haven’t solved or overcome. Our focus should remain the same, no matter the pace of growth from year to year.”

Learn more about how Cummins can power your data center solutions at https://www.cummins.com/generators/data-centers