Chad Williams, president and CEO of QTS Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: QTS), joined REIT.com for a CEO Spotlight video interview during REITWeek 2014: NAREIT’s Investor Forum, held in New York.
QTS is a national provider of data center solutions, operating 10 data centers in seven states.
With the number of companies in the data center segment increasing, Williams was asked what sets QTS apart for its customers and shareholders. Williams stressed the company’s diversified product offering and integrated technology service platform.
“Our ability to intercept customers in large space, small space and cloud and managed services… is allowing us to have very interesting conversations with our customers about the solutions that we can provide,” he said.
QTS’s scale also sets the company apart, said Williams, noting that it operates two of the largest data centers in the world.
Williams was also asked about the company’s growth and acquisition plans, given that it is one of the fastest growing companies in the sector.
“Our ability to grow the existing platform is a strength in our portfolio… versus other peers. We continue to talk about that from an investor standpoint and why that helps us drive certainty in our return,” he replied.
Williams also talked about the most underappreciated facets of data center facilities. He stressed that data centers are large industrial facilities with enormous infrastructure requirements that rival almost any other sector. The sophisticated mechanical systems within data centers, and the level of security they require, are also not well understood, according to Williams.