Gradiant has expanded its US operations with the appointment of a new Americas managing director, three new offices, a Global Innovation Center in Houston and new long-term operations and maintenance (O&M) contracts, including an ultrapure water (UPW) contract with a major semiconductor manufacturer.
Dr Nish Vora has been appointed managing director, Americas, with responsibility for accelerating Gradiant’s growth in the region. Vora brings more than three decades of experience in the water industry, having held senior leadership positions at GE Water, Suez Water Technologies and Veolia Water Technologies and Solutions.
As part of the expansion, Gradiant has opened offices in Phoenix, Syracuse and Philadelphia. The company has also launched its Global Innovation Center in Houston, which will focus on developing water treatment technologies for the North American market. Its US headcount has grown by 55% year to date.
The company has also secured new long-term O&M contracts in the US. One contract will see Gradiant operate and maintain the UPW system for a major semiconductor manufacturer, managing water quality, reliability and regulatory compliance while allowing the customer to focus on its manufacturing operations.
The contract builds on Gradiant’s existing UPW and O&M capabilities across Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, which the company is now extending through its growing US operations. Gradiant said its customer-centric approach, speed of deployment and O&M expertise were key factors in its selection.
“AI infrastructure doesn’t get built without solving for water first, whether that’s a fab, a data centre, or a power plant,” said Prakash Govindan, CEO of Gradiant. “Winning long-term O&M relationships like this one shows customers increasingly want a single accountable partner for water, not just equipment or one-off applications.”
Gradiant provides water treatment and management solutions for the semiconductor, data centre, energy and industrial sectors. The company expects demand for water infrastructure to grow alongside investment in AI and other high-performance computing infrastructure.
“Our target is to reach US$1bn in order book in the US alone next year,” said Vora. “With the team I am inheriting and the opportunity set in the market right now — the most activity I have seen in my three decades in the water industry — I am confident we will beat that target.”