An honor and a privilege

When I began my career with Construction & Demolition Recycling (C&DR) magazine in 2010, I had a lot to learn about the demolition industry. Lucky for me, I had a great mentor in my predecessor Brian Taylor, who introduced me to many an industry contact. Among those people I talked to early on were John Adamo Jr., of the family owned, Detroit-based Adamo Group, and Rick Givan, who had worked for then LVI’s Denver office and later the Denver-based demolition firm Fiore & Sons.

I had the privilege of knowing these two men, if just for a few years, and sharing with readers of C&DR some of their industry accomplishments in the later parts of their careers.

The demolition of the 130-year-old St. Anthony’s Hospital in Denver graced the cover of the magazine in January-February 2014. In it, Givan spoke of the approach Fiore & Sons took with taking down such an old building with different sections having been remodeled at different times throughout the hospital’s long history and all of the hazards and unknowns that go with a building of that size and age.

In the March-April 2015 issue of C&DR, in the magazine’s debut Demolition Supplement, Adamo’s dedication to helping rid the city of Detroit of thousands of blighted homes was featured on the cover. Adamo’s commitment to his home city was evident through the years of hard work and active involvement he took on personally and through his demolition firm taking on such a daunting task for the city.

Both Givan and Adamo were not only active in their hometowns, they were active participants and advocates for the greater cause of demolition as an industry. Both were involved as board members of the National Demolition Association and both were invested in the future of the industry. When I visited a job site in Denver in September 2014, Givan wanted to be sure that I asked questions of not just him, but of those younger crew members performing site prep work. It was obvious how important it was to him to get the younger generations excited about the demolition industry and to impart his wisdom to them. As well Adamo always returned my calls and shared his insights in dozens of articles over the years. It was just very nice that they took time out of their busy days to talk to me when they didn’t have to. I am so thankful for the privilege to know them and to tell their stories.

I have the utmost respect for these two industry veterans who clearly were as important to their families and communities as they were to their friends and colleagues in the demolition industry. Their commitment to the industry should be an inspiration to us all, and what better way to honor them than to continue the work they started by being an advocate for the industry and by encouraging future generations to enter this challenging and rewarding line of work. Their legacy will continue to live on by those who were inspired by their great contributions to the industry.