Take-Down Artists

There is very little relaxation involved in taking down a building, whether the goal is to demolish a structure as fast or as unobtrusively as possible.

Among the management skills that the owners and managers of large demolition companies can most likely claim are grace under pressure and patience.

Although the worst case scenarios are indeed very bad, and the public criticism can be both loud and unfair, well-led demolition companies throughout America are persevering and thriving.

The inaugural list of the nation’s largest demolition contractors in this edition of Construction & Demolition Recycling magazine is comprised of companies that now hire dozens or hundreds of people and who manage multiple demolition projects every day of every month.

As C&DR does with each list of this type, a disclaimer needs to be issued. This list can only be as good as the responsiveness level of companies in the industry.

To compile this list, C&DR solicited its subscribers, e-newsletter readers and Web site visitors to fill out a brief questionnaire if they worked for a demolition firm that is a contender for the list.

While we are gratified for the responses received, it is also true that several of the largest companies declined to participate, or we were unable to reach them.

In some cases, estimates were made after consulting with industry sources and conducting Internet searches.

What we as a publication hope for in the future, however, is greater participation from the industry. This list is scheduled to be updated and republished every two years. For those companies who were missed by us or who did not respond this time around, we hope to make better connections in 2010.

Michael Taylor, executive director of the National Demolition Association, Doylestown, Pa., estimates that the industry overall in the United States

The paths that the largest of these companies have taken to become leading demo contractors can be very different. Some started out with one or two people and a backhoe loader doing some demolition jobs. Others started as excavating or site preparation firms and gravitated into demolition.

Perhaps just as interesting are the many different paths taken by companies as they grow.

Whether to respond favorably to customer requests or to take advantage of profitable opportunities, the largest demo companies almost all offer several additional services.

Excavating and site preparation are among the most common added services, with many demolition contractors keeping their people and equipment on-site for longer, more profitable stretches by offering this service.

Abatement and remediation work is equally common, providing a way for contractors to be on a job site longer by showing up before the demolition and dismantling process begins. Such work can involve a serious commitment by the companies engaged in it to provide safe conditions for workers, attentiveness to the health of neighboring property owners and an ability to adhere to rigorous disposal standards.

That demolition contractors will recycle is almost a given. The next decision for company owners to make is whether to also own processing equipment that can be used on-site such as concrete crushers and portable metals balers.

Others have purchased land and equipment to grow their recycling businesses offsite, whether operating scrap yards such as D.H. Griffin Wrecking, or developing a presence in concrete and asphalt recycling, such as Cherry Demolition in Houston.

Building styles and demolition procedures have also provided niche opportunities. Companies such as Testa Corp. in Massachusetts and Manafort Brothers in Connecticut focus on the demolition or dismantling of bridges.

The name selected by Interior Removal Specialist Inc. of Oakland, Calif., shows where it has focused its efforts, while several other of the 20 Largest companies also list themselves as experienced interior demolition service providers.

Many of the demolition contractors moving rubble and soil in 2008 have roots in that soil that trace back several generations.

Several of the largest demo contractors offer their company histories on their Web sites, where historical facts such as these can be un-earthed:

As part of an industry that continues to innovate and adjust to a demanding market, demolition companies are certain to keep making historical footnotes as they add services and address new challenges. C&DR

The author is Editor in Chief of Construction & Demolition Recycling and can be contacted at btaylor@gie.net.