November 10, 2006

Opinion

Industry's evolution spurs association change

The demolition industry has experienced tremendous growth and dramatic change over the last 30-plus years. Images of unskilled, untrained laborers and swinging wrecking balls can rightly be considered relics of the past.

With the evolution of high-tech equipment, government regulations, and computerization, the profile of today’s demolition specialist has transformed strikingly since the founding of the National Demolition Association in 1972. In addition, the industry is becoming more vertically integrated as related businesses present profitable new opportunities.

DEMOLITION MATTERS

Michael Taylor

Take the example of the association’s current president, Dave Loewendick. S. G. Loewendick & Sons, Grove City, Ohio, was once a “pure” demolition contracting firm. Today, the company has expanded to include landfill operations and trucking. This kind of vertical integration of services to satisfy a common need has become the rule rather than the exception for most of the companies involved in the demolition process.

This is why our association, formerly called the National Association of Demolition Contractors, changed its name recently to the National Demolition Association. The new name now more accurately reflects the changing dynamics of the approximately $6-billion demolition industry today. By removing the word “contractor”, we have become more inclusive and less exclusionary. We recognize that demolition contractors perform a key, but not an exclusive role in the overall demolition process.

A look at the National Demolition Association shows an organization which has grown from 60 companies in 1972 to one representing nearly 1,000 companies in the U.S. and Canada that are involved in the demolition process. In Canada, we have 30 member companies from Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec. Currently, it is estimated that the association represents the interests of approximately 60% of all of companies, both large and small, that are involved primarily in demolition. Our membership also accounts for close to 85% of the gross sales of the industry, since nearly all of the top-grossing demolition companies are Association members.

Whether a company involved in the process is small, medium, or large, we welcome its membership. Our standard is that a company is regularly and actively engaged in the business of demolition to qualify for full membership. This opens membership to possibly include general contractors, civil engineering firms, landfill operators, and recyclers, among others.

Environmental, emergency response work

When it comes to environmental knowledge, enlightened government attitudes have led association members to become skilled in brownfield remediation, facilities decontamination, hazardous materials handling, asbestos and lead abatement, PCB removal, soil and groundwater remediation, mold remediation, and industrial cleaning.

Emergency response work is becoming more common, with members working at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City after the 1995 attack and at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon after the 9/11 attacks. Many cities are counting on demolition companies to serve as skilled support services for fire departments, after both natural and manmade disasters.

The National Demolition Association represents the interests of all companies that are actively involved in the demolition process. First and foremost, the association is the repository of safe demolition work practices. The association’s Demolition Safety Manual is widely considered as the final word in safe demolition practices. In addition, members have access to a full library of safety training and information, assistance in regulatory questions, representation at government agencies, and networking opportunities, such as attendance at the annual convention.

In the years ahead, the demolition industry will continue to evolve and the National Demolition Association will continue to evolve with it, representing the interests of companies involved on the periphery of demolition, as well as those who view themselves first and foremost as demolition specialists.

With the vertical integration of businesses related to the demolition process, the bottom line will be a worry-free demolition project that can be fully satisfied in the most cost-efficient way.

Michael R. Taylor, CAE, is Executive Director of the National Demolition Association, the non-profit trade organization for U.S. and Canadian companies involved in the demolition process.

Print | Email | Comment