Top 10: Demolition & Decommissioning Firms

When buildings have been deemed unfit for purpose, or are in need of a serious modernisation from the framework up, experts come in to strip back or tear down these buildings. 

They must do so with complete care, with efforts to protect the surrounding environment and local community - particularly as many of these buildings have harmful substances within.

Construction Digital takes a look at the Top 10 demolition and decommissioning firms which are raising the bar for worker safety, environmental protection and technological advancements in order to ensure these projects are as efficient as possible.

10. Safedem

Managing Director: William Sinclair
Revenue: £1.03m (US$1.39m)
Founded: 1974
Employees: ~40

Safedem is one of the UK's leading demolition, deconstruction and dismantling companies, having worked on a range of demolition projects around the world, from high-profile explosive projects, to traditional, machine-based demolitions. It has worked across entire demolition, as well as dismantling structures to original frame.

The company has a focus on safety within its work, but also prioritises the treatment, reuse and recycling of the material generated within its projects. As a result, it is an expert on helping clients with their environmental and carbon reduction requirements.

9. Independence Demolition

CEO: Vic DiGeronimo Jr.
Revenue: US$9.7m​​​​​​​
Founded: 1988
Employees: 201-500

Independence Demolition, part of the DiGeronimo Companies, works across demolition and decommissioning projects, particularly ones with multiple technical capabilities and heavy resource requirements. It has a wealth of labour and equipment resources, which it combines under single-source management in order to complete the project.

It offers help across structural demolition, selective demolition, environmental abatement, asset recovery, foundation removal, materials recycling and site restoration. It delivers cost-effective, safe and end-to-end demolition, minimising disruption and mitigating risks.

8. DDM Demontage

CEO: Theo Velis
Revenue: €27.6m (US$32.6m)
Founded: 1990
Employees: ~200

DDM performs complex demolition work for clients across a range of sectors. It has capabilities to meet demand for large and small demolition excavators with machines, as well as the capabilities to deliver specific and secure work by hand. It has a variety of machines, including electric cranes and heavy excavators.

Its main focus is demolition in the chemical industry, with specific skills across safety and quality. They require significant expertise, communication and organisation in order to work responsibly.

7. Despe S.p.A

CEO: Stefano Panseri
Revenue: ~€71.6m (US$84.6m)
Founded: 1975
Employees: ~50

Despe S.p.A is a family business working in the demolition, engineering consulting, decommissioning and reclamation sectors. It has operations around the world and a team of highly skilled professionals operating across high-risk areas. 

It has patented a range of demolition solutions, including the ‘Lifting Jacks’ system for the safe demolition of boilers and ‘TopDownWay’, which was created for the moat effective demolition of skyscrapers. It has worked across nuclear decommissioning, asbestos reclamation and disaster recovery.

6. Northstar Group Services

CEO: Scott E. State
Revenue: ~US$900m
Founded: 1986
Employees: ~3,500

Northstar Group Services is one of the largest integrated remediation and infrastructure services firms, providing experience, technical expertise, accountability, cost containment and national reach to its clients. It has worked with hotels, banks and healthcare systems. 

Its demolition services have been used across petrochemical facilities, high-rises, chemical plants, manufacturing sites, military bases and process plants. It offers total building demolition, selective demolition, interior strip and gut work, as well as plant dismantlement. 

5. Erith Contractors (Erith Group)

CEO: Steven May
Revenue: ~£255m (US$344.5m)
Founded: 1967
Employees: ~400

Erith works across complex demolition projects, relying on highly skilled teams in order to provide superior service to its clients. It has worked across more than 200 projects, with more than 9,000,000 working hours completed.

It has expertise in demolition, deconstruction, deplanting and soft stripping, having worked across high rise and low rise in-situ concrete structures, listed historical buildings and modular 60's style buildings, having the capacity to adapt to each project. 

4. Brandenburg Industrial Service Co.

President: Thomas J. Little
Revenue: ~US$445.6m
Founded: 1968
Employees: 800+

Brandenburg works to implement environmentally responsible, safe and cost effective methods across demolition, asbestos abatement and environmental remediation needs. It aims to improve the industry by ensuring the best solutions are applied across all areas of demolition.

It combines expertise, knowledge and appropriate resources to ensure each job gets done safely and efficiently. Brandenburg works across decontamination, nuclear power demolition, asset recovery, site preparation, emergency response and tank decommissioning.

The company has worked in the demolition of the Johnsonville Fossil and the Rex Brown Steam Electric Station.

3. Keltbray

CEO: Karl Goose
Revenue: ~£350m (US$473m)
Founded: 1976
Employees: ~2,000

Keltbray provides specialist decommissioning and demolition services across highly regulated nuclear, infrastructure and industrial sectors. It can offer a turnkey service across hazardous materials removal and ground remediation. It provides services across petrochemical decommissioning and energy decommissioning. 

Keltbray also provides a one-stop service for private and public sectors, offering solutions across demolition, remodelling and engineering. It can advise on the best route of methodology to take for each solution, with a particular focus on embedding sustainability. The demolition services include preconstruction, soft strip, structural alternations, groundworks and more.

2. AECOM

Revenue: US$16.14bn
Employees: ~51,000
CEO: W. Troy Rudd
Founded: 1990

AECOM has a focus on safety, compliance and cost-effective solutions, relying on the combination of local knowledge and world-class expertise. It has a thorough approach and risk assessment for every project it undertakes basing execution off safety, price, schedule, quality and environmental compliance. 

AECOM ensures the most cost-effective processes for each project, without sacrificing standards. Following a decontamination stage, the company begins the demolishing of buildings, with health and safety professionals constantly on site to ensure operations are taking place responsibly. 

It also has a range of remedial construction services and facility closure/asset recovery solutions. It has offered demolition and decommissioning services to power plants, mines, gas plants, industrial complexes, pharmaceutical facilities and more. 

By helping with asset recovery, AECOM ensures clients can make the most out of their materials in order to induce cost savings and implement sustainable practices.

1. Bechtel

Revenue: US$20.6bn
Employees: ~50,000
Chairman and CEO: Brendan Bechtel
Founded: 1898

Bechtel is a leading engineering, construction, procurement and project management company, working to implement sustainable solutions that deliver long-lasting value to communities around the world. Part of its environmental clean-up services include disposal, decontamination and decommissioning. Bechtel is helping government agencies across the US and UK implement complex environmental clean-up challenges, with a focus on nuclear and chemical waste.

One of its projects was the destruction of the chemical weapons stockpile at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot in Pueblo, Colorado. In order to safely destroy the munitions, Bechtel brought expertise, innovation and first-of-a-kind technology to this project. Through this, it destroyed more than 780,000 projectiles and mortars that held 2,613 tonnes of mustard agent, using neutralising technology, biotreatment and explosive destruction technologies.

The company merged its demolition and decommissioning expertise to ensure this was handled with care and efficiency.