Adam Redling
The strength of the demolition sector is a good indicator of the strength of the economy as a whole. As such, Construction & Demolition Recycling magazine’s biennial Top 20 Demolition Contractors list is reflective of the opportunities afforded to contractors throughout the country in 2017.
This year’s list, which was compiled through voluntary submissions from the country’s top contractors, portrays an industry that showed relatively steady growth from 2015. Of the 14 contractors who made our top 20 list for both 2015 and 2017, seven contractors reported growth in revenue, six reported a loss in revenue, and one reported revenue that stayed the same.
The total revenue from the top contractors listed in 2017 totals $1.65 billion, compared to the $1.84 billion total in 2015; however, overarching assumptions are difficult to draw from year to year due to variations in who responded, the methodology used to compile the results and how heavily variations in revenue from individual companies at the top of the list influence the averages.
There were a number of familiar names at the top of this year’s list. Eight of the top 10 companies listed for 2015 were among the top 10 for 2017. NorthStar Group Services Inc., which topped the chart in 2015, was once again the top company in 2017, with revenues nearing $462 million (down from $652.33 million in 2015). Brandenburg Industrial Service Co. ($208 million in 2017, $177 million in 2015); Cherry Cos. ($145 million in 2017, $133.4 million in 2015); MCM Management Corp. ($93.75 million in 2017, $133.4 million in 2015); Bierlein Companies Inc. ($86.7 million in 2017, $80.08 million in 2015); Ferma Corp. ($68.97 million in 2017, $72 million in 2015); Independence Excavating Inc. ($56.6 million in 2017, $47.62 million in 2015); and NASDI Inc. ($54.8 million in 2017, $62.12 million in 2015) were also represented in the top 10 in consecutive lists.
New arrivals to the top 20 this year that weren’t included in the previous list include Environmental Resources Management, Central Environmental Inc., Kroeker Inc. Demolition & Recycling Contractors, American Wrecking Inc., Costello Dismantling Company Inc., and Rachel Contracting Inc.
1. NorthStar Group Services Inc.,
New York City, www.northstar.com
Company CEO or President: Scott E. State
Demolition Revenue (2017): $461.98 million
No. of Employees: 3,500
Additional Services Offered: abatement, emergency and disaster response, environmental remediation, nuclear decommissioning
2. Brandenburg Industrial Service Co.,
Chicago, IL, www.brandenburg.com
Company CEO or President: Thomas Little
Demolition Revenue (2017): $208 million
No. of Employees: 700
Additional Services Offered: environmental remediation, asbestos abatement, hazardous material removal, soil remediation, asset recovery, site preparation
3. Environmental Resources Management (ERM),
Denver, CO, www.erm.com
Company CEO or President: Chuck Leichner
Demolition Revenue (2017): $150 million
No. of Employees: 200
Additional Services Offered: demolition and remediation construction management, engineering general contractor, hazardous building material surveys, abatement
4. Cherry Cos.,
Houston, TX, www.cherrycompanies.com
Company CEO or President: Leonard Cherry
Demolition Revenue (2017): $145 million
No. of Employees: 305
Additional Services Offered: recycled aggregate sales, stabilized material sales
5. MCM Management Corp.,
Bloomfield Hills, MI, www.mcmmanagement.com
Company CEO or President: Rob Mardigian
Demolition Revenue (2017): $93.75 million
No. of Employees: 250
Additional Services Offered: metal/aggregate recycling, environmental remediation, material handling/processing, industrial repurposing
6. Bierlein Companies Inc.,
Midland, MI, www.bierlein.com
Company CEO or President: Michael Bierlein
Demolition Revenue (2017): $86.7 million
No. of Employees: 265
Additional Services Offered: dismantling, asset recovery, site-related environmental remediation
7. Ferma Corp.,
Newark, CA, www.fermacorp.com
Company CEO or President: Marc Ferrari
Demolition Revenue (2017): $68.97 million
No. of Employees: 242
Additional Services Offered: mass excavation, saw-cutting, clearing and grubbing, concrete crushing, soil remediation, hazardous materials removal, levee repair and creek restoration
8. Manafort Brothers Inc.,
Plainville, CT, www.manafort.com
Company CEO or President: Jim Manafort Jr.
Demolition Revenue (2017): $57.1 million
No. of Employees: 400
Additional Services Offered: nuclear decommissioning, site development, concrete construction, abatement and remediation, highway and bridge construction
9. Independence Excavating Inc.,
CLEVELAND, OH, www.independencedemolition.com
Company CEO or President: Vic DiGeronimo Jr.
Demolition Revenue (2017): $56.6 million
No. of Employees: 600
Additional Services Offered: environmental remediation, site preparation, asset recovery, concrete crushing/recycling, site restoration, facility decommissioning
10. NASDI LLC,
Woburn, MA, www.nasdidemo.com
Company CEO or President: Arthur M. Dore
Demolition Revenue (2017): $54.8 million
No. of Employees: 200
Additional Services Offered: asbestos abatement, lead abatement, hazardous waste remediation
11. Precision Demolition LLC,
Lewisville, TX, www.precisiondemolition.com
Company CEO or President: Aaron W. Smith
Demolition Revenue (2017): $52.59 million
No. of Employees: 500
Additional Services Offered: asbestos abatement, mold abatement, lead abatement, saw-cutting/coring, recycling, implosions
12. North American Dismantling Corp.,
Lapeer, MI, www.nadc1.com
Company CEO or President: Rick Marcicki
Demolition Revenue (2017): $40 million
No. of Employees: 125
Additional Services Offered: redevelopment strategies, environmental remediation, asset recovery
13. Interior Removal Specialist Inc.,
South Gate, CA, www.irsdemo.com
Company CEO or President: Carlos Herrera
Demolition Revenue (2017): $32.3 million
No. of Employees: 285
Additional Services Offered: rental of C&D containers
14. Central Environmental Inc.,
Anchorage, AK, www.cei-alaska.com
Company CEO or President: Stuart Jacques
Demolition Revenue (2017): $32 million
No. of Employees: 125
Additional Services Offered: abatement, sitework, underground utilities
15. O’Rourke Wrecking Co.,
Cincinnati, OH, www.orourkewrecking.com
Company CEO or President: Michael P. O’Rourke
Demolition Revenue (2017): $31 million
No. of Employees: 79
Additional Services Offered: environmental remediation
16. Kroeker, Inc. Demolition & Recycling Contractors,
Fresno, CA, kroekerinc.com
Company CEO or President: Joyce Kroeker
Demolition Revenue (2017): $21.45 million
No. of Employees: 140
Additional Services Offered: concrete and asphalt recycling, C&D recycling
17. American Wrecking, Inc.,
South El Monte, CA, www.americanwreckinginc.com
Company CEO or President: Jose Galaviz
Demolition Revenue (2017): $19.5 million
No. of Employees: 95
Additional Services Offered: investment recovery, abatement, crushing, equipment rental and trucking
18. Costello Dismantling Company Inc.,
West Wareham, MA, www.costellodismantling.com
Company CEO or President: Daniel Costello
Demolition Revenue (2017): $15 million
No. of Employees: 30
Additional Services Offered: excavating, salvage, equipment removal
19. Rachel Contracting Inc.,
St. Michael, MN, www.rachelcontracting.com
Company CEO or President: Donald Rachel
Demolition Revenue (2017): $14.09 million
No. of Employees: 175
Additional Services Offered: earthwork, utilities, specialty services
20. JW Demolition LLC,
Charlotte, NC, www.jwdemolition.com
Company CEO or President: James W. Dellinger
Demolition Revenue (2017): $4.5 million
No. of Employees: 45
Additional Services Offered: asbestos remediation
