NDA members test drive new Volvo demolition equipment

Leaders and members of the National Demolition Association, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, toured a Volvo Construction Equipment plant in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, watched an outdoor machine show featuring the manufacturer’s standard and high-reach demolition equipment, and had a chance to test drive some of the newest loaders, haulers and excavators during a day-long visit to the Volvo Customer Center in late September.

The group of nearly 100 NDA members travelled to the site as part of the association’s quarterly Board Meeting held in nearby Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Göran Lindgren, president and CEO of Volvo CE North America, addressed the group of NDA executive leadership, board members and other interested members of the association about the present state of the company’s demolition equipment manufacturing operation.

Lindgren talked about the commitment that Volvo has made to the North American market, demonstrated in part by the construction of the new 20,000-square-foot customer center on a 40-acre campus in Shippensburg. To date, Volvo has invested $145 million at the Shippensburg location, including the expansion a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver Certified factory for producing a variety of construction equipment.

“Volvo Construction Equipment will remain a major force in its market as we consolidate our industrial footprint,” Lindgren says. “Our investment in the Shippensburg facility allows us to respond more quickly to customer demand.”

A high point of the event was the presentation of a new high-reach demolition excavator to representatives of Greg Bair Track Hoe Service headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. The boom height of the excavator reaches to at least 100 feet, allowing the demolition contractor to take down extremely tall structures without the use of outmoded wrecking ball/crane combinations, while providing improve worker protection.

The day also included a chance to try out the Volvo high-reach demolition simulator and the opportunity to test drive some of the demolition equipment in the machine performance testing area. 

“The members of the NDA appreciate the investment that Volvo has made not only in the North American construction equipment market but also in the demolition industry itself,” says Dan Costello, president and owner
Costello Dismantling, West Wareham, Massachusetts. “Manufacturers like Volvo help raise the bar for our entire industry as we continue to focus on safety and the environment in our day-to-day business lives.”