Jeff Sessler Featured in Demolition, Wrecking and Recycling
By Demolition, Wrecking, and Recycling Today, Bnpmedia.com
BY BEN WHEATLEY | OCTOBER 2024
Next-Gen Demo
The demolition industry is evolving and turning towards tech
Embracing new technologies, enjoying expanded opportunities because of renewables and stocking up on more advanced equipment help describe what some thriving companies are doing now in the evolving demolition industry.
For example, North American Dismantling Corp. (NADC) increasingly uses 3D modeling and simulations for large, complex projects such as felling and implosions.
“This tool provides us with detailed insight into the precise cuts and pulls our team needs to make, ensuring the safest and most optimal outcome,” says Rick Marcicki, president of NADC. “Incorporating this modeling into our planning process has consistently resulted in outcomes that are nearly identical to the plans. We use this service more frequently than many other companies, leading to increased safety and preparedness. “Our policy is to always model any cutting, pulling, blasting or dropping activities before executing them. We leverage 3D modeling to enhance safety and efficiency in calculating risk factors,” Marcicki adds.
NADC aslo has introduced AI into its safety training to help keep employees and projects as safe as possible. “At our annual Safety Day, employees used virtual reality headsets to practice safety checks and fall protection awareness. Our team also uses AI-based software to analyze industry safety and risk data by identifying potential hazards and providing insights to help us improve our daily activities,” Marcicki explains.
Dennis McGarel, vice president sales and estimating at Brandenburg, points to major opportunities that now exist for his company because of renewables like wind farms.
“These types of fuel sources drive other industries and help provide work for our industry. Green energy is important, especially for companies which can handle the new technology and related equipment to complete assignments in this space,” McGarel explains. “This need for enhanced safety and environmental sensitivities are only going to get more important as time goes on.”
Sessler Wrecking is just one of many companies which has expanded its fleet of equipment by purchasing new, more capable machinery. To enhance its growth and meet market demands, Sessler has recently added two new high-reach excavators—one is a 92-ft-high-reach and the other is a 165-ft-high, ultra-high reach. The ultra-high reach excavator is one of the largest high reach excavators operating in the eastern U.S.
Sessler and others like it also are expanding their geographical reach to enable them to service long-term and even newer clients with broader national and international operations. Sessler, which has long serviced the federal markets in addition to the private sector, also is emphasizing its outreach for more federal assignments.
“By strategically diversifying our service lines and expanding into new markets, we have achieved consistent growth. This approach has enabled us to adapt to shifting market conditions, ensuring long-term stability and positioning us to thrive through both challenges and opportunities in the private and public sector,” says Jeff Sessler, principal at Sessler Wrecking. “We have a strong track record in bridge, building and industrial demolition, frequently partnering with companies on a variety of projects. Our team, with deep expertise in these sectors, leverages state-of-the-art equipment and advanced methods. This enables us to safely and efficiently take on larger and more complex projects,” Sessler adds.
McGarel says growth in the industry will be fueled by contributors from a new generation of workers attracted to the challenges and opportunities found in the demolition field. “There are very great careers available in the industry. This isn’t the same old industry it used to be. Today’s workers operate in a far more sophisticated and technological environment than before,” he says. “Many younger people may not know what we offer or realize they can have a most profitable career in our industry. We are trying to attract people who have an engineering and project management mindset. There are a lot of good people involved in demolition. Together we can help make the industry even stronger,” says McGarel.
To help spread the word, Brandenburg participates in numerous college job fairs. And it is working closely with unions to suggest the types of training to implement to help attract the right workers. “There are a lot of great opportunities in our industry. Our work involves more technology and engineering than ever before,” McGarel says. “And the companies that embrace this approach are more likely to succeed than others that don’t.”
