The Coming Gold Rush – Part 1

October 27, 2025 Long Form

It might not feel like it right now, but the UK demolition industry stands on the brink of a potential Gold Rush; a surge in activity, workload and profit that could positively impact contractors the length and breadth of the UK and provide a much-needed boost for the wider industry.

We’ve been here before, of course. In the wake of the Large Combustion Plant Directive 2001, it fell to the UK demolition sector to remove fossil-fuelled power stations from the nation’s skyline. But while the removal of those power stations was mostly lucrative, it involved just a few dozen sites and just a small handful of demolition contractors. The coming Gold Rush will potentially involve hundreds of buildings and almost as many demolition firms.

But it won’t be easy. Like the Gold Rush in California, the potential Gold Rush facing the UK demolition sector will be fraught with danger: danger in the most literal sense of the word; and danger in the form of unwelcome scrutiny and reputational harm.

So what is this new potential Gold Rush and what has prompted it?

Demolition Insider has partnered with C&D Engineering Consultants to bring you a new series called “The Coming UK Demolition Gold Rush”. You can find out more here.

Normalisation of Deviance

October 28, 2025 Long Form

The Bible is unequivocal. When there is a rule, you are left in no doubt about what is allowed and what is forbidden. It says “thou shalt not”. I’m not strictly a Bible guy, but that is one of main reasons that I no longer covet my neighbour’s ox.

In life, we also have a set of non-negotiable rules. Do NOT commit murder, or rape, or theft. We all know where we stand, and we know the consequences if we transgress those hard and fast rules. We tell our children, do not play with fire, or knives, or traffic.

But then? Then things get a little bit namby-pamby; a bit loosey-goosey. In fact, in the sphere of demolition and construction, rules are often seen as suggestions to ignore or circumvent.

This article continues on Demolition Insider. Please use the link below to access this article FOR FREE.

The Break Fast Show #1025

October 28, 2025 Video

In today’s show: Cooling tower demolition like you’ve never seen before; we’re heading back to Kentucky to see the new MB Crusher pulverisers in action; and moving mountains with a remanufactured Montabert breaker.

PLUS in today’s edition of Mark’s Morning Monologue: Normalisation of deviance.

Start your day the demolition way!

Join us every weekday morning at 10am GMT for The Break Fast Show – the daily LiveStream that brings the demolition and construction industry to life.

It’s news, debate, discussion, and insight all rolled into one, with a line-up that keeps you informed, entertained, and involved:

  • Latest Industry News – the stories that matter, delivered fresh each morning.
  • Question of the Day – Sometimes serious, sometimes profound, often ridiculous.
  • Mark’s Morning Monologue – thought-provoking takes on the issues shaping our industry.
  • Interactive Chat – your comments, questions, and insights are a vital part of the show.

Whether you’re on site, in the office, or on the road, The Break Fast Show is the smartest way to stay connected to the world of demolition and construction.

Tune in live. Join the conversation. Be part of the community.

RIP – Paul Brown

October 27, 2025 News, People

Paul Brown, the former president of the National Federation of Demolition Contractors, has passed away. Like his father before him, he leaves behind a hole as big as his personality.

For many in the UK demolition industry, Paul was the loud voice in the room; a man for whom protocol and formality were merely a guide to be followed or ignored as circumstances dictated.

But there was more to Paul Brown than his cigar-chomping persona. There was a passion for demolition that only a few have matched; there was a steely determination to make the industry better; and – just occasionally – there was a softer side that he kept for special occasions.

I first met Paul back in the late 1980s. I was the assistant editor of Plant Managers Journal. Paul was the founder of Bak-Ho Plant; the Surrey-based importer of Kramer wheel loaders. A few years later, together with my former business partner, I actually became Paul’s media relations agent.

Throughout his time in the plant sales arena, however, it was clear that his real passion was for demolition; a trait he inherited from his father – former NFDC president Claude Brown.

So it came as no surprise when our paths crossed again with the co-writing of the original NFDC guidance on the safe use of high reach excavators. It was an utterly one-sided collaboration. Paul brought the knowledge, the contacts, the passion, the experience. I handled the grammar.

That same passion would eventually allow him to follow in his father’s footsteps and wear the NFDC presidential chains of office. While his presidency would prove to be short-lived, I know just how proud that made him.

Over the course of more than 30 years, I saw many sides of Paul Brown; the larger-than-life personality that could take over a room full of his peers through sheer force of will; and a knowledgeable demolition man striving to make his industry incrementally better. I once saw him host a charity auction, raising thousands of pounds through a mix of good humour and something akin to extracting money with menaces.

There was another Paul too. When my former business partner passed away, Paul came to the funeral. He stood in the background, his head bowed, and he barely said a word. He offered respectful condolences to my partner’s widow and her children, he gave me a bear hug, and then he quietly slipped away.

There were many versions of Paul Brown. I am going to miss all of them.

The Break Fast Show #1024

October 27, 2025 Video

In today’s show: Kobelco meets Mr Dig; CM Labs – where a simulation feels real; up close with Caterpillar’s latest graders; and the rise of the robots with Gravis Robotics.

PLUS in today’s edition of Mark’s Morning Monologue: Vantage Point.

Start your day the demolition way!

Join us every weekday morning at 10am GMT for The Break Fast Show – the daily LiveStream that brings the demolition and construction industry to life.

It’s news, debate, discussion, and insight all rolled into one, with a line-up that keeps you informed, entertained, and involved:

  • Latest Industry News – the stories that matter, delivered fresh each morning.
  • Question of the Day – Sometimes serious, sometimes profound, often ridiculous.
  • Mark’s Morning Monologue – thought-provoking takes on the issues shaping our industry.
  • Interactive Chat – your comments, questions, and insights are a vital part of the show.

Whether you’re on site, in the office, or on the road, The Break Fast Show is the smartest way to stay connected to the world of demolition and construction.

Tune in live. Join the conversation. Be part of the community.

P.P. O’Connor responds

October 26, 2025 Accident, News

Manchester-based P.P. O’Connor has issued an official statement on the partial building and scaffold collapse that occurred in the city centre on Friday afternoon.

The statement reads:

“On Friday 24th October at approximately 2.00 pm, we had a structural collapse at a site in Manchester, this follows encountering an un-foreseen structural failure associated with a latent defect in the building 1 week ago.

The unforeseen structural failure meant that it was appropriate to halt demolition work on Friday 17th October. This enabled us to consult with our independent structural engineers and put forward further contingency arrangements in preparation for a partial collapse. Demolition works then continued maintaining a strict exclusion zone in anticipation of such an event.

We are pleased to confirm that our contingency plans were observed and instigated at the time of the collapse and there have been no injuries to our workforce or members of the public. The resulting debris associated with the collapse was fully contained within the footprint of the site.

We are in dialogue with the HSE and Building Control whilst we continue to make the site safe and progress with demolition.”

Manchester collapse sparks deja vu

October 25, 2025 Accident, Long Form

The breaking news yesterday was stark: a major scaffold collapse at Alberton House in Manchester, which sent a tangled mess of steel tumbling into the River Irwell. For industry veterans, the images from Manchester carried a disturbing echo of the past, bringing back stark memories of a crisis that was supposed to have changed things for good.

That crisis was the spate of scaffold collapses that occurred in the Summer of 2019; an unprecedented series of failures that shook the sector and prompted an industry-wide response, including new guidance from the National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC). Now, however, the incident in Manchester forces a critical question: Did the industry truly learn the lessons from 2019, or are we witnessing a dangerous pattern repeat itself?

This article continues on Demolition Insider. Please use the link below to access this article FOR FREE.

BREAKING NEWS – Manchester Collapse

October 24, 2025 News

DemolitionNews has received reports of what appears to be a scaffold or partial building collapse in Manchester City Centre this afternoon.

We were alerted by a news report on Manchester Evening News.

That report says the building involved is understood to be Alberton House; it’s off Bridge Street in the city centre, but spans around to St Mary’s Parsonage.

Reports suggest one side of the building came down, sending scaffolding into the River Irwell beside it.

DemolitionNews covered the incident in a live broadcast.

When the humans have gone

October 24, 2025 Long Form

In the heavy equipment sector, the shift toward autonomy is usually discussed in big, headline terms: fewer operators in the cab, higher productivity, improved safety, lower labour costs. These are unquestionably real and important.

But beneath those transformative themes lies a quieter story — one of how the ecosystem inside every machine is being quietly redesigned, re-valued, and, in some cases, sidelined entirely.

For suppliers of seats, joysticks, heating and air conditioning systems, handrails, steps, and even coffee cup-holders, the march of machine autonomy signals profound disruption.

This article continues on Demolition Insider. Please use the link below to access this article FOR FREE.

The Break Fast Show #1023

October 24, 2025 Video

In today’s show: We’re taking an extended walk-around of Volvo’s new generation wheel loaders; up close with the large-frame Gehl loaders; and we’re returning to Louisville for a stroll in the Kentucky sunshine at Utility Expo 2025.

PLUS in my morning monologue today: When the humans have gone.

Start your day the demolition way!

Join us every weekday morning at 10am GMT for The Break Fast Show – the daily LiveStream that brings the demolition and construction industry to life.

It’s news, debate, discussion, and insight all rolled into one, with a line-up that keeps you informed, entertained, and involved:

  • Latest Industry News – the stories that matter, delivered fresh each morning.
  • Question of the Day – Sometimes serious, sometimes profound, often ridiculous.
  • Mark’s Morning Monologue – thought-provoking takes on the issues shaping our industry.
  • Interactive Chat – your comments, questions, and insights are a vital part of the show.

Whether you’re on site, in the office, or on the road, The Break Fast Show is the smartest way to stay connected to the world of demolition and construction.

Tune in live. Join the conversation. Be part of the community.