Reaction to chimney blast that fell wrong way raises question over industry ethics.
We are rarely at a loss for words here at DemolitionNews.com, but we have spent the past six or seven hours trying (without success) to create a suitable introduction to what you’re about to read. Regardless of your take on why the recent Ohio smokestack implosion fell the wrong way, or the legitimacy of attempting to profit from it, there’s no doubt that Advanced Explosive Demolition’s Eric Kelly is wearing his heart on his sleeve in the following article he has written in response to criticism of him and his team.
And please, when you have finished reading what he has to say, hit the Comments button at the bottom and let us know what you think: Is it acceptable to profit from a competitor’s mishap? Is there any place for ethics in the modern demolition business? And is it any wonder that demolition contractors are portrayed as “work staved, beer drinking, trash-talking misfits…”
“…I always respected certain groups where they lift each other up and help, like the Amish. If your barn burns down they have a community “barn raising”…impressive!
Then we have the demo business…make a mistake and the entire industry pours gas on the fire and sees it as an opportunity to be like a pack of Hyenas.
I have had two of my competitors send my stack mistake, via e-mail, to clients and have AED terminated because of the stack falling the wrong way! Now these guys have never had anything go the wrong way! I am totally awestruck that people can be lower than whale shit. I wish they were more secure in their business dealings and had less time on their hands to be stooping so low.
Maybe it’s because they have had their share of bad shots they need to point the finger somewhere else…but wait…when you point one finger at someone else, there’s three pointing back at you. What these people don’t understand is the facts will come to light and then what?
I have had the blessing of having many people call and give words of encouragement, a whole lot more than the “negatives”. These people have been the ones who experienced things go wrong and were honest in saying so. They also explain that things do go wrong in this industry and the best way to go forward is to not worry about what others think.
I have also heard from people that things aren’t really that bad when compared to some of the mistakes of others. We can and must learn from them. The demo business has to learn to set boundaries on ethics and moralities. What does this teach our children? How does this reflect on businesses, the stoic togetherness in our industry… it doesn’t. That’s why the demo business is looked at like we’re a bunch of work staved, beer drinking, trash-talking misfits.
There are some very good demo guys out there who care about the image of our industry and the perception portrayed. They exercise diligence in success and failure. They tend their own garden and have been first in line to help others. These people know who they are! The people who operate on the wrong side of the fence know who they are also.
When our children are old enough to draw their conclusions, what kind of legacy will our industry leaders leave…food for thought..!”
The twin-unit nuclear reactor known as Zion Station has been in limbo for more than a decade, and Commonwealth Edison, now part of Exelon, paid about $10 million a year to baby-sit the defunct reactor.
