The world's top demolition contractors

As usual, this year' list has been compiled from a number of sources including responses from demolition contractors all over the world to our information request. Thank you to all the contractors that responded.

At this stage, we should make something very clear. While D&Ri takes the utmost care when compiling the D&Ri100, the actual turnover/sales figures quoted may not always relate purely to demolition activity only. In some cases, although we specifically try to source demolition sales figures only, construction and other activity turnover is, unfortunately, sometimes included.

Overall increase

Compared to the last D&Ri100 listing, published in March 2004, total turnover for the contractors in the D&Ri100 increased to more than US$ 2.4 billion – an increase of around 5% on the 2003 turnover performance. And once again, the top 10 contractors increased their business by more than the table average. The top ten contractors in this table increased their turnover by almost 9% compared to the average of 5%. The percentage of the total table business taken by the top 10 contractors also increased marginally from around 8% to 9%.

It has to be said that, once again, this a high number of American demolition contractors. The main reason for this is, of course, that the American contractors are certainly among the biggest in the world. We also find that data acquisition is certainly more structured and more easily accessible in North America.

From a regional point of view, as our table in 2004 also suggested, the 2005 D&Ri100 indicates that the biggest demolition market in the world is North America, closely followed by the European market.

There is a total of 37 contractors in the table from North America, up from 34 last year, and they have a combined annual sales volume of US$ 1297 million – up by more than 13% on last year's US$ 1144 million. The average turnover for the American contractors in the list has also increased from $ 33.6 million per contractor last year, to $ 35 million this year.

marginal increase

From Europe there are 54 contractors in the listing, up from 47 last year. Turnover for the European contingent increased by almost 20% to $ 978 million, but the average turnover per European contractor in the table only increased from an average of around US$ 17.4 per contractor last year (based on 2003 turnover) to just over $ 18 million in this year's table.

The positive increases enjoyed by American and European contractors can be explained in two possible ways; one, American and European contractors have grown faster than others in the world or, two, contractors in other areas of the world are not as forthcoming with information. In reality it is probably a mixture of both.

From the Asia-Pacific region there are just eight contractors in this year's D&Ri100, down from 19 last year. The total turnover for the contractors is $ 115.2, way down on last year's combined turnover of US$ 296 million, but the average turnover per contractor is $ 14.4 million, not too dissimilar to last year's Asia-Pacific contractor average of US$ 15.6 million.

To draw the conclusion that North American contractors are, in general, bigger than their European and Asia-Pacific equivalents may be a little presumptuous. In reality, however, that would certainly seem to be the case.

So, overall, according to the D&Ri100, the world's demolition sector is looking in pretty good shape – especially in North America. The biggest contractors are getting bigger, but the overall turnover of the top 100 is also expanding.