Demolition specialist eyes ‘bright future’ for organisation after taking over as president

Armac
Group’s Adrian McLean takes over from Vernon Watson at the helm of
an organisation that boasts over 400 members and is responsible for
pioneering, promoting and professionalising a sector that started
3000 years ago.The
Operations Director, who himself has been in the industry for more
than three decades, is looking to steer the Institute (IDE) through one of the
most exciting and challenging periods in its 48-year history, with a
new focus on sustainability, the circular economy and developing the
next generation of specialists.There will also be a special focus on increasing its international membership, with overseas demolition engineers now able to benefit from an excellent ‘Transforming Demolition: Rethinking Demolition Management Through Circular Economy Principles’ course run online by the Perses Academy.This
is non-country specific and provides the perfect grounding for
members to start their journey.“It is a very proud moment to take over the Presidency of the Institute of Demolition Engineers, especially as it happened in my own town of Birmingham,” said Adrian, who also had the privilege of bestowing full membership on his son Cormac at the same event.“I’m
under no illusion to the challenges we face and the opportunities we
must strive for. Things are changing faster than at any point, with
structure and material reuse revitalising old methods and legacy
issues – including RAAC and Large Panel System concrete structures
– accelerating innovation amongst demolition firms.”“As the industry changes so rapidly, the role of a demolition engineer must diversify and we have been providing more upfront material recovery feasibility assessments, which is leading to new techniques and ways of working.“The
IDE has supported this transition for some years now by creating
educational routes for future members and a robust continuing
professional development programme for its current members. This will
accelerate under my stewardship.”Solihull-based
Armac Group has been operating in the UK for more than 27 years and
was founded by Adrian’s father Noel Snr, who left his hometown of
Cork with very little in his pockets to set-out on a new potential
career in demolition in the West Midlands.It
was a fruitful decision, with the company now one of the most
respected in its field, employing 67 people directly and lots more in
its supply chain.Hundreds
of projects have been completed throughout the years, including the
high-profile removal of Axis House in Birmingham City Centre, the
SAS13 bridge replacement to facilitate HS2 and the demolition of the
iconic Wembley Way footbridge at the home of English football.“A big focus will be on improving the IDE
member experience through even greater access to best practice
seminars, more networking events and increased cross-institutional
collaboration with groups outside of our own industry,” added Adrian.“We
also want to communicate better by fully embracing the digital age
and increasing the reach of our forums that are so appreciated by our
members.” “Every new project tends to start with demolition, and I
want to ensure the Institute of Demolition Engineers continues to
help its members pave the way for a brighter future.”



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