EDA finds optimism in industry report

The latest Industry Report by the European Demolition Association (EDA) suggests that business prospects for the continent’s demolition contractors are stable, although significantly reduced.

Almost 60% of respondents said they do not plan to reduce workforce numbers, despite the percentage of companies declaring a “significant” (more than 15%) increase in turnover almost halving year on year. Close to half (48%) of companies surveyed said they operate mainly at a local or regional level, with turnover under €5 million (US$5.8 million).

The European Demolition Association (EDA) launched the report with an online presentation open to the public.

Through its Statistics Group, led by Andreas Pocha, general manager of the German Demolition Association, the EDA gathers information from demolition contractors in 14 countries, analysed at a European level and country-by-country.

Findings this year are the result of a second survey after the original set of responses was gathered before the impact of Covid-19 could be included.

Andreas Pocha, who joined EDA president Francisco Cobo and Committee for European Construction Equipment (CECE) general secretary Riccardo Viaggi for a round table at the event, said: “What I find very encouraging in the survey is the forecast for 2021. The demolition industry can handle Covid-19 and it will grow next year all over Europe.

“We don’t need to make demolition great again. It is already great.”

Riccardo Viaggi, representing construction equipment manufacturers who suffered a 17% drop in sales in the first half of 2020, added: “The crisis has brough the industry together. There has been no real willingness by anyone to go their own way. It will be a long and slow recovery, but we stand behind our industry.”

The European Demolition Industry Report 2020 is available for online consultation in http://www.europeandemolition.org/industryreport