Demolition man lands Institute of Construction Management title
John Woodward achieved a notable coup last week when he became the first demolition expert to be named as the Institute of Construction Management (ICM)’s Construction Manager of the Year.
The founder of C&D Consultancy beat off the challenge of over 50 professionals to claim the prestigious honour, impressing judges with his pioneering work in Glasgow and on the bank of the Thames in London.
He was also praised for his outstanding role in educating young people about the sector and encouraging them to consider a career in demolition.
“This came as a bit of a shock to me if I’m being honest, but I’m delighted that my industry, which often gets overlooked, has been recognised for the work we do in clearing the way for the future,” Woodward says. “It has been a massive year for the business and one that has seen a number of the projects we’ve been consulting on hit the national headlines. I’m keen to use this ICM Award to do even more Primary Future talks to promote and push our sector, showing the future generation of workers that demolition offers great career opportunities both at home and abroad.”
Woodward formed C&D Consultancy in 2003 and has seen it become one of the leading demolition specialists in the country, coordinating a host of projects across the UK and Europe every year.
A team of eight experts advises on initial planning, project management and one-off consultancy, as well as being brought in to turn around crisis jobs.
“We’ve been involved in some really complex projects over the last eighteen months, most noticeably Albert Embankment demolition for Berkeley Housing Group and helping to bring down 15 of Glasgow’s most iconic tower blocks,” Woodward concludes. “This – combined with securing The Institute for Construction Management’s main prize – takes our reputation to the next level and will hopefully see us pass £1m turnover by the end of the year.”
