On Friday 15 November, the Institute of Demolition Engineers used its Annual General Meeting to welcome the new president, Adrian McLean of Armac Group.
McLean’s appointment has met with universal approval and enthusiasm from members and non-members alike, and it heralds a new era for the IDE.
In this exclusive conversation, DemolitionNews’ Mark Anthony speaks to Adrian McLean about his hopes and aspirations for the Institute, and his passion for the demolition industry.
This video will premiere at 7pm on Wednesday 27 November.
In today’s show: We are busting bridges in Texas; John Deere’s damage avoidance system goes under the spotlight; putting Liebherr’s remote control system to the test; and how Komatsu helps increase productivity with its payload monitoring technology.
PLUS in Mark’s Morning Monologue: I will be cranking the sarcasm to the max and sharing with you an honest job advertisement for a role in demolition and construction.
As if that weren’t enough, we will give you a quick lesson in name-dropping, courtesy of former NFDC Convention Chairman, Patrick Williamson.
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Take part in our Mystery Machine game. And be sure to stick around for Mark’s Morning Monologue and the chat in our after-show discussion session, The Craic.
In today’s show: Why Hyundai is the new kid on the blocks; sparking interest in LiuGong loaders; the birth of a mine; and how Epiroc is helping segregate demolition waste.
PLUS in Mark’s Morning Monologue: I will be calling for the demolition sector to be given the respect it so richly deserves.
Join us LIVE for your daily fix of news, views, video and comment from the world of demolition and construction.
Take part in our Mystery Machine game. And be sure to stick around for Mark’s Morning Monologue and the chat in our after-show discussion session, The Craic.
In today’s show: We will be taking a fresh look at the latest excavators from Volvo; you’ll be green with envy when you see the latest LiuGong loader; we’re taking a trip down memory lane with JCB; and why genuine parts matter in a mining application.
PLUS in Mark’s Morning Monologue: I will be asking if the COVID-19 pandemic is still – indirectly – claiming lives in the UK demolition and construction industry.
As a small bonus, we will be speaking to a man who was deliberately prevented from standing as NFDC president to find out why.
Join us LIVE for your daily fix of news, views, video and comment from the world of demolition and construction.
Take part in our Mystery Machine game. And be sure to stick around for Mark’s Morning Monologue and the chat in our after-show discussion session, The Craic.
In today’s show: LiuGong goes green; Montabert hammer in a primary breaking application; witness the versatility of the Neomach compact wheel loader; and we’re off into the hills with Prinoth.
PLUS in Mark’s Morning Monologue: We will be discussing the various invisible spectres that haunt the demolition and construction industry.
Join us LIVE for your daily fix of news, views, video and comment from the world of demolition and construction.
Take part in our Mystery Machine game. And be sure to stick around for Mark’s Morning Monologue and the chat in our after-show discussion session, The Craic.
In today’s show: Keeping cables tidy on a massive scale with Liebherr; we’re getting comfortable with Magni; keeping Africa’s beaches clean with CASE; and we get a sneak peek at the latest wheel loader from Shantui.
PLUS in Mark’s Morning Monologue: We will be discussing how many major and Tier 1 contractors REALLY see their supply chain.
Join us LIVE for your daily fix of news, views, video and comment from the world of demolition and construction.
Take part in our Mystery Machine game. And be sure to stick around for Mark’s Morning Monologue and the chat in our after-show discussion session, The Craic.
In today’s show: We’re checking out the new P-Tier skid steers from John Deere; we’re handling morning wood with Powerhand; Bobcat is extending its reach into the waste sector; and NRW puts its faith in Cat mining shovels.
PLUS in Mark’s Morning Monologue: I will be looking at what SHOULD happen in the aftermath of a fatal accident and contrasting it with what ACTUALLY happens.
Join us LIVE for your daily fix of news, views, video and comment from the world of demolition and construction.
Take part in our Mystery Machine game. And be sure to stick around for Mark’s Morning Monologue and the chat in our after-show discussion session, The Craic.
Do you remember when you were younger. You’d get some new clothes, a suit maybe, or a new haircut. As a result, you walked just a bit taller. You had an air; a swagger.
During the back-to-back presidencies of Dr Terry Quarmby and John Woodward, the Institute of Demolition Engineers had that same swagger. It was brimming with self-confidence and ambition. And that ambition was both magnetic and contagious.
Sadly, in the years since John Woodward relinquished the IDE hot seat, that swagger has been slowly eroded by Brexit, a global pandemic, some presidencies that were so forgettable that I genuinely cannot remember them, a stalling in the Institute’s Degree Course, and by the protracted process of parting ways with the former National Secretary.
Aside from a smattering of Midlands events, I stopped attending IDE meetings a good number of years ago. Those events were still attended by (and even organised by) people for whom I have the utmost respect. And the IDE’s heart was always in the right place. But these were the wilderness years. The sparkle was gone.
However, as of today’s Annual General Meeting, the IDE has turned a corner; the sparkle has returned in the shape of new President, Adrian McLean of Armac Group.
McLean arrives laden with universal industry respect. He is the demolition man’s demolition man. And his impact has been as immediate as it is welcome. Out has gone the swanky hotel meeting venues; and in has come a return to the industry’s proud working class routes, epitomised by a lunch of Irish Stew – perfect for both the audience and the chilly autumn day.
The IDE, for so long insular and inward-looking, once again has an outward-focused public face. It has finally set its sights on the global demolition industry, and its long-held ambition for an international membership will soon come to fruition. Furthermore, the IDE’s revived degree courses look set to be ready for a fresh intake of candidates by September 2025.
There is plenty to look forward to for IDE members. Key among them, though, is Adrian McLean’s presidency. He is revered, respected, admired and liked in roughly equal measure. He has the ability to reinvigorate the IDE and push it to new heights. And the feeling among those in attendance is that they’re keen to make the journey with him.
It will not be easy, however. Adrian McLean’s new broom will certainly be tested as he shapes the Institute in his own image. There has been a growing sense of apathy among members that has manifested in the form of several poorly-attended events. The man whose company goes by the nickname “The Bridge Busters” will be tasked with building bridges for once.
The IDE presidency is a demanding and often thankless task. But the pride and emotion he displayed when giving his first-ever address as IDE President suggests that Adrian McLean is more than equal to the task.
Adrian McLean himself is far too humble to swagger himself. But make no mistake, his arrival in the presidential hot seat has put a spring back in the step of the Institute. The IDE has got its mojo back.
In today’s show: Hitachi puts YOU in control; Weidemann takes its wheel loaders to the next level; how ALLU tackles concrete waste; and we’re chilling out with a Shantui dozer.
PLUS in Mark’s Morning Monologue: The construction industry continually and consistently fails to attract young people into its fold. Are the younger generation too lazy; too weak; and too woke? Or is construction just really bad at telling its story?
Join us LIVE for your daily fix of news, views, video and comment from the world of demolition and construction.
Take part in our Mystery Machine game. And be sure to stick around for Mark’s Morning Monologue and the chat in our after-show discussion session, The Craic.
In today’s show: Up close with the latest Hydrema haulers; we’re getting smart with Komatsu, back to backhoes with JCB; and how Caterpillar is collaborating to bring autonomy to quarry sites.
PLUS in Mark’s Morning Monologue: We are looking at the wider impact of demolition and construction company collapses.
Join us LIVE for your daily fix of news, views, video and comment from the world of demolition and construction.
Take part in our Mystery Machine game. And be sure to stick around for Mark’s Morning Monologue and the chat in our after-show discussion session, The Craic.
