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“A Profitable
In the US the Oakland
based demolition firm
Alarcon Bohm Corporation
in California has
since the start in 1989
always been a hallmark
for a successful
business and once
ranked one of the fastest
growing companies
in the greater San
Francisco Bay Area.
Three years ago its
President Kevin Bohm
took it to a new level
with the move into the
new service of demolition
with remotely
controlled robots from
Brokk.
Kevin Bohm and his wife Patricia’s
company went from hauling construction
waste to become a fully
specialised demolition contractor
using among others remote controlled
demolition techniques.
24 PDi • Is s u e 1 - 2009 • Fe b - Ma r c h
Kevin Bohm is one of those self-made entrepreneurs that started
with nothing and has built his way up. He is proof that the
American dream still exists and that you can set out your mind
and fulfill your dreams.
Hauling construction refuse
Kevin Bohm is the President of the demolition and recycling
firm Alarcon Bohm Corporation, a company he founded
together with his wife Patricia in 1989. Bohm started at the
age of 19 in the towing business when he got a used tow truck
from his father. Some years later he changed his profession and
became an apprentice carpenter and moved to the Bay Area
in California. It was here he got the idea to start using trucks
as a work tool again. But he changed towing for hauling as he
found out that there was more money to make in transporting
construction waste. This became the initial foundation of the
company Alarcon Bohm Corporation with one hauler truck
and three dumpsters.
With the right strategy and determined minds the business
got a good start and has constantly been growing ever since.
After some years the company developed to provide soft demolition
and renovation service, which today has become the
core business. In the beginning of 2000 the business took off
and during a three-year period it was one of the fastest growing
companies in the region with a growth of over 450%. Today
Alarcon Bohm has annual revenue of US$15 millions and
about 60 employees, which can vary up to well over 100
depending on the workload.
Demolition robots best
choice for Alarcon Bohm
Kevin Bohm has always been alert at finding and
trying new methods for improving his services and
new business ideas that generate a good return.
Some years ago he learned about a method for
bringing down structures using electrically powered,
remotely controlled demolition machines.
In the environmentally conscious Bay Area of
California a device that does not pollute and that
can, due to its compact size, access weak concrete
floors and very confined areas still with a lot
of power would be a success. The safety
of the operator using the machine’s remote control far away
from the demolition area was another advantage. First Kevin
rented a machine from Brock Inc, a demolition robot rental
firm in Monroe, Washington. “Demolition robots became
a great opening for us as soon as I realized what a profitable
complement they were for our business. We could take on a lot
more jobs then before due to the efficiency the robots provided.
We could also do other types of jobs thanks to what the Brokk
robots added to our services,” says Kevin Bohm.
It was at World of Concrete 2006 Kevin bought his first
demolition robot, a Brokk 180. Shortly after he bought his
second 180 and after that a Brokk 90 was added. “I am very
satisfied with Brokk, but training of the operators is an absolute
necessity in order to operate the machines correctly and get
the maximum out of them. Our operators are well trained by
Brokk in Seattle, which also put us in a unique competitive
situation. The right type of equipment and the right person
behind the joysticks,” says Kevin.
Kevin estimates that Alarcon Bohm is six to seven times
more efficient with their Brokk robots compared to conventional
methods. Today the Brokk machines are used at least
in one of five jobs and Kevin can see a constant increase of the
Brokk operations. But there is some scepticism from clients
who have not seen the equipment before. “When I said to
a client that we were going to bring the demolition robot
through the stair case he questioned if that was a good idea.
But when he saw the machine crawling up the stairs he
was convinced in a couple of seconds,” says Kevin. “As
soon as our clients see the robots in action any shred
of doubt is blown away.”
Increased working territory
Almost 90% of all Alarcon Bohm’s jobs come
from public clients like banks, federal institutions
and departments, airports, jails and schools. Very
few jobs come from the private sector. According
to Kevin this is an advantage as the private
sector is much more unstable to work with.
Alarcon Bohm has also started to take
on more cleaning jobs like removal
of asbestos and other hazardous
materials and hope to
increase this service in
the future.
About 90% of
the jobs are carried
out in the greater
San Francisco
bay area but the
company is aiming
to widen its
working territory.
They are
licensed to
carry out demolition
work
in the states
of California,
Washington,
Oregon and
Nevada. One