Demolition Done Right

The Demo Company
Written by Ryan Cartner

The Demo Company is a Texas-based demolition company with locations in both Dallas and Austin specializing in technically challenging projects in environmentally sensitive locations.
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Owner Dave Boroughs founded The Demo Company in 2015 after a lifetime of experience and a great deal of success in the construction industry. Boroughs was born in Alabama where, from very early on, he worked at his father’s construction company. Beginning in high school and continuing through college, Boroughs was raised in the industry, learning many important lessons early and developing an expertise that would serve him well in the business.

By the time he graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Architectural and Building Sciences and Technology, he had gained enough knowledge and experience in the industry to begin forging his own path.

After college, Boroughs began putting his expertise to use as a project manager for KBR Building Group, managing healthcare projects throughout the United States and building a thorough understanding of the needs of customers in that sector. In 2010 he took a project executive position with DPR Construction in Texas and leveraged that understanding toward a Children’s Medical Center project in North Texas. That project resulted in 80 million dollars of work for DPR, and helped to demonstrate Boroughs’ considerable talent.

Riding this wave of success, Boroughs struck a deal with DPR that would allow him to open and run a branch of the company in Dallas, Texas. He was confident in his own ability, and he had built a résumé and a portfolio of work that validated his confidence to his superiors. He was ready to take the next step in his journey, and DPR’s leadership was behind him.

By the time he was ready to move on from DPR he had grown the Dallas branch to 250 million dollars in value and over 150 employees. It was a highly successful venture that gave Boroughs further confidence in his ability to survive the next big leap.

He started considering entrepreneurial pursuits. His expertise and the majority of his experience led him toward general contracting, but he was wary of taking this direction. DPR had been so encouraging, and so instrumental in the development of his career, that he was unwilling to start a company that would compete with them. He was committed to finding his own path without stepping on the toes of the people who had built him up in the past.

He began searching out gaps in the industry and soon identified a need for a demolition services contractor in the region. Other demolition companies existed, but Boroughs realized that there was a specific need for a provider that could focus on projects in environmentally sensitive areas. He jumped on the opportunity and began building a company to fill the gap. In October of 2015 he began preparations, and by January of 2016 he had found two partners to work with: Jeff Thomas, President and owner of Lasco Acoustics and Drywall, and Sam Mullis, a partner with Insurance, Bonding and Risk Management firm Mullis, Newby, Hurst.

As the company has progressed, Boroughs has kept his focus on finding the right people to build up talent within the ranks. His approach so far has been to bring in a highly skilled group of industry professionals to make up his management team – and then to get out of their way.

Prior to taking a position with The Demo Company, Client Manager Guy McGough spent four years working as a Superintendent at a national construction company working on very challenging projects and developing his expertise in technical building. His experience on these projects gave him a keen sense for understanding the client’s needs. He was one of the original team members at The Demo Company and his job is to be the face of the company to its customers. His brother, Dawson McGough, is Client Operations Manager and has experience serving customers at the highest level.

Finally, Harrison Morgan graduated from the same University as Boroughs, also with a Bachelor’s degree in Building Sciences, but his career took him down a somewhat different path. He has twelve years of experience in preconstruction management with a major Texas contracting company. Last year, recognizing this expertise, Boroughs hired him on as the Preconstruction Lead at The Demo Company. Morgan’s skill set has enabled the company to build a reputation for preconstruction guidance and estimating that gives it a leg up over the competition. Customers recognize the value in clear and accurate preconstruction work, and having Morgan on the team allows the company to bring that to the table.

Today, The Demo Company offers the whole spectrum of demolition and abatement services to customers in a wide range of market sectors. It offers everything from interior demolition services for clients who have a need to modify the interior of a facility, to selective structural demolition where only part of a building is to be demolished and the structural integrity must be retained, all the way to complete building demolition. The company’s specialty, however, is in performing these tasks under challenging conditions and in difficult environments.

Many of the projects in the company’s portfolio have been for clients in the healthcare arena, and demolition in this sector comes with its own set of unique challenges. For example, on the Children’s Medical Center project, where the company was hired to do very technical select demolition, a key consideration was infection control management. Demolition activities within a hospital environment can create problems for patients, so The Demo Company must work carefully giving consideration to the unique project-specific needs of each facility in order to keep patients and staff safe.

At the Medical Center of Arlington Rehab, the company was hired for the demolition component of a vertical expansion. The complete removal of mechanical rooftop equipment was necessary, and the work was done over the top of an active elevator shaft. For a renovation and expansion project at the Medical City Women’s Center, 20,000 lb. concrete components were lifted with tower cranes and carried over the top of an active hospital. The risks involved in some of these projects are substantial, but The Demo Company considers facing these challenges its specialty and the key differentiating factor that enables it to stand out in the marketplace.

Searching out talent and building an expert team has been one of the keys to the company’s success, but just as important is its focus on culture. The company’s website cites four core values by which it operates: Have Fun, Call BS, Great People, and Go Electric. The first, “have fun,” is self-explanatory. At The Demo Company, having fun means being invested in the work you’re doing and finding a sense of satisfaction in the result. “Calling BS” is about holding each other accountable; regardless of rank, The Demo Company believes in having a team of equals who are comfortable checking each other to keep the project safe and productive. “Great People” is about building a team of the right people. According to the company website this means workers who are “humble, hungry, and willing to sacrifice for others.” Finally, “Go Electric” is a reference to Bob Dylan, who revolutionized music when he went electric. It’s about being innovative, thinking outside the box, and always looking for ways to bring as much value as possible to customers.

The Demo Company has been in business just over three years and has already built a résumé of impressive technical projects. With a talented team of experts on board, the company is on track for a very successful future.

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