Doug Berry, president of United Dismantling & Salvage, built the company from the ground up in the first half of the 2020s and has changed how demolition works with his unique blend of operational experience and employee expertise.
What inspired you to pursue your current career path, and what advice do you have for someone aspiring to follow a similar trajectory?
I grew up around the construction industry, as both my father and his uncle, who he worked for, were in the business. When my dad had his own company, I worked in the yard and swept the shop floor. After high school, I went to work for my uncle’s company, working turnarounds and later offshore as a pipefitter to make money for college. I paid my way through school working construction, and I think that early exposure naturally pushed me to choose construction as a career path once I graduated. It’s what I knew. If a person is thinking about a career in construction or O&G, they should confirm they have a passion for the business, as it is a demanding industry and requires true passion to be successful. I recommend that everyone find a mentor to help with their career development. I was fortunate to have several mentors at different points in my career who helped me learn at an accelerated pace and taught me the value of hard work.
Berry’s passion is elevating the demolition industry
Doug Berry, President, United Dismantling & Salvage
What challenges have you faced as an executive in the company? How did you overcome them? What are the top issues facing the company?
The biggest challenge I have faced as an executive is finding good, experienced people to build a company around. There aren’t enough people in the industry in my age group, as almost all of the people in the industry who helped build refineries in the 1970s have since retired.
I think this is due in part to failure in the education system. Vocational training has largely been stripped out of high schools as the education system pushes people to colleges and universities and away from the technical fields. In addition, the de-unionization of the workforce has eliminated another avenue for entry into the workforce, as many folks were able to earn a living while also learning on the job.
I do, however, see a recent shift in this area. More community colleges are offering fast-track programs to high school graduates to obtain the necessary craft training.
For United Dismantling and Salvage, we have been able to bring in a good mix of experienced personnel and recent high school graduates. We use a mentoring program to pair new entrants with experienced craftspeople and are making the necessary investments in people to train the next generation.
Are you looking to grow in new markets or expand in current ones?
United Dismantling and Salvage is looking to grow, and we are optimistic that in the coming years we will see a tremendous rebirth of industry in the U.S. We are poised to participate in these opportunities and will continue to focus on building relationships with our current customers, while cultivating new ones. We remain committed to ensuring that at the completion of each job, we can say we did it safely and exceeded the expectations of our customers and suppliers that we work with. As long as we stay committed to that approach, we will find success.
What do you see as the future of your industry?
AI will have a huge impact, and I see that coming very soon. Everything from accounting, payroll, HR and job costing will be impacted by more efficient processing of information and reductions in people required to push the back office. The entire economy will benefit and that will lead to more construction work and opportunities within the industry. I could also see automation and robotics impacting the demolition industry in the coming years. Robotic equipment will improve productivity, safety and cost. Robots that can process scrap materials, working around the clock, without needing to sleep, eat or take breaks, could provide significant cost-saving opportunities in our industry.
For more information, visit udsdemo.com.
