Brokk Star. Robinette Demolition, Inc. Keeps a Competitive Edge with Brokk

For any business, keeping the company toolbox stocked with top performing, efficient equipment that helps drive cost savings is a necessity to stay competitive in an ever-changing economy. Tom and John Robinette of Robinette Demolition Inc. keep their company’s diverse, and rather large, toolbox well stocked with several Brokk remote-controlled demolition machines.

Since 1974, when Tom, president and co-owner, and his brother John, vice president and co-owner, came together to form the company in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., Robinette has become a leader in the industry, primarily serving Illinois, Indiana, Kansas and Missouri, but also in other states around the nation.

The company specializes in four types of demolition services: interior demolition, total building demolition, emergency response and environmental remediation. It’s in the Interior Demolition Division that the Brokk machines have helped give the company its competitive edge and helped make it the largest area of work for the company.

Prior to purchasing their first Brokk machines in 2010, interior demolition projects were not only lengthy, but required the use of a multitude of laborers as well as the use of diesel-operated machines. In addition, since more laborers needed to be on site they ran a greater risk of injury. The Brokk equipment helped solve the company’s challenge by offering an electric machine that is safe, efficient and requires fewer laborers, resulting in an increase in production and decrease in labor cost. They now use four different machines, including the Brokk 90, 100, 160 and 180, along with a variety of attachments like grapples, hammers and shears.

“There is no other machine comparable,” said Tom. “We do a lot of interior demolition work on buildings with it. Previously we had gone inside with diesel-operated machines. By the time we set up all the negative air systems and a containment system, a lot of time and a lot of money had already been spent.”

Robinette uses the Brokk equipment for standard demolition of interior walls, foundations and floor openings, but they also note the machines have performed well in unique and challenging projects. They used Brokks to remove all but the exterior walls, floors, ceiling and elevator shaft from 26 floors within the largest office building in Chicago. They were able to do so with little disruption to the occupied floors in the remainder of the building. Robinette also has used the Brokks to carry out the interior demolition work in three major Chicago hospitals without affecting the operations of the staff or the comfort of the patients.

Tom also noted Brokk machines have made their work safer by allowing the operator to choose the best vantage point to see what’s going on while remaining a safe distance from the work. His crew, which includes six who are trained to operate Brokk equipment, also enjoys using the machines. “It’s sort of like a Nintendo game,” Tom said. “It takes a lot of boredom and a lot of muscle out of the job,”

Robinette maintains a company safety program and a safety culture that has earned it nine Association of Subcontractors & Affiliates Safety Awards over the past ten years and recognition from American Subcontractors Association (ASA) and ASA Chicago (ASAC).

Robinette’s strong commitment to offering safe and efficient interior demolition work while increasing the company’s bottom line is what makes them a Brokk Star.