Specialty contracting work isn't always the most glamorous—if there is such a thing in construction. Often, when the job is done, the often-critical contribution of specialty firms is forgotten or taken for granted. And if the project happens to be some kind of beautiful, or even glamorous, building, it seems like it's the general contractors who get most of the attention.

With that in mind, every year ENR Southeast recognizes one specialty contractor from the four-state region as "Specialty Contractor of the Year" and shines a little light their way. In the past, ENR editors have chosen to recognize a roofing contractor and a steel fabricator. And this year, it's a demolition contractor.


blog post photo
D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co. helped take down FPL's Port Everglades powerplant in July. The demolition makes way for a new natural-gas plant. (Photo courtesy D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co.)

ENR Southeast announces that D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co. of Greensboro, N.C., is this year's Specialty Contractor of the Year. For our most recent Top Specialty Contractors survey and ranking–which publishes in September—D.H. Griffin Wrecking reported $136 million in Southeast revenue, up slightly from a year ago. That was enough to enable it to climb one spot in the annual ranking, to 6th.

Right now, the demolition contractor is making the most out of the nation's switch to a relatively cleaner fuel source, natural gas, as utilities are in the mode of making way for new plants. One of D.H. Griffin's most recent efforts took place near Fort Lauderdale, where it helped take down Florida Power & Light's Port Everglades plant in dramatic fashion.

FPL posted this video of the Port Everglades plant implosion to its Youtube channel. The utility touts the benefits of transitioning to a cleaner fuel type.

We'll have more about D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co. and this notable contracting trend in the upcoming September edition of ENR Southeast.