Watch AW Demolition hard at work on site and online

Austin Wilkinson of AW Demolition is well known in social media circles for his lack of company mugs and his love of Nando's, but he can also do demolition as this recent timelapse above shows.

He's one of the most active demolition men on Facebook, while C&D Consultancy’s John Woodward is among the most-followed on Twitter. So when Wilkinson required training for his entire workforce, it seemed appropriate that he should engage his social media opposite number.

Wilkinson is part of a new breed of demolition men. Young, enthusiastic and social media savvy, he has grown quickly from one-man-band fledgling to fully-fledged demolition company in just a few short years. Along the way, he has expanded his team, extended his equipment fleet and worked for some of the biggest names in the business. And he has shared the entire journey via his active and very popular Facebook page which charts his latest contracts and equipment purchases, his latest visit to Nando's, and his recent engagement and stag weekend.

But for all his youthful vigour and social media savvy, the values he sets for his company are very much from the old school. “We want to do things properly; to do things right first time,” he says. “Those are the values that we most admire in other, larger demolition companies. And those are the values that will help us build our reputation in the business.”

That commitment to doing things properly extends to the company’s attitude to training. “A few of our team required demolition and asbestos awareness training but I decided to put the entire company through the course, even the office-based staff that never set foot on site,” Wilkinson explains. “I want everyone to understand the challenges we face and to be able to communicate with clients and their co-workers from an informed and knowledgeable position.”

Austin Wilkinson’s choice of training provider is equally telling. He selected C&D Consultancy’s Training Division. “C&D have a great reputation and they provide training when & where I need it,” Wilkinson insists. “Employing the best trainers is just another part of our commitment to doing things properly. As a young and very busy demolition company, we really appreciate C&D’s willingness to work around our schedule.”

Having benefited from the demolition and asbestos awareness training delivered by C&D’s Mike Kehoe, Wilkinson is already looking ahead to further courses. “I have already spoken to John and Mike about PASMA, abrasive wheel and hot works training refresher courses for the future,” he concludes. “When it happens you can read all about it on my Facebook page.”