Staying Productive in 2025: State of the Concrete Business

Jeff Keeling, vp of gross sales and advertising at Brokk Inc., shares his perception into the state of the concrete trade and the challenges contractors are managing each day. Concrete Contractor linked with Keeling over electronic mail in June 2025.

Q. The place are concrete contractors at with employment and the expert labor scarcity?

Labor shortages proceed to be a serious problem. It was attention-grabbing to overview the AGC 2025 Development Outlook survey outcomes, which confirmed the highest three issues have been all tied to labor: not sufficient staff, rising labor prices and employee high quality.

We hear from contractors frequently who want to seek out mechanized options to guide labor. Brokk’s demolition robots examine these packing containers with their remote-controlled energy. They make brief work of any demolition activity with a single operator, who can place himself or herself with an excellent view away from any ledges, falling particles or different hazards. Contractors are searching for options like this to take care of their productiveness in gentle of labor shortages and to guard the well being and security of their groups.

Q. Exterior of the economic system, what segments of concrete development have seen progress in 2025? 

In concrete demolition, prospects at present have loads of work. Some financial elements, nevertheless, are in a dynamic state right now, which leads to contractors being extra conservative with tools purchases. The pattern we see is that they’re shopping for, however solely after they completely want it to meet a contract.

Q. How are contractors dealing with financial challenges?

The present financial challenges haven’t essentially affected the quantity of labor our prospects are seeing. We’ve seen that contractors do have initiatives, particularly relating to infrastructure initiatives involving concrete demolition. Nonetheless, rising prices for development, insurance coverage, direct labor and extra have had an impression on undertaking outcomes. This implies many contractors have been aware of their tools purchases except they want one thing instantly to meet a contract. We’ve seen contractors ready till paperwork is signed and a undertaking wants to start out earlier than placing in an order for tools.

A method contractors are dealing with a few of these challenges is by investing in remote-controlled, mechanized options like demolition robots. A demolition robotic can full work sooner with much less security and well being dangers than a standard crew. And the machine requires just one operator, which suggests crews can reduce on their expert labor wants. If a crew is taking part within the demolition of a concrete construction, they will have a crew of two folks for the robotic plus cleanup. When including an electrical loader, they will reduce down their crew necessities much more. 

One staff we just lately spoke to accomplished a breakwater demolition with a crew of two. They have been each skilled Brokk operators and labored along with two Brokk robots to interrupt down the breakwater rapidly. This considerably elevated the undertaking’s productiveness and decreased the crew wants for the undertaking. This is only one instance of how we’ve helped contractors deal with these challenges.

Q. How have contractors been impacted by tariffs? 

The tariffs are undoubtedly having an impact. As an tools distributor, they make logistics trickier, particularly because the state of affairs is fluid. Finally, they have an effect on pricing technique.

Q. What are the most recent adjustments for Brokk Inc.?

Lately, we turned a seller for FIRSTGREEN Industries’ electrical, remote-controlled loaders and Ecovolve’s electrical dumpers. We’ve additionally turn into the North American distributor for Darda, which manufactures hydraulic splitters and compact attachments, comparable to concrete crushers, shears and tank cutters. These extra tools choices pair nicely with our remote-controlled demolition robots. From breaking with a Darda splitter and Brokk robotic to shifting particles with a FIRSTGREEN loader and an Ecovolve dumper, we are able to now provide a full electrical demolition system.

Brokk additionally launched the brand new Brokk 130+ at bauma, which will likely be accessible in North America this fall. We predict prospects will actually like this machine, which is ready to interchange our hottest mannequin, the Brokk 110. This robotic options SmartPower+, which was launched final yr and makes the machine simpler to function, has higher response instances and offers constant energy supply over time. Just like the Brokk 110, the Brokk 130+ is compact, however it has far more energy. For its weight class, it handles the biggest hammer within the trade.

Q. What improvements in tools do you anticipate in concrete tools for 2025 and the close to future?

We’ve seen a push towards electrical tools, which is one thing our staff continues to watch. Nearly all giant and midsized heavy tools producers have launched an electrical choice in the previous few years. As an electrical tools distributor ourselves, it’s been an attention-grabbing course of to look at unfold. And it’s created alternatives so as to add electrical tools that enhances Brokk robots. We’ve been in a position to accomplice with progressive firms FIRSTGREEN Industries and Ecovolve so as to add electrical loaders and dumpers to our lineup. Somewhat than providing a single electrical product, we’re in a position to provide electrical tools for a number of steps within the demolition course of.

Brokk and FIRSTGREEN are remote-controlled, so we additionally comply with that expertise carefully because it develops. The expertise is such a sport changer for security that it will get a whole lot of curiosity.

Q. What has caught your curiosity these days in concrete? 

We have been excited to work with a demolition contractor on a latest undertaking. Their staff determined to tackle a concrete removing undertaking for a breakwater in Lake Michigan. They wanted to interrupt away 2 ft. of broken concrete earlier than one other staff got here by and repoured, including an extra 2 ft. to the unique top of the breakwater. 

The staff earlier than them tried utilizing a mini excavator for the job, however they have been solely in a position to escape 20 ft. of concrete a day. With a decent deadline, they weren’t in a position to work quick sufficient. So, they reached out a contractor within the space to see if they may get the job finished sooner. 

The brand new staff used a Brokk 300, a Darda C12 splitter and a Brokk 500 with a BHB 552 breaker to crush the concrete. In simply 9 days, they eliminated 420 tons of concrete, making the method 7.5 instances sooner and finishing the undertaking with loads of time to spare.