Firm which has changed the face of Nottingham makes six-figure investment

A Nottinghamshire-based demolition firm has invested a six-figure sum in new equipment.

Total Reclaims Demolition says it is scaling up its operations in response to a surge in contracts.

The Hucknall-based company has bought a new £250,000 McCloskey J40 Jaw Crusher which recycles hardcore on site. It brings its crushing fleet to four vehicles.

Director and joint owner Melvyn Cross said the investment was needed to help the company cope with an increase in demand for its demolition services.

And he said the recycling aspect of the purchase was important as the firm looked forward to a sustainable future.

Cross added: “Last year was difficult when the jobs we were working on ground to a halt due to lockdown and many projects were put on hold.

“But things have ramped up since October and we are getting busier and busier as contracts restart.

“The six-figure investment is much-needed for our business to ensure we can continue to grow.”

Site manager Steven Cross said: “When I started out in the industry, things like this crusher did not even exist. You couldn’t recycle, not on site anyway.

“This giant piece of equipment allows us to crush and recycle all the hardcore generated on site. It then either gets reused on site or taken away to be used elsewhere. It makes our whole operation much greener.”

The firm’s contracts director, Martin Cross said: “Continued investment and expansion in our fleet of plant is fundamental to our business. The outlook for the industry is very strong and we remain exceptionally busy, as we have done throughout the pandemic.

“The recent boom in construction has seen demand for recycled aggregate increase massively, as quarried material becomes scarce. This investment will help service this demand.”

Total Reclaims, which is based in Wigwam Lane, Hucknall, celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019.

Over the years it has worked on numerous iconic Nottingham projects, from deconstructing the old Odeon cinema in Angel Row to clearing the site of Imperial Tobacco in Triumph Road for the University of Nottingham.

Its current projects include demolishing the former Howdens national distribution facility at Brackmills Industrial Estate in Northampton and clearing the stretch of land between Poplar Street and City Link for the Island Quarter project in Nottingham. The move will pave the way for more green space to be created near the city centre.

Melvyn Cross said he was delighted to be expanding its fleet in the current economic climate.

He said: “Despite the challenges that 2020 brought, we have finished our year-end on a high and things are looking good for the future.”