Divide, Conquer, Demolish

September 09, 2025

When Pecos High School in Pecos, Texas, required demolition to make way for new construction, NDA member Intercon Demolition stepped up to the challenge. The project involved four buildings, covering approximately 160,000 square feet, and had to be completed within an exceptionally tight time frame. The scope included the demolition of the high school itself, a gymnasium and additional classrooms, a vocational agriculture (VoAg) building and a field house with equipment storage.

The Selection Process

As a public bid opportunity, multiple companies had a chance to take on the project. However, Intercon Demo’s long-standing relationship with the general contractor (GC) and its proven track record of efficiency and reliability made it the clear choice. “The GC, who we have done a lot of work for, knew with the amount of demo and the time frame at hand, we were the best option,” says Garrett Thompson, estimator at Intercon Demo.

A Swift and Efficient Timeline

The project began in June 2023, with a planned schedule that already required a fast turnaround. Despite the constraints, Intercon Demo completed the demolition in just six weeks — two weeks ahead of schedule. “Because of great supervisors and crews, this job went really smooth. Time was the only challenge, but we still exceeded the GC’s expectations and beat their proposed schedule by two weeks,” Thompson says.

Strategy and Execution

Given the scale of the job, Intercon Demo implemented a “divide and conquer” approach to maximize efficiency. “Because all four buildings had overlapping start/finish dates, we divided our crews, equipment and trucks across the campus to the different buildings so that everything could hit on the required dates,” Thompson says.

Mobilizing for the project was a logistical feat in itself. Intercon Demo, with offices in Dallas and Lubbock, had to move all necessary machinery and personnel across Texas. “Dallas to Pecos is 450 miles. Lubbock to Pecos is 215 miles. We go where the demolition is,” Thompson says.

Once on-site, the team wasted no time. Crews were split to handle different structures simultaneously — one team focused on the academic building and gymnasium, while the other tackled the VoAg and field house.

Equipment and Crew

The project required a robust fleet of machinery. “Because of the time frame, we brought a good amount of equipment for this job. We ran one Volvo EC480 excavator, one Volvo EC380 excavator, two Volvo EC220 excavators, and then a handful of smaller compact equipment such as mini excavators and skid steers,” Thompson says.

The company also leveraged its in-house transportation resources to streamline operations. “We didn’t require any outside trucking on this job, as we hauled everything off using our company fleet of Peterbilt trucks.”

With a dedicated crew of about 12, including supervisors, mechanics, operators and drivers, Intercon Demo ensured that manpower never became a bottleneck in the fast-paced operation.

Recycling and Sustainability

The company prioritizes responsible material management, ensuring as much as possible is diverted from landfills. “A large amount of the material from this job was recycled. All brick, concrete and metal was able to go to recyclers. All trash went to a regulated landfill,” Thompson says. While exact figures were not available, the project emphasized sustainability wherever possible.

The Result: A Job Well Done

For Intercon Demolition, success is measured by client satisfaction, and in this case, the company delivered beyond expectations. “The GC and school district were extremely pleased with our efficiency and ability to get the work done,” Thompson says. Their performance on the Pecos High School demolition has already led to new projects with the same GC and school district. “We are currently working with the same GC and school district in Pecos on a school demolition of one of their junior highs down the street from this job. We are also under contract with more school demolitions for the same GC and district for summer 2025.”