|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Viking
Equipment Corporation- By Matt Shumaker The demolition of a civilization was at hand. The people groups known as the Vikings subjected the inhabitants of many an unfortunate town to brutal destruction and plundering for nearly three centuries in A.D. 800 to 1100. The Scandinavian countryside was heralded as the homeland of these extremely adept and knowledgeable navigators and ship makers. During their reign of ocean superiority, they traversed the coasts of Britain, Ireland, mainland Europe, across the Atlantic to Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland and America, hundreds of years before an eager Christopher Columbus set foot on a boat. Their bravery and ferocity in demolition was recognized by even the Roman Empire. Even the stronghold of Constantinople cowered at the might of the Vikings. Several comparisons can be drawn to Viking Equipment Corporation/Demolition Contractors and the Vikings of the ninth century. Although their aim has never been to conquer civilizations, they have had their sights set on overcoming the competition in the demolition industry of Southern California. As the Vikings destroyed villages and townships at the request of their clan chieftain, so too is Viking Equipment Corp. demolishing select sites in cities for their clients and doing a smashing job at it as well. In the mid-60’s, (John) Mike Tredick and Berger Jostad decided that their time working for another contractor was over. On June 1st, 1965, Viking Equipment Corporation was born. "They started out as a land clearing contractor in the early years," said Scott Tredick, Mike’s son and Vice President of the company. They cleared orchards in preparation for housing developments throughout the southland, but the business began to dwindle. They were quickly running out of trees to remove and they knew that something had to change, so building demolition was a natural step. The early 70’s brought a shifting of the company gears into full-time commercial and industrial demolition.
Today, Viking Equipment Corp. has felled over 15,000 structures, allowing them to be associated with the big boys of demolition in Southern California. Mike, Scott and Todd Tredick as well as Berger head up the controlled carnage and according to them, the company was established to, "make money." The guys at Viking Equipment have experience in several areas including demolition, site clearance, steel dismantlement, asbestos abatement and hazardous material.
Mike Tredick functions as the CFO and is a major stockholder of the company. He has been a demolition contractor and a licensed contractor since 1965 and he also spearheaded the formation of Viking Environmental Services Corporation in 1990, which gives greater overall control of demolition projects to Viking Equipment Corp. Tredick has been the president and RMO of Viking Environmental since it’s creation. To date, Viking Environmental has performed over 400 asbestos abatement projects and shows no sign of slowing down. Berger Jostad is also a major stockholder and has served as the President and RMO of Viking Equipment Corp. since 1965. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and has attended the University of Southern California Graduate School of Business. Jostad has been a licensed demolition contractor since 1960 and is also certified to contract asbestos projects as well as supervise hazardous waste projects. Scott tredick has been with the company since 1985 and has served as secretary treasurer. His brother, Todd, is Director of Safety, is bilingual and has co-authored a safety manual for The National Association of Demolition Contractors. More than 50 employees lend their skills to the operation of heavy equipment as operators, laborers, foremen, etc. The single location in Glendale is home to a couple CAT 973’s, trucks, excavators, a Komatsu 400 equipped with shears, concrete pulverizers, hammers, buckets, semi and dump trucks and various trailers. (Below) Viking Equipment Corp. performing a 10-story
implosion of the barracks at the Long Beach Naval Station.
The company’s greatest strengths are said to be diversification of resources, according to Tredick. They can handle environmental work in addition to regular demolition. They pride themselves on being very thorough and being able to utilize the turn-key method. "You don’t call us back after the first time. Efficiency is the key."
Viking Equipment’s work is divided in fifty percent halves between the private and public sectors. They are no strangers to working with other companies to get the job done as well. J-G Industries combines their labor force with Viking often and most recently were able to complete a four-year project for the Long Beach Naval Ship Yard. The job included the complete demolition of a ten-story building through the method of implosion as well as dismantling various other structures over a 300-acre site. The client list continues to grow as new cities and counties are added. Presently, Viking Equipment services Los Angeles County, much of Orange County, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura Counties.
The years to come will include the implementation of new technologies and a hands-on approach to employees, and projects. Viking Equipment Corporation stands out among the competition through the vast experience they have, the ability to handle a job from start to finish and the money and resources they put into their employees. Several of the operators have been with the company for 30 years or more. When these Vikings return to their homeland, just a few miles away, they like to spend time with their families and hobbies. Scott Tredick uses the off time to catch up with his two sons and their sporting pursuits. Todd Tredick apparently does the same with his children, while their father and Berger Jostad venture overseas at every chance they get. RETURN TO CALCONTRACTORS DEMOLITION & RECYCLING PROFILE DIRECTORY PAGE |
