(Above) Clauss Construction's Founder and President, Patrick Clauss. (Right) Patrick Clauss with Padre's President Larry Lucchino, Randy Jones, and Mark Grant during the first demolition for the Padres new ballpark.

Clauss Construction can usually be found doing unique demo projects all over the country-even Hawaii. Even though recent law changes might affect this aspect of their business, they are flexible and versatile enough to simply switch gears, and cruise along at their customary successful rate.

As for being in the lime-light, and in the thick of things, Clauss Construction is used to that. Not long ago they imploded the old San Diego Gas & Electric building to make room for a new Padres Stadium. 20,000 people showed up to watch it fall. On January 20th of last year they imploded the Mapes Hotel/Casino. Malcolm Lee was the project superintendent, and Bernard Clauss was the project manager for that extremely high-profile job. Demolishing the buildings around the famous Plunge at Mission Beach was a sight for sore eyes. This was the location for the shower scene in "Top Gun". Patrick noted that productivity went down by 50% on that job; which just might have been due to some of the exciting scenery on the boardwalk. Some of the clients that Clauss Construction has worked for are: the Navy, the Air Force, the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland and San Diego. They have also performed their services for a host of major cities.

Implosion of the Mapes Casino-Hotel, January 2000. The country's first high-rise
casino-hotel went down in a flawless 16 second demolition.

One of the unique advantages Clauss offers is their ability to mobilize anywhere in the U.S., even Hawaii. Another is that their employees are cross-trained, able to perform demolition, hazardous waste abatement, and other general contractor work such as grading and excavating-even though their specialty is demolition. One-stop shopping is what they call this advantage. Clauss is in the nearly unique position of being able to offer it to their clients.

Patrick Clauss graduated from San Diego State in 1973 with a degree in business, then went to work for Hilti Fastening Systems as a sales rep. Three years after selling tools and fasteners to the construction industry, he really became educated and informed as to how things are put together. The advantageous thing about knowing how things are put together is that you can more easily and efficiently take them apart. Then a friend offered him a terrific opportunity of partnership in his business of concrete demolition/cutting. And three years after that, Patrick bought out his friend, and became sole owner. He slowly began to expand the business to meet customer needs. They began demolishing walls, then buildings. But he and the company really came into their own when the Navy began issuing demolition contracts separately. From that point forward they preferred Federal and Public Works projects, which accounts for 90% of their work. They know for sure on bid-day to whom the job was awarded. Patrick is flustered that in the private sector, too much covert dealing goes on after the bids are cast.

Aware of how much we waste in this country, Patrick has gained an insider's view as to some reasons why. He tries to recycle as much as he can, but some laws make that impossible. Take, for example, the lumber that can be re-used from building projects. This perfectly fine building material could easily be put back to use. Except for the law: today, a building contractor can use only 20% of recycled lumber in a structure. Patrick has identified the extensive and expensive lobbying from the lumber industry as the source of this law. They get more money when they can cut down trees and sell the wood. The real shame is that only 4% of America's old-growth forests are left standing-and the Amazon is being devastated. The same goes for the steel industry. The real winners are countries like Mexico, who then buys this fine material at reduced rates. Then, of all things, they do some hocus-pocus, re-packaging, and what not, and sell the stuff right back to us at a profit! Witness your tax dollars hard at work. At least, Patrick concedes, that the recycled crushed concrete area is finally coming around, and being accepted as a class 2 base. Nevertheless, some cities still resist and insist upon using virgin material.

Now, when one is doing demo for the state, there are even more laws that make recycling cost-prohibitive. They mandate that wages be set at $35 to $40 per hour, or according to the local prevailing wage. At these labor rates, the only economically sensible thing to do is to send the stuff to a landfill. This is not good for the ecology or the ground water, which often becomes polluted from leaking landfills. And there are other laws, such as time limits on when the material must be removed from the site. Patrick would like to see improvements in these laws, and suggests, for example, a recycling labor category at a reduced rate to make it feasible to recycle.

Now the Federal government has tinkered with their bid process, creating a "Select Contractor" situation in which many times only local contractors are awarded the jobs. Patrick feels that the bid should go to the most qualified, and lowest bidder. Already Clauss Construction has lost out-of-state work due to this change. Patrick is re-focusing on in-state work.

(Above) Demolition at the Port of San Diego. (Above right) UB pulverizer processing concrete. (Right bottom) Demolition of the Proctor & Gamble Plant.

Amidst all these turbulent conditions, Clauss Construction flourishes. Coming from annual revenues of $600,000 when they first started, they now perform in excess of $7 million each year.

Patrick is a family man. He and his wife, Beverly, have three children-from previous marriages: two boys, and a girl, most of whom have already graduated from college, or are working on their Master's Degree.

Patrick says that he is 100% satisfied with his company's growth and progress. He says that the company will only grow as opportunity dictates, and the right people appear. In today's world, you have to be smart if you play fair. Patrick has proven that success can be obtained doing just that.