Early in 2024, Greif paper was planning a machine upgrade to their rolling mills in Cincinnati, Ohio. The adage of “time is Money” was a project motivator, as schedule was a fore-front consideration on the project to shut down the mill, demolish the existing rolling section and surrounding infrastructure, and reconstruct the project and make fully operational in 40 days.

All of this while protecting the historic building and remaining plant infrastructure to ensure peak operating efficiency when bringing the mill back on line. Independence Demolition was part of the elite planning team to make that happen.

Our Independence Demolition team teamed with CR Meyer (Oshkosh, Wisconsin), to plan and execute a round-the-clock multi-shift schedule to meet Greif’s demanding schedule. Integral in the planning was for demolition to kick off the project with an 8-day hour by hour schedule to demolish the wet end of the existing rolling mill, surrounding pumps, floor and utilities, to give CR Meyer a blank slate to start their reconstruction.

Independence crews mobilized in-force in early February 2025 to be ready the hour the mill went down for the shut down.

Also integral to the planning and execution of the plan was the preservation of the building structure, which was constructed in sections over the years starting in the early 1900s. Years of operation had deteriorated portions of the structure and a detailed and engineered shoring plan and material haul routes was crucial to preserve the remaining structure and protect our working forces and equipment while efficiently meeting the schedule. The work included extensive and detailed task planning each shift to coordinate activities and identify all hazards within the tight work area. In the end, this thorough planning resulted in zero injuries or incidents. Additionally, being able to adapt to underlying geotechnical concerns and secure a firm foundation for the new construction was another testament to the flexibility of the team and the ability to react and respond to hidden conditions.

In the end, Independence crews completed the contract demolition work early working around the clock and were able to complete undercutting and structural fill within the original planning window. CR Meyer mechanical crews coordinated the re-build ramp-up within hours of our crews to build back the Greif mill to a cutting technology mill that will see years of efficient operation.