In 2018, ELEV8 Demolition started with a dump truck, piles of dirt and a dream.
In 2024, it is emerging as a leader in its industry in Northeast Florida. Owners, operators and brothers Ben and Jon Pfotenhauer say they strive to raise their company profile by razing more area structures.
In the past three years they say they have grown their number of skilled laborers to 26 and raised revenue to $12.8 million.
Ben moved to Jacksonville first after reading it was among the best cities for residential construction that wasn’t in California.
“And I wasn’t going to California,” he said.
Jon followed about two years later.
The brothers said they were further motivated to relocate so they could leave the cold weather of their Colorado and Virginia college towns.
Ben attended Colorado State University. Jon studied at the University of Virginia.
Ben, 33, said the brothers started off with the company name, but a different concept.
“We bought a dump truck and we thought it would magically make us a lot of money,” he said. “It did not. We actually lost a lot.”
Jon, 31, said when they realized “hauling dirt didn’t work,” they still had that truck and they knew they “still had to fill it with something.”
“That’s really how we started looking into demolition,” he said. “It basically went from there.”
Their first demolition job was tearing down a mobile home.
“We got a call,” Ben said, “and the guy said ‘I see you have a big truck. Can you tear this down and haul it away?’ We said sure and we actually made money and we thought ‘wait a second, there has to be more to tear down out there.’”
Now with much more and bigger equipment, one of their current projects is the demolition and removal of what remains of the Rise Doro apartments, which caught fire Jan. 28, resulting in a total loss as it prepared to open.
“That was really tragic because it’s a cornerstone of what’s happening down there by the stadium,” Ben said.
The city deemed it an emergency demolition. ELEV8 won the job and began the $1 million project within days.
“We had the best bid and we told them eight weeks and we’re on track for that,” he said.
“Hopefully it rises again.”
Other current ELEV8 projects include select demolition at the Glen Kernan Club clubhouse and several single-family home clearings.
“You’d also be surprised how often we get asked to come and fill in pools, too,” Ben said. “It’s crazy. All the time.”
The brothers estimate 80% of ELEV8’s projects are commercial, 10% are residential and the remaining 10% are public.
Of those public projects, he said half are for the city of Jacksonville and half for St. Johns County.
“We’ve stuck with (government projects) because we have the back office to the deal with the pain of what comes up sometimes,” Jon said.
“If the market turns, we know those projects are still going to be there, so it’s worth it.”
Jon attributes ELEV8’s growth to its reputation and a process that is “truly turnkey,” along with a mix of repeat customers, word of mouth, social media, traditional marketing and a willingness to take a loss.
“We decided early on we were going to operate based on making sure the job is always done right and we ended up losing money in the beginning,” he said.
“We took those losses because we were making sure we maintained our reputation. We learned from every one.”
Within 24 hours of receiving a request for a quote, ELEV8 responds, prompting follow-up steps to provide consultation and handle city permits and demolition and logistics, including disconnecting utilities, and cleanup.
They say they invoice only when a customer is “completely satisfied.”
ELEV8 accepts projects within 100 miles but expects to expand that area and its services.
“We have a lot of developer clients ask, ‘Do you do this? Do you do that?’”Jon said. “But we stick to what we’re good that. We’re good at breaking things. We don’t build things.”
As for free time, there isn’t much of it, the brothers said.
Ben met his wife, Olivia, in the fourth grade and is a father of two. Son Fritz is 2 and daughter Ada is 9 months.
Jon married his high-school sweetheart, Meghan, and they have one son, Jack, 2.
“What little time we have off we dedicate to our kids and our marriages,” Ben said.
As for that first dump truck, the company no longer has it.
They still see it driving around town.