Adamo Group CEO dies at construction site

Detroit — John T. Adamo Jr., the chief executive officer of Detroit-based Adamo Group, died Wednesday in an accident at a construction project site in Beverly, Ohio.

An attorney for Adamo Demolition Co., Christian Hauser, confirmed that the death occurred Wednesday morning. Adamo was married and had four daughters, he said.

The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio said two workers were taken to an area hospital after an accident reported about 8:30 a.m. at the “Ohio Power Park” on State Route 60. “The caller advised that while working to dismantle an old conveyer belt crossing the river, the housing for the belt line fell and injured two workers,” the office said in a statement.

The Detroit-based construction firm was founded in 1964 and is one of the central companies involved in Detroit’s demolition efforts.

“This is an awful tragedy,” Mayor Mike Duggan said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

The demolition program is the centerpiece of Duggan’s plan to deal with an estimated 40,000 blighted properties. The city has said it has knocked down nearly 7,000 houses since last spring.

Adamo grew up in St. Clair Shores and was a Michigan State University graduate who majored in civil engineering.

The firm has completed several high-profile demolition projects in Michigan, including the Dodge Main and Uniroyal Tire plants and the former American Axle & Manufacturing complex.

Adamo Group was among a dozen companies honored in 2014 with an environmental excellence award from the National Demolition Association for projects demonstrating significant environmental conservation and community improvement.

The demolition and remediation company provides real estate rehabilitation, site preparation and environmental abatement services throughout the United States and Canada.

CFerretti@detroitnews.com

Staff writer Mark Hicks contributed