Priestly Demolition featured in History TV series ‘Salvage Kings’

By Mark Pavilons

A high-profile King company has risen to the status of “kings.”
Priestly Demolition is front and centre, as the stars of the inaugural season of “Salvage Kings.” The original Canadian series features the work and stories of the demolition and salvage team at Priestly Demolition. This family-run company is in the business of tearing down buildings, but first, they give their salvage crew the chance to go inside and recover some valuable treasures left behind.
The show premiers Sunday, Sept. 15 at 10 p.m. on History.
It's a high-octane mission for the head of salvage, Ted Finch, his right-hand man, Justin Fortin, and rookie Julien Savage, as they hunt for as many artifacts as they can in ill-fated buildings – all before president Ryan Priestly and his demolition crew smash down the walls around them. Working in often dangerous conditions, the team hunts for items that they can sell, bringing life to the phrase “one man's trash is another man's treasure.”
In the series debut, Ted and Justin travel to Market Village Mall in Markham, where they are tasked with carefully unlocking mysterious vault doors while the demolition team begins the tear down. The salvage team needs to move fast if they want to discover what is hiding inside the locked vaults.
Throughout the series, the team discovers century-old safes, collectible toys, a 19th century log cabin and a 1927 Austrian C. Reichert Microscope. Viewers will be amazed at the hidden gems the team finds, as well as the stories behind the objects. The salvage team's job is done once they turn the rubble into riches by selling their wares to eager buyers and dedicated collectors.
Demolition and salvaging is a risky business, but the Priestly team brings skill, fun, and heart to every job they do. With an equal combination of history, humour, and discovery, there's no telling what the Salvage Kings will find, nor where their incredible discoveries will end up.
Ted Finch brings more than 20 years of experience as an antiques buyer to his role as Head of Salvage for Priestly Demolition. His unparalleled knowledge of history, manufacturing, construction, materials, and more make him a great asset to the company, where he has been working for eight years. His fascination with old objects and learning the story behind them has branded him as a modern-day treasure hunter, carrying on and honouring founder Vic Priestly's passion for salvaging. When he isn't on a salvage site, Ted is at The National – the company's storage facility – selling the items he has salvaged, ensuring they have a new and purposeful future.
Justin Fortin is Ted's right-hand man on the salvage team and a foreman at Priestly Demolition. Demonstrating a penchant for wrecking with machines since he was young, Justin eventually moved into the demolition world. Justin has been with Priestly for 18 years, bringing his skill and expertise to the demolition side of the business.
Julien Savage is the 18-year-old grandson of Vic Priestly and Ryan Priestly's nephew. Showing a keen interest in the family business from a young age, Julien has been running machines since he was 12 years old and has worked in various roles learning the family business for the last six years. In preparation for taking a lead role at the company, Julien is currently studying Construction Engineering Technology at college.
Since he was a child, president Ryan Priestly demonstrated a strong inclination towards the family business, always wanting to be out on a machine and working with his dad. This commitment to the company helped him to become knowledgeable on all sides of the business and he is the driving force behind Priestly Demolition's innovations in demolition techniques. Under Ryan's leadership, Priestly Demolition Inc. has grown and made its mark as one of the largest and most respected demolition companies, winning the World Demolition Award in 2016.
On large industrial jobs, the team finds “giant” amounts of salvage. The most expensive items found are massive, stainless steel industrial tanks. The most exciting find was a boat in pristine condition at the old Air Canada Centre site.
Once items are salvaged, they are stored and often sold at the yard. Currently, Priestly has more than 2,000 items that include barn doors, movie props, antique furniture, building supplies and more.
Architectural items are most commonly salvaged, things like steel, lumber, pipe fittings, electrical equipment, furniture, doors and windows.
Don't forget to tune in and catch the weekly adventures of Priestly's team. The show runs on History channel.