Bonham, Texas -- They hit town Friday evening with just a handful of guys, hit the highway for their next job on Monday evening and in between managed to make 125 tons of steel disappear.

So, how did All Industrial Services, Inc. make a large project such as the demolition of the downtown Bonham water tower look easy?

As Texans are fond of saying, "This ain't their first rodeo."

"We do close to a hundred tanks each year," explained Lawrence Button, spokesman for the Youngstown, Ohio firm. "This one was fairly normal, with the exception of all the spectators.  We usually don't draw much of a crowd, but these were very cordial and friendly people. Everyone kept clear of harm's way and they were very entertaining."

And it could have been an even more impressive display that would have assuredly drawn a much larger crowd if the water tower hadn't been surrounded by buildings. 

A demolition of a water tower in an open field would have also been much faster and cheaper. 

When space permits, instead of renting a 250-ton crane for approximately $4,000 a day, welders simply cut two of the tower's legs and then topple the tank.  Once the entire structure slams into the ground, a half-dozen cutting torches quickly dice it into scrap metal.

But this situation required a very cautious approach and it required a little more time, which gave folks from Bonham a chance to watch a team of safety-minded demolition professionals go about their work with impressive precision.

In addition, the crew from Ohio got to know the folks from Bonham.

Here's what they said when they left:

"All Industrial Services, Inc. would like to extend their gratitude to the City of Bonham, mayor, public works, city manager and government for their extended help and cooperation on this project.  We would also like to extend our deepest gratitude to Legend Bank, owner and management, for providing extended access to their property for crane and equipment set-up, plus closing its drive-thru for an extra day to accommodate our needs.  With out the support of the Legend Bank, completion of this project would have been nearly impossible. 
Thank you all." -- Lawrence Button, All Industrial Services, Inc.

And on behalf of the folks in Bonham, Mr. Button, "Good luck at your next rodeo."

Editor's note: Removal of the 300,000-gallon water tower in Bonham was actually a relatively small task for All Industrial Services, Inc. These demolition experts have taken down water towers as large as three million gallons.