WO M E N O F A S P H A LT
Meet a Woman of Asphalt: Superior Asphalt Materials’ Beth Conley to jump in and excel, but you mentioned some great courses available in Illinois, like the Level III in asphalt, the 5-day aggregate certification and the Level III in concrete, for anyone wishing to level up to quality control manager. Could you share with readers an experience you found invaluable from those courses?
BY SANDY LENDER
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eth Brusveen Conley has been in the construction industry about 26 years and brings a deep knowledge and understanding of asphalt production to her current role as sales manager for Superior Asphalt Materials in Aurora, Illinois. That’s because she worked as a manager at Builders Asphalt LLC in Elburn, starting in 2006, where she oversaw the plant and crusher and handled sales. Conley shared that even the mechanical side of the asphalt plant shows the heart of our industry. All the belts and components working together to make the final product showcase the reliance we all have upon one another for our best success. “The asphalt plant is an allegory for a team working together, with the operator as the leader,” Conley said. She serves on the Women of Asphalt of Illinois board and is the president of the Women Road Builders of Illinois, which is a non-profit in the Chicagoland area for all engineers, contractors, professional services and the like. Conley is a force for teamwork and pulling together to accomplish great things for the group. With a busy season start-up and CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023 schedule, she made the time to share her story and encourage others as a woman of asphalt.
AsphaltPro: What did you find interesting or fulfilling as a manager with Builders Asphalt? (What do you think about that role would be attractive to other women joining our industry?) Beth Conley: My work in asphalt in the beginning was all new and interesting. I always loved a good challenge. I was very familiar with the office side of things on concrete, but asphalt is much different, plus I was dealing with the field side of things. Ev32 | JUNE 2023
Beth Conley
ery day was something new. The guys were great and very helpful. We were a new plant and starting from scratch. I had some great mentors, some real old school guys that helped me along the way. I am very thankful.
AsphaltPro: You have degrees in political science and government, with minors in math, business and international studies. Could you share with the readers how your education prepared you for the ups-anddowns of managing asphalt and crushing plants as well as materials sales? Beth Conley: I feel like politics are a part of every avenue in our lives. There are a lot of politics in construction in our area. I’ve learned to be more objective and see both sides of a situation. As my Poly Science professor said, life is about choices. We all make them. Some are tough and some are easy, but they all have ramifications. You can make a decision that is in your best interest or the interest of the greater good. I feel like this applies to everything we do.
AsphaltPro: We know the asphalt industry doesn’t require a four-year college degree
Beth Conley: Yes, the State of Illinois Department of Transportation has a great set of classes anyone can take through Lakeland College to help you advance in the asphalt industry. I was encouraged to take the classes early on. They are all 3- to 5-day classes. Upon completion, you receive a certificate that allows you to work as QC or as QA on any construction site, quarry or plant in different capacities. They have aggregate, asphalt and concrete levels 1 through 3. I have completed my 5-day aggregate class and have a Level 3 in concrete and asphalt. The classes have been very helpful in problem solving and discussing specifications with our customers. Plus, you can meet a lot of good people. Many of the connections I made back then, I still work with today.
AsphaltPro: Could you share with the readers what your job as a sales manager for Superior Asphalt Materials requires of you? Beth Conley: In my role as sales manager, I am in charge of the customer experience from beginning to end. I work with the customer on bidding and pricing. Then when the job starts, they will call me to get their order set up. I usually visit their job site to make sure everything is going well. In the billing process, I review their invoices to verify their billing matches their quote and follow up with them if necessary on payment. I’d like to think our customer experience is the reason they continue to come back.