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Many years ago I was at a construction industry reception at a resort location (I was relatively new to the association profession at the time) and struck up a conversation with a veteran construction company executive who shared with me a bit of insight that has stayed with me to this day.

“See all those people,” he said, gesturing to the hundreds of his colleagues and competitors spread out across the hotel patio, chatting and enjoying drinks and hors d’oeuvres. “Every one of them – every single one – could be out of business in two or three years.”

Talk about buzz-kill.

He went on to explain an essential nature of the construction business – you must keep moving forward or die. Work on today’s projects may be going well, may be profitable, but what about six months from now? A year from now? Two years from now? Will there be business opportunities ahead? Projects to bid on? That is the existential threat that hangs over every business in our industry. Will there be work to sustain us?

All these years later those words still haunt me. For every successful business you can name, I can name another, or 10 more, that don’t exist anymore. Keep moving forward or die indeed.

Regular consumers of CalAPA products and services know that we are obsessed with the future –trying to assess where things are headed, and informing our membership so that they can make smart business decisions to ensure they will be successful no matter what the future brings. Our exclusive Asphalt Market for California is one prominent example of this. And even more important, CalAPA devotes considerable resources to influence that future for the betterment of our industry.

In this issue of California Asphalt, we have some key examples of these concepts in practice. Our cover story is an exclusive examination of a trend we think could cause great harm to our industry – a trend to reduce or eliminate parking in cities and towns all across our state. Our association has identified this threat, and is working to address it through our advocacy efforts. Putting this story on the cover of our magazine is our way of sending up a flare to let you know you should be worried about this as much as we are. If this trend is not negatively impacting you today, it could in the future. We must act now.

Elsewhere in this issue, you will see some excellent examples of our industry being proactive in developing relationships with elected officials. A couple of prominent ways we accomplish this is by helping people understand who we are and what we do. Meetings with our elected representatives at the State Capitol and also via plant and project tours is another way to dispel myths about our industry and ensure that we are treated fairly. Relationships are the coin of the realm in the advocacy game, and must be constantly maintained. As one veteran Washington lobbyist told me recently, “In this town, you go from ‘Who’s Who’ to ‘Who’s that?’ in the blink of an eye.” Gulp.

This issue also features a profile of a longtime CalAPA paving contractor member, Terra Pave Inc., which is successfully navigating a transition in leadership that is always inspiring to see. Family-owned businesses are one of the hallmarks of our industry, and to see successful ones sustain themselves throughout the years is always inspiring.

As the Roman philosopher Seneca once said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” At CalAPA we are working every day to ensure that when tomorrow comes, it will be filled with plentiful opportunities for all. And that’s definitely NOT a buzz-kill.

Russell W. Snyder, CAE Executive Director California Asphalt Pavement Association

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