Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction February 2022

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF NATIONAL PAVEMENT EXPO

MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION FEBRUARY 2022

CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR The Surface Masters have relied on the proper protocols and people to scale and sustain growth

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

February 2022 | Issue 2, Volume 36

WHAT’S INSIDE:

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ON THE COVER 2022 Contractor of the Year, The Surface Masters, Marietta, GA.

FEATURES 8

Contractor of the Year The Surface Masters have relied on the proper protocols and people to sustain growth.

14 Sweeper of the Year Millennium Maintenance and Power Sweeping succeeds by diversifying services while always striving for excellence.

18 Hall of Fame Wayne Jones has been teaching contractors the keys to building long-lasting asphalt pavements.

22 Hall of Fame Through a series of decisions, Lee Lowis developed a desire to lead by example and a skill set that enabled him to thrive.

26 Alan Curtis Industry Service Award B.W. Young, founder of TYMCO, is recognized for the invention of the regenerative air sweeper technology.

34 Paving: Parking Lot The Paving Lady completes reconstruction on the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) parking lot.

38 Paving: Non-Parking Lot ACI Asphalt & Concrete worked around weather, traffic and tight scheduling conflicts to repave a community in less than a month.

40 Seal & Stripe Small Job Overcoming challenges and quality work leads to success for Xpress Asphalt Solutions.

42 Seal & Stripe Large Job SouthTex Asphalt seals and stripes over 1,500,000 sq.ft. of pavement, overcoming tight timelines and supply shortages.

44 Good Neighbor Maul Paving donates parking lot maintenance to facility for children with medical complexities.

46 Best of the Web The Swan Company created a user-friendly branding tool to build trust with clients.

47 Best Marketing Video Earth Raod Inc. Asphalt pays homage to local farmers through video while showcasing their paving work.

You can read the full articles for all of the Pavement Award winners at www.ForConstructionPros.com/21992866 www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement | February 2022 | PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION

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Vol. 36, No. 2 February 2022

Published and copyrighted 2022 by AC Business Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

PAVEMENT

Subscription policy: Individual subscriptions are available without charge in the U.S. only to pavement maintenance contractors, producers and government employees involved in paving or pavement maintenance; dealers, and distributors of pavement maintenance equipment or materials; and others with similar business activities. Complete the subscription form at www. forconstructionpros.com or use your company letterhead giving all the information requested. Publisher reserves the right to reject nonqualified subscribers. One year subscriptions for nonqualified individuals: $35.00 U.S.A., $60.00 Canada and Mexico, and $85.00 all other countries (payable in U.S. funds, drawn on U.S. bank). Single copies available (prepaid only) $10.00 each (U.S., Canada & Mexico), $15.00 each (International). Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction (ISSN 1098-5875), is published eight times per year: January, February, March/April, May, June/ July, August/September, October/November, December by AC Business Media, 201 N. Main St., Fifth Floor, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, WI and additional entry offices.

POSTMASTER: Please send change of address to Pavement, PO Box 3605, Northbrook, IL 60065-3605. Printed in the USA.

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PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION is proudly supported by these associations:

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EDITORIAL

Shine a Positive Light on the Industry

PAVEMENT Published by AC Business Media.

201 N. Main Street | Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 800.538-5544 • www.ACBusinessMedia.com www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement Editorial Office: Dormie Roberts, 201 N. Main Street, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 800-538-5544 ext 1299 droberts@ACBusinessMedia.com

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hether it’s an award for quality, uniqueness or community involvement, being recognized for excellence can help an individual or business establish credibility with potential customers.

Awards can help elevate the status Dormie Roberts, of a business in many ways, but Associate Editor only if that company strategically droberts@ACBusinessMedia.com incorporates the award message into their branding and marketing messages to gain exposure.

And at Pavement Maintenance and Reconstruction, we encourage award winners to share their award-winning project and message to shine a positive light on our industry to the general public.

Each year, since 2015, the Pavement staff in conjunction with the Pavement Advisory Board, evaluates nominations based on professionalism, dedication to education, pursuit of excellence and development of equipment, tools or materials to the industry.

This year we are presenting 12 awards to recognize individuals and companies that have made a significant impact in the pavement maintenance industry. These companies, and the jobs being recognized in this issue, are examples of some of the best the industry has to offer.

Congratulations to these contractors, to the runners-up and thanks to the companies who entered projects to be considered. We encourage those who have never applied or been recognized, to be aware of the extraordinary work you do and be sure to enter your projects for the next year’s Pavement Awards. ■

PUBLICATION STAFF: Publisher: Amy Schwandt Editor-In-Chief: Jessica Lombardo Associate Editor: Dormie Roberts Art Director: April Van Etten Ad Production Manager: Cindy Rusch Audience Development Manager: Angela Franks ADVERTISING SALES: (800) 538-5544 Sean Dunphy, Amy Schwandt, Tadashi Soma, Kris Flitcroft FORCONSTRUCTIONPROS.COM WEBSITE: Editor-in-Chief: Wayne Grayson Editor: Larry Stewart CHANGE OF ADDRESS & SUBSCRIPTIONS PO Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257, Phone: (877) 201-3915 Fax: 847-291-4816 • circ.pavement@omeda.com REPRINTS Tadashi Soma at (800) 538-5544 ext. 1267 tsoma@ACBusinessMedia.com LIST RENTAL Bart Piccirillo, Sr. Account Manager, Data Axle Phone: (518) 339 4511, E-mail: bart.piccirillo@infogroup.com AC BUSINESS MEDIA INC.: Chief Executive Officer: Ron Spink Chief Financial Officer: JoAnn Breuchel Chief Digital Officer: Kris Heineman Chief Revenue Officer: Amy Schwandt VP Audience Development: Ronda Hughes Director, Demand Generation & Education: Jim Bagan Vice President, Operations: Nick Raether Group Content Director: Jon Minnick ADVISORY BOARD: Agua Trucks Inc., Wickenburg, AZ, Scott Duscher Asphalt Contractors Inc., Union Grove, WI: Robert Kordus Asphalt Restoration Technology Systems, Orlando, FL: Connie Lorenz Brahney Paving, Hillsborough, NJ: Steven Brahney Eosso Brothers Paving; Hazlet, NJ: Tom Eosso Maul Paving/Concrete/Sealcoating, PLainfield, IL: Chris Maul Pacific Sweeping, San Marcos, CA: Lee Miller Parking Lot Maintenance, Lake St. Louis, MO: Todd Bruening Petra Paving, Hampstead, NH: Chris Tammany Pioneer Paving, Albuquerque, NM: Don Rooney Robert Liles Parking Lot Service, Tyler, TX: Robert Liles Roberts Traffic, Hollywood, FL: Lisa Birchfield Show Striping Inc. (SSI), Wisconsin Dells, WI: Amber Showalter T&N Asphalt Services, Salt Lake City, UT: Nick Howell The Rabine Group, Schaumburg, IL: Gary Rabine Young Sealcoating Inc, Lynchburg, VA: Steve Young ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVES: Pavement Coatings Technology Council: Brian Riggs, Executive Director

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CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR |

JESSICA LOMBARDO, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Processes Define Success for

2022

CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR

The Surface Masters have relied on the proper protocols and people to scale and sustain growth

T

en years ago, Justin Meier was at a crossroads in his career. With college in the rearview and law school the plan for the future, Meier took what was supposed to be a year

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off to catch his breath. While on a promotional job at a Publix market, Meier saw the parking lot being maintained by contractors who he felt weren’t doing a great job of representing an industry he admittedly knew nothing about.

“There was a crew out there painting lines in the parking lot and I had never seen that done before,” Meier says. “I didn't know what striping was. I didn’t know what sealcoating was. But I knew these guys didn't look very professional.

Their shirts were off, the truck was banged up, the equipment wasn't well kept up, and I remember that struck a chord with me. These guys are out here striping this really nice shopping center looking like this and I wondered how they got that work.”

So Meier did what anyone does when they want to learn something these days, he went to Google. Luckily for Meier, he found the National Pavement Expo and unknowingly started a business that

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would lead him to become Pavement’s 2022 Contractor of the Year.

Today, the Atlanta-based contractor completes about 700 jobs a year with a 65-person team, all of which happened through hard work, dedication and quite a few learning curves.

TRIAL & ERROR: A LESSON IN ESSENTIAL EDUCATION Successful contractors know that continual education is key to sustaining

and growing a business. For Meier, it was, and has continued to be, essential to guiding his business forward. He attended his first National Pavement Expo (NPE) in 2010 to learn more about the business and has made it a point to attend the show as much as he can since.

“I have been a big advocate of NPE,” Meier says. “We go up every year and take classes. I also have relied on the networking the show provides. I’ve

The Surface Masters has grown from a one-man operation to a $15 million company in just 10 years thanks to hard work and dedication to the industry.

never been afraid of talking to veterans who have helped me from day one and that I can still call to this day to ask questions if I need to.”

After NPE, Meier started making

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CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR CONTINUED

phone calls to managers of shopping centers. Still, with no equipment and really no idea what he was doing.

“When I got my first contract striping five Kroger shopping centers, I went to my local Sherwin Williams,” Meier says. “They were doing a six month, 0% financing on Graco equipment and that’s where I purchased my first piece of equipment, a Graco 3900.”

It was this piece of equipment Meier used to complete his first contract.

Meier credits the Graco salesman for a successful first job.

“Danny Shirley was his name,” Meier says. “He showed me how to use the machine when I went to pick it up the night before I started my first job. He showed me how to use the machine by pumping water through it.

I remember being so nervous to pull the trigger on the first line. After that, it was really through trial and error that I learned how to stripe.”

Meier was seeing success doing this work and hired some of his friends from college to help complete more projects with him after hours.

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“At first, I wondered if I could do this through law school,” Meier says.

“Working like this went on for about six months and I realized that I could always go back to law school. So I decided to push it off and went headfirst into the business after a few of our customers asked if we could complete some sealcoating work for them.”

Again, Meier leaned on his local dealer to help him break into this side of the business.

“I went to SealMaster and that owner at the time, Dick Loughman, walked me through how to sealcoat, how to calculate how much sealcoat you're going to use, etc.” Meier says.

“He taught me a little bit about the sealcoat equipment and how to operate it. From there, I decided to purchase my first sealcoat machine and started sealcoating as a service.”

At some point, you have to decide if you’re going to continue with a few odd jobs to pay the bills or go full throttle into something worth growing. Meier quit his day job and officially opened The Surface Masters in 2011.

At that time, Meier was selling all day and working with a crew at night to complete the work.

“As I started doing this full time, I wore all hats; sales, estimating, labor, project managing, clerical work, invoicing, etc.,” he says. “As we got busier and busier, I was able to hire in a crew and then it turned into two crews and so on. A few years into the business running like this, I decided to hire some office help and a project manager. This allowed me to focus on the sales side of things and really try to grow the business. We're now running five seal crews every day and I think we’re actually ready for two more."

SCALING GROWTH: PROCESSES KEEP PACE For many contractors, this type of growth is a blessing. Contractors who have been around awhile and continue

to prosper, know that any growth you see must be controlled and scaled for your business to be successful.

Meier knew very early on in his business that he wanted to grow, and was adamant about defining processes for the sales and operations sides of the business that would maintain the level of proficiency and professionalism he knew would retain customers.

“Everything that I did, I wanted to do in a way that I could scale it and that was all processes,” Meier says.

“On the sales side when I was selling or on the operation side when I was striping or sealing, I had protocols that I put in place. These were basic step by step processes that I implemented by going through the actions myself as a novice. I developed processes from the inexperienced rep’s perspective because that’s what I was. I didn’t grow up in the industry or have a past job within the industry where I learned how to do these things.

"I went through the process and learned the do's and don'ts through the school of hard knocks," Meier adds.

"So for example, with the sales, I had my own process of how to prospect, how to inspect parking lots, what to look for and how or when to follow up with customers. And so over the years, I've been able to really critique those processes so all the people who join our team work through the same protocols or processes that I put in place, regardless of experience.”

By doing this, Meier knows that he can hire people for attitude fit rather than experience, a blessing in our current labor market.

“My goal throughout the years of building these processes was because I didn't want to have to go after experienced people because that's very difficult and expensive,” Meier says. “I designed a process to hire for attitude, not skill.

And that's my biggest thing. I can go out and hire someone who's going to fit our culture and then they can easily just

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CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR CONTINUED

take off with the processes that we've laid out.”

As the company continues to grow, Meier and his team are also continually changing how they work.

“At every stage that we grow, there is a new set of problems that you have to re-scale,” Meier says. “We fixed the problems that we faced when we were a $2 million company, but then you reach a different set of problems when you grow to a $5 million company, then a $10 million company and now a $15 million company. You have different sets of problems at every single stage of the business and you have to be honest with yourself and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the company.

You need to constantly critique your processes in order to improve, otherwise you risk becoming stagnant or growing too fast and losing control. We don’t want either of those things.”

PAVING: A WHOLE NEW BALL GAME In 2018, Meier started to think about bringing paving into The Surface Masters portfolio of work.

“As we grew organically, we were subcontracting out more and more paving,” he says. “I started looking at those numbers and realizing we could afford to bring this in house. My problem was, paving is a completely different business than sealcoating or striping and that was something I had to be extremely careful about bringing in-house due to the many more variables paving presents vs. sealing or striping. Although its not rocket science, it certainly isn’t as simple as sealing and striping and I couldn’t afford to

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bring it in-house in the same ‘trial and error’ fashion as the sealing and striping.

As a result, I started looking for someone with experience to run that division and they came in and started us out.”

From there, just as the company naturally started to subcontract more and more paving as the sealing division grew, the company also naturally was began subcontracting out more milling as the paving division grew and decided to bring that service in-house last year as well.

“As the company grows, being able to continually rely on industry veterans has helped me tremendously,” Meier adds.

“To be able to get their guidance or their input or their opinions or experiences throughout the various sizes of their businesses has been instrumental to my success. If I was afraid to pick up the phone and ask these questions, I don't think my business would be where it is today. If I was not able to ask those questions, and have them freely share with me.”

COVID: ANOTHER LESSON IN DIVERSIFICATION & GROWTH The past few years have been a struggle for every business and the pavement maintenance industry was not immune.

Supply shortages, increased labor costs and dwindling demand for services caused even some of the best companies to tighten their belts, or even worse, give up. Many companies relied on their solid relationships to keep things afloat during the most challenging times.

“Our biggest thing is we want to get to understand the client,” Meier says.

“We believe our clients should spend more time attracting tenants, residents, customers, etc. and keeping them happy

and leaving their parking lot up to us.

We want to understand their business plans. We want to know what their goals are for their portfolios. Will they be selling the property in three years or are they going to be holding on to it for 10 years? That will determine our plan of action for them and it’s up to our sales team to maintain those relationships and they do a great job of it.

We don’t just want to do the work they need done now, we want to understand their business goals too in order to help them plan for the future and that client knowledge and understanding has helped us in the last two years.”

The Surface Masters have a history of providing long term pavement maintenance programs to their customers and relied on that to keep them going at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

They were able to work on city and county parks until they could formulate another plan to keep their crews busy.

“A lot of our apartments and retail center projects got canceled, or at least postponed, and a lot of them never came back,” Meier says. “In the Atlanta market, and probably nationally, I noticed a lot of the maintenance work was getting put on hold. 2020 was the first year in business that we did not major see growth. We knew it would rebound, but we also wanted to futureproof our business too.”

So COVID provided another opportunity for The Surface Masters to diversify.

“For the first nine years in business, I purposefully stayed away from most general contracting work and all new construction, but when the pandemic hit, that’s where the work was,” Meier says. “That forced me to say ‘you

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Obviously, it's a team effort and I've been very, very fortunate with the team that we have.”

The best part of all this? Meier and his crew have maintained that very first Publix parking lot, the one that made him curious as to what our business was all about, for the last 10 years.

Congratulations to The Surface Masters, Pavement Magazine’s 2022 Contractor of the Year. ■

See all 2022 Pavement Award winners at ForConstructionPros. com/21992866

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know what, shame on me.’ I did not see this, but that is the importance of diversification.

“We ended up diving into some new construction since that sector was still booming and the retail market slowed. As a result, new construction now makes up about 10 to 20% of the business’s revenue,” Meier adds.

“We still would prefer to work for the portfolio owners and managers, however, we have opened it up to a little bit of GC and new construction work and that was purely for diversification purposes that came to light during COVID.” Another positive that came from COVID? Talent acquisition. Finding help has been increasingly difficult in this very competitive and costly labor pool, but some companies closed their doors or downsized in 2020 which left room for other companies to make key hires.

“Although we had a little bit of a down year growth-wise, the year of the pandemic was a big year for us because we had a lot of our competitors and/ or industry manufacturers letting go of really good people, including some operations and sales talent,” Meier says. “No one knew how long we were going to be exposed for, which is why they were letting people go, but I was confident in our company’s vision and ability to absorb the pandemic’s blow and went ahead and scooped them up which has paid dividends this year.

COVID gave me the opportunity to diversify our market sectors as well as to scoop up some really good talent and really good people who fit our culture.”

This year, The Surface Masters grew at a rate of 80%, a true testament to dedication through adversity by Meier and his whole team.

“When I was looking at getting into the business and hearing about these awards, I remember thinking ‘man, that would be cool one day to be a part of that,’” Meier says. “A lot of our people who bought into the vision years back, most of them are still with us today. So, here we are 10 years later and those people are the reason we’re here.

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SWEEPER OF THE YEAR |

DORMIE ROBERTS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Millennium Maintenance and Power Sweeping Named

2022 SWEEPER OF THE YEAR

The company succeeds by diversifying services while always striving for excellence

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stablished in 1999, Millennium Maintenance and Power Sweeping (MMPS) founder David Ross had a vision for developing a sweeping and full-service maintenance firm.

“I was looking to start a new business after years of working in the waste management industry and spent some time working for a food carting

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business,” said Ross, owner of MMPS. “After extensively researching the sweeping industry, I thought it looked like a good fit and decided to go into business, purchasing my first sweeper in 2000.”

Similar to many small business contractors just starting off in the industry, Ross personally performed the sweeping services for his customers at night and by day, he was playing the role of salesperson. Soon, MMPS would see an accelerated growth period, transforming from just a parking lot sweeping company into a construction and municipal sweeping

contractor and diversify into other areas including exterior and interior facility maintenance. Most recently, MMPS established a waste division with roll off work.

“Early on, I figured out that in order to grow in a way I initially thought of, I would need to offer a variety of services apart from just parking lot sweeping,” said Ross. “I began hiring employees that could help me cover the unique needs of my customers. Combining the expanding service offerings and staff to complete the jobs, the company was able to grow at a rapid pace.”

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MMPS is a self-performing facilities maintenance and construction company specializing in power sweeping.

COVERING THE NEW ENGLAND REGION, 365 DAYS A YEAR Sweeping contractors usually perform work after stores are closed, when parking lots are clear of traffic and vehicles. However, Millennium takes it a step further by staffing their office 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.

In addition, their operation runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the third shift sweeping division is dispatched seven nights a week, with ten routes servicing Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

well prepared a company is, obstacles “We never forget we are in a service will always come along and force the industry and take great pride in deliverstakeholders to do something to solve ing exceptional, timely service to our the issue. customers,” said Ross. “We maintain an With the onset of the COVID-19 extensive fleet of equipment with expepandemic in early March 2020, Ross rienced, loyal employees who know it is was quick on his feet, he began thinkour goal to always satisfy our customers. ing about how to turn that challenge Because of our equipment and staffing, into an opportunity for his company. we are able to respond to our customers’ “We rose to that challenge by needs at the drop of a dime.” researching disinfecting and sanitizing Down time is less than ideal for an methods and investing in equipment operation that continually runs day in and training for our staff,” he said. and day out. MMPS has a main garage “During the height of the and warehouse located in pandemic, our sanitizing Medford, MA as well as a and disinfecting crews satellite garage in Rhode were busy around the Island for any emergency clock servicing our issues that might arise. existing customers and The company has master new customers.” mechanics along with Ross did not let the mechanic helpers to challenge overwhelm him ensure the equipment is or MMPS. He was able to running at optimal levels.

Owner, David identify and solve an issue Also, Ross has cultivated Ross established his customers were faclong-term relationships Millennium ing with a viable option. with dealers to assist with Maintenance & Power Today, MMPS still offers any overflow work that Sweeping in 1999. the virus disinfection may arise. service and customers like Technology like GPS gyms, schools, restaurants and other monitoring helps MMPS skillfully businesses continually uses this service. operate up and down the coast and help track location, speed and safety issue of the equipment. It can also provide live WORD OF MOUTH up-to-date traffic conditions so that the Competition can be healthy for corporate office knows when to re-route companies, it can influence you to vehicles when necessary. innovate, stay ahead of the curve “Communication between our and propel your business to the next staff when they are on the jobsite is level. Having a compelling message, crucial for our business,” said Ross. deliver excellent customer service and “Implementing technology is one execute jobs to the highest level will set way we are constantly in contact with companies apart from the rest. those on the roads to make sure we “With each new service we have can guarantee accurate scheduling and added or expanded, we were able to gain proper execution of all of our projects.” a new customer base,” said Ross. “Many of our customers have gravitated to our organization by word-of-mouth. They RISE TO THE CHALLENGE have heard about the great experience Any business can have their staff we provided from a trusted source and trained up, equipment running at peak the potential customers wants to partner performance, but sometimes, despite all with us for that same culture.” of this, things will go sideways, and the However, that culture isn’t company is confronted with a crisis or a built overnight. Ross has leaned challenge to overcome. No matter how

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement | February 2022 | PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION

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SWEEPER OF THE YEAR CONTINUED Most recently, MMPS established a waste division with roll off work.

Because of the COVID-19 challenge, Ross pivoted and added a sanitation service for his customers.

on associations for information and resources as well as safety and educational training for his staff.

“World Sweeping Association and North American Power Sweeping Association have been two great assets that we consider an extension of our company,” said Ross. “They help us stay abreast of new technologies, equipment and provide a venue for community support.”

Ross also utilizes a hired safety office to help ensure his staff is knowledgeable

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and safe year-round. The company implemented driver training, drive safety and general safety by the way of classes, lectures, video training and in-the-field experiences.

“We truly put safety first,” said Ross.

We hold mandatory monthly meetings in-house at our corporate office with all employees to review. Our employees have undergone extensive training in construction and maintenance techniques and procedures to ensure the highest standards on every job.”

Since day one, Ross has had a forward-thinking mentality, diversifying their services to provide customers a one-stop-shop. Ross adds that every business development was a natural next step, creating an all-encompassing company that is committed to quality and communication from the top down.

“We will continue to strive to find ways to become better every day of every month and every year,” said Ross. “Our customers have learned that when their job is handled by us, it gets done right, on time and on budget. I am proud of the team we have built; they are at the forefront of our success.” ■

See all 2022 Pavement Award winners at ForConstructionPros. com/21992866

PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION | February 2022 | www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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HALL OF FAME |

JESSICA LOMBARDO, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

2022 Pavement Hall of Fame inductee Wayne Jones teaches a packed house at the National Pavement Expo.

“QUALITY-FOCUSED” Mindset Instrumental to Success in the Asphalt Industry 2022 Pavement Hall of Fame inductee Wayne Jones has traveled from Anchorage to the middle-east teaching contractors the keys to building long-lasting asphalt pavements

cut a few corners. But that attention to detail is what quality is all about.

And everybody on the crew should be empowered as a quality control manager to make sure you’re going to get the best results possible.”

Jones has used this quality-focused mindset since his first days in the industry. Experiences that may not have happened if it weren’t for a few fortunate “accidents.”

ttention to detail is the name of the game in the asphalt industry, a lesson occasionally overlooked by many contractors. Luckily for industry veteran Wayne Jones, every experience in his career has taught him that the little things can actually turn out to be the big keys to success.

“Attention to detail will make or break any project,” Jones says. “When you're out there in the heat of battle on the jobsite, it's easy to forget and maybe

EXPERIENCE LEADS TO KNOWLEDGE Jones started out at Junior College considering a major in business, but was told to maybe rethink that option.

“They looked at my English and grammar grades, and then my math and science, and told me I should probably consider pre-engineering instead,” Jones laughs. “When I transferred to the University of Illinois, they wanted to know what kind of engineering. I told them I

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wasn't sure, but I liked building thing.”

Jones was put in the School of Civil Engineering once he told them his new father-in-law was a township road superintendent. Jones obtained a Master’s Degree in Transportation Planning in just five years and his goal was to work for the Illinois Department of Transportation after graduation. A hiring freeze in the state however, altered those plans.

“I was working part time for a paving contractor, University Asphalt, while earning my degree and they asked me to stay on after graduation,” Jones says.

“So, I ended up staying due to the hiring freeze and kind of accidentally got into the asphalt construction industry.”

Jones started out as an estimator for University Asphalt which then led to chief estimator, then purchasing agent.

After a paving division lost their manager, Jones was asked to take over.

“Roger Yarborough was the owner of the company and was very

PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION | February 2022 | www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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quality-minded,” Jones says. “He was active in the Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association eventually serving as their president. Later he also served in all the offices of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), and eventually as their president. Roger always believed in giving back the industry. So much so, that he served on the steering committee that created the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) at Auburn University. Needless to say, his focus on the details to achieve success and spirit of giving back to the industry rubbed off on me.”

Jones went on to explain how he learned the importance of attending national conferences and trade shows such as NPE early on in his career. Soon after attending a national conference where he learned about “bolt-on” screed extensions, his division was the successful bidder on a regional airport paving project. By extending the screed to 25 feet, Jones’ crew was able to pave the 150 foot wide runway in only 6 passes rather than the 12 passes normally required. After the project was complete, Jones submitted the project for consideration for a NAPA Quality Paving Award (photo to the right). When the judges visited the project to give it a quality score, the longitudinal joints that he eliminated were given a perfect score of 100%. When the winners were announced at the end of the year, Jones got to attend the NAPA annual meeting in Honolulu to pick up the 1985 Best Quality Airport Paving Award.

“All these ‘sort of accidents’ really ended up helping my career in the long run,” Jones says.

After his time at University Asphalt, Jones began working for APAC, in charge of their Lexington, KY operations. He soon was promoted and took over as division president for MacAsphalt, an APAC division in central Florida, with four branch offices. His crews

paved sections of I-75 on the westside, I-4 across the middle, and I-95 on the eastside of the state.

While it was privately held, MacAsphalt had been the only company to ever pave the Daytona International Speedway. So, when Darlington Speedway needed resurfacing, NASCAR flipped thru their Rolodex and called MacAsphalt’s main office.

Jones took the call, and the challenge.

Over the summer he put a crew on the road that ended up paving Darlington, Rockingham, Charlotte, and part of the Atlanta Motor Speedways. “The next summer that same crew paved the newly constructed 1.25 mile tri-oval Indy Race League track at the Magic Kingdom,” Jones says.

Speedway paving really confirmed the need for paying attention to the details. Most NASCAR tracks have high-banked turns ranging from 24-33° of superelevation, which truly make them the “high-wire” balancing act of asphalt paving. Visualize standing in the infield looking up at one of the turns, 40

feet straight out the laydown equipment is over 20 feet above you. “That’s when it hits you; there is absolutely no room for error when trying to safely keep people, material and equipment on a slope that is almost impossible just to stand up on, much less, place and compact hotmix asphalt on.”

KNOWLEDGE LEADS TO TEACHING After 27 years managing projects from driveways to interstates, Jones decided to take his skills to the classroom.

“Call it a midlife crisis if you will, but I saw the Asphalt Institute (AI) had an opening and I applied,” Jones says.

While at the U of I, one of my materials courses was actually an asphalt mix design class and we used the AI’s Mix Design Manual, so AI has been on my radar from the beginning of my career!

“When you’re out on the jobsite, sometimes you see a lot of bad paving.

I just wanted to share my knowledge, help the young people, and stay on the cutting edge. Now I get paid to travel

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HALL OF FAME CONTINUED

and teach engineers and contractors how to build better asphalt pavements.”

The Asphalt Institute focuses on their deep history of research that began in 1919 when the association was formed to help agencies and contractors put their findings into practice to lay down the longest lasting asphalt pavements possible. Jones was hired to relay that information to contractors in a way that made sense to them.

“We take that cutting-edge research, and we go out and teach the state DOTs and contractors the latest techniques and technologies in terms of testing, pavement design and construction,” Jones says. “We also write and update our series of technical manuals that we keep updated and available for the industry to stay up to date on the latest changes in specs and design requirements.”

Jones is also able to get out on jobsites to teach contractors best practices and always keeps that attention to detail on top of their minds.

“That's really the secret to quality, the attention to detail,” Jones says. “On the jobsite, you can tell pretty quickly the contractors who are quality-focused, they are looking at the details. For example, when the material comes out of the truck, it's a lot cheaper to reject bad mix while it's still on the truck, then after it's put down on the pavement and rolled into place. Next, they are watching the flow of material through the paver. They are rolling right behind the paver.

Paying attention to the little things.

“It’s imperative that everybody on a crew is quality-minded,” Jones continues. “They have to come together as a team, share the load and make sure everybody is doing their part to make sure that they're putting out a quality product at the end of the day.”

And education is key to this.

“Like I said, in the heat of the battle, you can forget about the quality, but

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THE BIGGER PICTURE While Jones has had a long and celebrated career, he credits his wife Diane for all of his success.

“Diane was an amazing lady,” Jones says. “She was my high school sweetheart and worked to put me through college. She took an awkward geeky teenager and taught him enough social skills to take her from Honolulu to Vienna Austria during my career (over half way around the world!)”

Diane stayed home and raised the couples two children while Jones traveled for his job. Their children, a son and daughter, would eventually both grow up to be doctors which Jones said with a laugh “was as far away from construction as they could possibly get.”

Wayne and Diane were married for 46 years before she passed away from her third battle with breast cancer in 2017.

“I have had a wonderful career but it wouldn’t have been possible without my family,” he says. “They are the big picture and the reason for the hard work and time away.”

you can’t,” Jones says. “When you get a new person on the crew and they are assigned to learn from an experienced crew member, that person will teach not only his good practices, but also their bad habits they’ve developed over the years. This is where ongoing training becomes critical. Whether you're a young person in my class or a seasoned veteran, it's always good to learn, or relearn, the quality processes that you need to be thinking about while the construction is going on. That’s only going to lead to success.”

Jones has traveled the world over the past 21 years for AI. In 2007 he participated in the Federal Highway Administration’s European Warm-mix Asphalt Scan tour to learn about this new technology. His next trip overseas was in 2010 to Doha, Qatar to help that country begin to improve their highway

infrastructure as they prepared to host this year’s 2022 World Cup. All this travel has convinced him that wherever you go in the world, this industry has so much to offer an individual based on everyone’s willingness to share their experiences in a spirit of camaraderie.

For the past 16 years, Jones has partnered with the National Pavement Expo (NPE) and thoroughly enjoys working with the next generation of the asphalt industry.

“It's really fun and rewarding to teach the young people,” Jones says.

“You stand up there and you see all the enthusiasm these young people bring to the table and they’re all optimistic.

It's always a warm and fuzzy feeling when you realize that the future of the industry is right there in front of you and it’s your job to help teach them how to do their job in the best possible way.” ■

See all 2022 Pavement Award winners at ForConstructionPros. com/21992866

PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION | February 2022 | www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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1/27/22 11:57 AM

HALL OF FAME |

DORMIE ROBERTS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Lee Lowis Inducted into Pavement

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PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION | February 2022 | www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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A summer job between semesters leads to a lifelong career in the pavement maintenance industry

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n June 1976, Lee Lowis looked for a summer job between college semesters. He applied at GoddardDennis, a seal coating and tennis court company in the Detroit area. They declined his application because they did not hire college students. A couple of weeks later, he went back and asked them to reconsider, which they did.

Little did he know that a summer job would lead to more than four decades of service to the industry.

Goddard-Dennis was large enough to own its own manufacturing company, Surface Coatings. Lowis spent several years learning the business as a laborer on Goddard crews. The company resurfaced 300-400 courts per year and applied over 300,000 gallons of sealer annually.

A few years later, one of the owners left and went to work for Wikel Mfg in their Atlanta, GA facility and offered Lowis a job as the assistant plant manager and salesman. The move to Georgia eventually opened the door for another opportunity, vice president and general manager of a contracting company in South Carolina.

Lowis grew the business by doubling the seal coating work, expanding the tennis court business to over 100 courts annually, and increasing the margins.

He earned his designation as a Certified Tennis Court Builder, which he maintained for more than 20 years.

Having helped cultivate extraordinary growth within that opportunity, Lowis decided to go back to Wikel Mfg. In this new chapter with Wikel, Lowis would serve as both plant manager and salesperson at the plant located in Harrisburg, PA. Lowis recalls, “The Harrisburg facility

presented many opportunities to create new efficiencies; within one year, we were able to make it the most efficient plant at Wikel." The efficiencies increased sales volume and margins within a year.

Early in 1987, Lowis received a call from the new owners at Goddard.

With rumors about Wikel changing ownership (soon to become SealMaster), Lowis and his wife Merry decided it was time to make one last move.

After two years focusing on Goddard’s contracting business, he approached ownership with a proposal; devote 100% of his time to developing Surface Coatings. At that time, eight manufacturers were competing for the Michigan market. Surface Coatings was the smallest and perceived as a competitor because Goddard owned them. It would only be a few years before Surface Coatings outpaced Goddard and the companies separated.

In 1990 Lowis bought into the business, and Surface Coatings began to reap the rewards. At first, growth was slow. Lowis looked for business as far away as Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Closer to home, the company found success in Northern and Western Michigan and Ontario. Outside vendors began to notice, which allowed Surface Coatings to offer new products. With Lowis’ guidance and careful planning, Surface Coatings became the largest fulfillment supplier to the online pavement supply sites, shipping across the country.

Surface Coatings began holding regional seminars focusing on ways to help contractors expand and run their businesses more efficiently. The idea was a hit, and the events drew as many as 25 outside vendors and over 150 contractors. By the end of the ’90s, Surface Coatings was Michigan’s largest supplier of pavement maintenance products. By 2012 they had increased tenfold, and only two other manufacturers had a significant presence in the state.

A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS In 2012 GemSeal purchased Surface Coatings. Lowis agreed to stay on.

By 2014 he managed four GemSeal territories and, in 2016, became GemSeal’s vice president.

In 2016, Oldcastle sold GemSeal to a private equity firm. In August of 2018, Lowis became president and soon added the title of chief executive officer.

“It is important to note that GemSeal would not have purchased Surface Coatings without the hard work and effort of everyone at Surface Coatings,” said Lowis. “The resulting mergers and acquisitions would not have taken place. Whatever success I’ve had started with Surface Coatings and the people who believed in what we did.

The co-workers at GemSeal supported that same philosophy.”

I wish that I could say that we had a grand design, but it was more of a down-to-earth approach.

Lowis has seen many changes with his 46 years of insight, including equipment advancements to help contractors do their jobs more efficiently, manufacturers reaching a broader customer base with new products, and the impact of the internet on marketing and production. He has presented at National Pavement Expo (NPE) on multiple occasions and authored several articles in trade publications. He also was influential behind the scenes in other companies.

He was part of a group that purchased KM International (has since sold his interest to the current ownership) and assisted in the rollout of Diamond Shield Fortifier.

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HALL OF FAME CONTINUED

He recommends contractors rethink social media use and, instead of getting into debates and arguments with others that the public might see, casting a negative light on the industry, instead showcase what work has been done to better the communities.

"When covered, our industry is not well known and often maligned by the media," said Lowis. "The times that people notice what we do is when we are inconveniencing them; there is traffic back up because of road repair, or they can't park close to a building because of parking lot work. So, why draw negative attention when we don't need to? Instead, use social media platforms to highlight what you do well, and better still, what you have done in your local community to make it a better place."

“In the early 2000s, we saw a significant increase of seal coat manufacturers, to the point that we now have a high rate of excess capacity,” said Lowis. “And, in the past ten years, we have seen a vast expansion of small asphalt emulsion manufacturers to the marketplace.

“The coal tar shortages in 2007 and 2008 brought higher prices for materials and a focus on alternative raw materials,” said Lowis. “Coupled with Government regulations, the industry quickly began to change.”

Lowis explained when he went to his customers and explained that Surface Coatings, and the industry at large, faced the possibility that it would not have the supply to produce the volume of coal tar they needed. “We searched and found additional suppliers and made it work. But, we warned our customers of possible supply issues and

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kept them informed as the situation changed.”

By listening to his customers and looking for opportunities, Lowis created brand loyalty and dynamic company culture, contributing to his industry success.

“I wish that I could say that we had a grand design, but it was more of a down-to-earth approach,” he said.

“Help the customer grow their business, provide solutions to their problems and be a trusted resource for them.”

TURNING CHALLENGES INTO OPPORTUNITIES Every journey has its challenges and handling those issues can be a delicate balancing act. Lowis said the biggest challenge facing the industry right now is social media. However, when managed successfully, contractors can convey a greater message.

GIVING CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE Through a series of decisions, Lowis developed a desire to lead by example and a skill set that enabled him to thrive in his career. However, he credits the network of vendors who gave his company loyalty, his employees who were always willing to be completive, and his devoted wife, Merry.

"Whatever I have accomplished over the past 46 years would not have happened without my wife, Merry," he said. "She supported every career move, every idea, every investment and location change. Most spouses would not have been as willing to do the things we did. Because of Merry, I have had a measure of success."

For his efforts and contributions to the pavement maintenance industry, Lee Lowis has been inducted into the Pavement Hall of Fame. ■

See all 2022 Pavement Award winners at ForConstructionPros. com/21992866

PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION | February 2022 | www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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ALAN CURTIS INDUSTRY SERVICE |

DORMIE ROBERTS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

TYMCO

Recognized for Innovative Regenerative Air Sweeper

The first air sweeper, originally called the air flow sweeper, was developed in 1965 to meet the needs of the road construction industry.

B.W.

B.W. Young (far right) standing next to his early invention, a slurry seal machine.

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The 2022 Pavement Alan Curtis Industry Service Award is presented to B.W. Young, founder of TYMCO, for the invention of the Regenerative Air Sweeper technology

Young of Young Brothers Contractors, Inc. and founder of TYMCO, Inc. is the recipient of the 2022 Alan Curtis Industry Service Award for envisioning multiple applications for the Regenerative Air Sweeper and the positive environmental effects the equipment would have, and continues to have, on the industry.

“Kenneth and Gary Young continue the original vision of their late father,” said Tom Rokas, inside sales at TYMCO. “Developing and producing quality equipment that cleans and improves our industry from high-trafficked roads to parking lots and all pavement between.”

DEEP ROOTED HISTORY The first air sweeper, originally called the air flow sweeper, was developed in 1965 to meet the needs of the road construction industry by the late Mr. B.W. Young of

Young Brothers Contractors, of Waco, TX. A self-educated road contractor, Mr. Young developed many pieces of equipment for the road building industry.

His patented regenerative air street sweeper was developed in response to the demands of his earlier inventions — a truck mounted process of resealing asphalt roads with a layer of emulsified asphalt and sand, or as the industry knows it slurry seal. Conventional broom sweepers, which swept the dirt and debris into cracks in the roadway, thus preventing the sealing process, were costly to maintain and not effective in totally cleaning the road surface.

Mr. Young's concept started with the idea to use a large portable air compressor to blast the roadway surface clean.

Since the surface had to remain clean after being blasted with air, he developed the idea of a regenerative air system that captured the dirt and debris in a hopper and reused only centrifugally

w

PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION | February 2022 | www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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Engineered for the demands of the commercial paving market.

• • • • • •

Highway class conveyor chains, slats and bearings for extended life Screed mounted control panels provide convenient controls for screed operators 100 HP Cat® C3.4 Tier 4 engine provides clean, quiet power Thermostatically controlled screed heat for optimal mat quality Durable undercarriage delivers traction, stability and long-life performance Cat® dealer sales, service and support

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ALAN CURTIS INDUSTRY SERVICE AWARD

cleaned air to restart the closed loop regenerative air sweeping cycle.

In the late 1960’s, the three Young brothers, F.M., R.T. and B.W., formed three separate companies. F.M. retained Young Brothers Contractors, Inc., R.T. formed Slurry Seal International, while B.W. Young incorporated and federally registered TYMCO – The Young Manufacturing Company.

The TYMCO Regenerative Air Sweeper quickly set a new standard for sweepers in cleaning roads, parking lots, and runways. In the early years of market development, TYMCO sweepers were sold by salespeople who traveled around the country demonstrating the equipment on city streets and on large parking lots for curious contractors and public officials looking for a sweeper with less downtime, better sweeping performance and overall cleaner sweep.

When the need for a smaller sweeper became evident, Mr. Young developed

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the parking lot size TYMCO Model 300. Within the first two years of its introduction, it became the most accepted parking lot sweeper on the market. Later, the Model 210 was developed, and it was the first TYMCO to feature a hydraulically operated high dump with a 60-in. reach for dumping into garbage dumpsters, reducing dump time and increasing productivity.

“From those small beginnings, TYMCO now has an international network of dealers,” said Rokas. “We have continuously upgraded our manufacturing process, which translates to quality equipment for contractors.”

Today, models range from the powerful street cleaning Model 600®, dustless Model DST-6®, high speed airport runway Model HSP®, highdumping Model 500x®, mid sized Model 435®, dustless Model DST-4®, and parking lot sweepers, Model 210® and Model 210h®.

TYMCO has a sweeping service school for owners, operators and mechanics to get hands-on training and answer specific questions about the equipment onsite at their Waco, TX location.

EDUCATIONAL TRAINING AND SUPPORT When operators and owners are educated about the equipment they use, it can enhance employee performance and improve company culture. This can in turn improve job quality, productivity and profitability for the company.

“We have worked with the North American Power Sweeping Association, along with other manufacturers, to develop their Certified Sweeper

PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION | February 2022 | www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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ool cs r ment

Operator training,” said Rokas.

TYMCO also offers a Service School for mechanics, operators and owners to get hands-on training and answer specific questions about the equipment onsite at their Waco, TX location. Attendees review components and proper maintenance, removal and installation of assembly parts.

“When we build the sweeper components, we make those as accessible as possible so the sweeper can be worked on,” said Rokas. “We make it very simple to understand and provide tools for troubleshooting along with easy-toaccess parts on the sweeper.”

ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATIONS Ever since the inception of the Regenerative Air Sweeper, TYMCO has recognized its responsibility to sustainability and continually strives to improve

stormwater quality, air quality and environmental management through street sweeping.

TYMCO has their own Research and Development Department that continues to explore design features to increase dust particle collection and retention in the machine’s hopper.

“There is more to cleaning a paved surface than removing litter and debris,” said Rokas. “Municipalities and industrial companies look to perform a deeper clean by reducing potentially harmful particles not visible to the naked eye. At TYMCO, we recognize the responsibility to reduce the environmental impact of the sweepers we build and the work we do.”

Another recent innovation TYMCO developed is the BlueLogic® Control System. This system utilizes a digital multiplex electrical system to make troubleshooting easier for service technicians as well as to reduce the

amount of wiring used in the control system. BlueLogic has an in-cab touch screen display that provides on-board diagnostics for the sweeper providing valuable information including hour meters, operational messages, service reminders, event logs and sweeper statistics such as fuel usage, water usage and sweeper mileage. The BlueLogic display is used on all Final Tier 4 diesel and compressed natural gas powered TYMCO sweepers.

The family-owned business continues to expand the technology and innovations over the past 50 years while keeping B.W. Young’s original vision of developing and producing equipment which improves the environment through simple efficient design. ■

See all 2022 Pavement Award winners at ForConstructionPros. com/21992866

PAVEMENT PROFIT CENTER

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement | February 2022 | PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION

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www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement | February 2022 | PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION

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PAVING PARKING LOT |

JESSICA LOMBARDO, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Coordination Essential to Complex FAA Project At the beginning of 2021, Mauro Comuzzi, president at The Paving Lady and John Provenzano, estimator, won the bid to reconstruct the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) parking lot and for their efforts, won Pavement’s 2022 Paving: Parking Lot award as well.

The Paving Lady relies on experience to complete complicated traffic control parking lot project, winning them Pavement’s 2022 Paving: Parking Lot Award

A

ny project for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is not going to be easy and contractors who bid these jobs know that going into it. When you’re presented with a 1,000 page bid package, you either accept the challenge or walk away.

At the beginning of 2021, Mauro Comuzzi, president at The Paving Lady and John Provenzano, estimator, took on one such challenge with Parsons, a global general contractor. The company won the bid to reconstruct the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) parking lot and for their efforts, won Pavement’s 2022 Paving: Parking Lot award as well.

“The Miami ARTCC is the fifth busiest ARTCC in the USA and handles over 2 million aircraft operations a year,” Comuzzi says. “We were approached by Parsons to come in and mill and pave their entire facility, which was mostly parking lots and side roads.

We were also asked to complete the

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concrete sidewalk, curbing, ADA repairs and striping throughout the site.”

Before their bid was accepted, the company had to be vetted. They needed to show certified payrolls, complete background checks for all team members and provide bonding for the project. Comuzzi and Provenzano didn’t shy away from the job because of these requirements.

“I have a background in construction management and John has completed Port Authority work, so we went into this project with a very aggressive outlook,” Comuzzi says.

Given their experience and licensing as a State Certified General Contractor, the company also decided they would act as the general contractor for the project instead of as a paving sub-contractor.

“We felt that as a paving contractor, we were going to have the edge if we took it on as a general contractor,” Comuzzi adds. “We typically do not act as a GC but on this project, 90% of the scope was paving, so it was an easy decision for us to act as the prime contractor and that worked out very well for us.”

WHO IS THE PAVING LADY? In 1985, Janice Potter started The Paving Lady to serve communities in South Florida. When she retired in 2016, Mauro Comuzzi took over as president and saw untapped potential for the company.

“Janice did a phenomenal job of establishing this company and the reputation of the quality of this business,” Comuzzi says. “When we took this company over, it was like a thoroughbred horse that wanted to run but wasn’t being allowed to run.

“We took what Janice started and marketed it a different way. She was mostly into private work when she retired and we took the company into municipal, government, private and commercial. We also started doing a lot of site work and new construction work for site work contractors. So we diversified what we do and that allowed the company to flourish quickly” Today, the company has four times more employees than in 2016 and has grown 20-30% each year.

“We are growing in a controlled way, our team is our number one asset and we want to protect them, but we see nothing to stand in the way of our growth,” Comuzzi says.

PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION | February 2022 | www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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PAVING PARKING LOT CONTINUED EFFICIENT PROJECT PHASING Acting as the GC, The Paving Lady could also help guide how the work was done.

The original bid would have had the team working in 10 different phases to complete the work in what the facility deemed as “manageable chunks” that would keep the facility open and

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“That would have spread the timeline of the work out to be over 90 days,” Comuzzi says. “They wanted us to come in and mill, pave, stripe and open one segment of the lot and then move on to the next area and mill, pave and stripe.

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No two phases of work could be done at the same time with their original plan.”

The team at The Paving Lady instead proposed doing all work in three or four segments and they would then move on to the next area. Comuzzi said their background of working with housing associations gave them an edge in their phasing operations.

“We went in and had a pre-construction meeting and suggested a different way of doing the job,” Comuzzi says.

“This would allow us to get the work done quicker so we would be there less time, and they really liked that idea.”

The new plan would move the project forward efficiently and keep in line with the security regulations.

“Our guys needed to be within eyesight of the ARTCC staff at all times,” Comuzzi says. “They couldn’t drive a machine around the corner without someone going with them. We proposed a plan that would allow them to manage their security team, while also completing the work in a timely manner.”

Oh and by the way, the entire bid process was done without anyone on the team actually seeing the site due to COVID protocols.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES & STAYING ON TASK Once the proposed plan was accepted, crews got to work. Upon entry and exit to the site, all vehicles and personnel were searched by security forces. Two resident engineers were on site continuously monitoring the work and the staff to assure compliance with the project specifications and FAA regulations.

Each day, the ARTCC team required 24-hour advance notice of every employee that was going to be on site.

Not just their team, but team members on all the sub-contractors as well.

“The process was cumbersome because we would have to come up with this list of the people that were going to be there and if you weren't on that list, and you showed up, you were not getting in,” Comuzzi says.

The adaptability of the crew is what made this project successful.

PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION | February 2022 | www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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“Any good contractor could do what we did on this job,” he says. “We were contracted to mill and pave, anybody can do that. But it takes a certain amount of teamwork and coordination to do it successfully like this. I think the people involved on our side, our team that we had involved in this, is the reason that this job went so well.”

The crew used a Wirtgen 7-ft. mill to remove 2400 tons of material. They chose a Weiler P385 for the paving so the team would be able to maneuver within the tighter areas. The crew milled and paved the 28,654 square yard area on time and under budget.

projects,” Comuzzi says. “I think it's all about the people that you have working for you.” ■

PAVING: PARKING LOT RUNNERS UP

See all 2022 Pavement Award winners at ForConstructionPros. com/21992866

Ruston Paving, Durham, NC

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UNPLANNED WORK ADDED TO PROJECT About 45 days into the work, The Paving Lady crew was 90% completed with the work. ARTCC asked the Parsons team if it would be possible to construct two brand new parking lots, something that was not mentioned on the bid, but work the team felt comfortable with.

“This is one of the busiest air traffic control centers in the United States so you can imagine, there was mechanical equipment every two feet. That’s a maze of equipment that we had to pave and sealcoat around,” Comuzzi says.

“And if you hit something, you never knew the consequences, so we had to be very careful anywhere we were digging.”

Before they could begin work on the lot, the team had to use ground penetrating radar equipment to see if there was anything below ground and mark everything that was there.

“We don't typically like getting into new construction, other than paving new construction, but on this, we felt that we had the right subcontractors and the right people with us that we could do it and we did our jobs very well.”

Their experience and ability to adapt to project demands outside the scope of their daily tasks is what made this project successful.

“I don’t think any contractor has the processes or procedures in place that will give you an edge in these types of

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement | February 2022 | PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION

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PAVING NON PARKING LOT |

JESSICA LOMBARDO. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

In all, ACI installed 217 parking areas around the community.

They recycled all the asphalt they removed and installed over 4,000 tons of new asphalt, improving the look and usability of the pavement for years to come.

A “Grand” Project with Flawless Execution ACI Asphalt & Concrete worked around weather, traffic and tight scheduling conflicts to repave the Grandeville Cascade Lake community in less than a month, winning them the 2022 Paving: Non-Parking Lot Award

I

n the northern half of the United States, contractors know the end of season crunch all too well. It’s a delicate balance between making sure customers are happy and having enough weather left to do the work. When big projects pop up towards the end of the season, like repaving a large resort housing community, it takes the dedication of everyone on the crew to get the job done.

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ACI Asphalt & Concrete, Inc., Maple Grove, MN, was contacted to complete such a project towards the end of the season last year. The crew removed and replaced 293,867 square feet of asphalt and installed over 200 driveways in just under four weeks, winning them Pavement Magazine’s 2022 Paving: Non-Parking Lot award.

PROPER PLANNING Every successful project starts with a plan. When ACI was contacted by Centerspace Homes to repave the roads and driveways inside the Grandeville Cascade Lake community in Rochester, MN, they knew they would need a great plan to get the work done efficiently.

“ACI Asphalt & Concrete, Inc. was approached by Centerspace Homes to quote out driveways, parking pads and private roads at Grandeville at Cascade Lake community,” Mike Picott, sales consultant at ACI, says. “In meeting with the client, they explained that

they wanted to replace the 17-year-old pavement around the community and address drainage issues due to the failure of multiple catch basins. They wanted to give the place a facelift but at the same time structurally take care of any issues like some heaving that was seen around garages where the previous base material may not have been properly compacted. ” ACI started with the catch basin work, so they knew water would flow where it was supposed to. They repaired 26 catch basins and curbing to the appropriate drainage level around the community.

Then they got to work removing and replacing all the asphalt (driveways, parking areas and private roadways). ACI was committed to completing the work with minimum disruption to the community and the residents who live there.

“We wanted to try and coordinate the work so that when we were excavating driveways and parking bays, there

PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION | February 2022 | www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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would still be access for everybody,” Picott says. “Before the project began, we sat down with the site managers to get an overview of the whole site.

This helped us determine how to best complete this work to make it as unobtrusive as we possibly could, despite the inconvenience it may cause.”

ACI’s VP of Operations, Jeff Hollenback, designed a plan that was efficient and worked for everyone.

And to do this, ACI worked in well-coordinated phases. Starting on September 20th, crews would perform excavation work to the old pavement Mondays through Thursdays. They removed all the driveways, all the parking pads and the additional overflow parking asphalt pavements down to the base. ACI team members added, graded and compacted the base material to prep for the paving crew.

Once the excavation crew worked on an area, the paving crew would come in the next day and follow them; excavation crews would be onsite Monday - Thursday and the paving crew Tuesday - Friday throughout the project..

“We would remove an area and then the following day pave that area, so we could keep progress moving forward,” Picott says. “Doing it this way also gave the areas a little bit of a chance to set up before we paved it and kept all the roads usable for the community. Luckily, there were two entrance roads coming in, so we were always able to get people in and out.”

The community was also looking to remove and replace the existing pavement on the private roads throughout the complex. Crews removed 2-in. of asphalt from these roadways.

FLAWLESS EXECUTION As crews worked, communication was always well-coordinated to keep the project moving, despite the heavy traffic in the community. ACI worked directly with the main person in the field from Centerspace Homes, Doug Kerr, to ensure their plan was being executed efficiently.

“Doug passed along the information to the management team to keep everything moving and they also put out regular notices to the homeowners,” Picott says. “Our crews were hustling, and I would be working with residents to get them to move their vehicles if necessary. When we were working onsite the one challenge, we had was communicating with many of the homeowners. They either didn’t speak English or English wasn’t their native language, so we used a phone app to communicate with them.”

In all, ACI installed 217 parking areas around the community. They recycled all the asphalt they removed and installed over 4,000 tons of new asphalt, improving the look and

usability of the pavement for years to come. By generating an efficient and practical phasing plan from the beginning, ACI was able to keep the project and crews moving to get the project done in a timely manner.

“The thing about this project was the sheer volume of it,” Picott says.

“We formulated a plan from the very beginning and operations took that plan and modified it, then executed it flawlessly. Our crews were great, and the project turned out phenomenal thanks to the efforts of our team.” ■

See all 2022 Pavement Award winners at ForConstructionPros. com/21992866

PAVING: NON-PARKING LOT RUNNERS UP M&D Blacktop Co., Grove City, OH Pavement Solutions LLC, Richmond, IL

ACI repaired structural issues around the community, like some heaving that was seen around garages where the previous pavement may not have been properly compacted.

ACI worked in well-coordinated phases.

Starting on September 20th, crews would perform excavation work to the old pavement Mondays through Thursdays.

They removed all the driveways, all the parking pads and the additional overflow parking asphalt pavements down to the base. Crews then re-graded them as needed to improve drainage throughout the community. Paving crews came in the next day to complete the work in each area.

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement | February 2022 | PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION

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SEAL & STRIPE SMALL |

DORMIE ROBERTS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Overcoming Challenges and Quality Work Leads to Award Winning Job Xpress Asphalt Solutions wins award for their work on a busy 38,000 sq.ft. parking lot

W

hen the Sheffield Lake community center in Lorain, OH called on Xpress Asphalt Solutions to improve their deteriorating parking lot, owner Rod Hilton accepted the project. Little did he know, the current parking lot was in dire need of maintenance, there

would be a tight turn around and the weather would not be in his favor.

The family owned and operated Xpress Asphalt Solutions was founded in 2021 and during the peak season has five employees. In their first year of operation, servicing commercial and residential properties, they covered 1.5 million square feet of seal coating and line striping.

“The total work completed for 2021 was beyond our expectations,” said Hilton. “As for late last year, we have added paving to our portfolio to provide more coverage for our customers.”

The completed work on the Sheffield Lake community center parking lot.

Xpress Asphalt Solutions

PARKING LOT IN NEED OF TLC This 38,000 sq.ft. parking lot of a busy community center was not maintained since 2016 resulting in aging asphalt, potholes and markings that were unnoticeable.

“The parking lot was in bad shape, it wasn’t maintained for five years prior to us crack filling and seal coating,”

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PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION | February 2022 | www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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said Hilton. “We had to go in there and literally start from scratch on a two-day notice, with less-than-ideal weather conditions.”

Hilton and his crew sectioned off the busy parking lot because it was an active community center hosting a variety of events including the weekly Meals on Wheels program. Keeping the flow of traffic in mind, they began the maintenance on the lot including cutting the weeds on the perimeter, cleaning the pavement, crack routing and three patches before the crack filling and seal coating to commence.

The three-member crew worked all day and into the night under the lights to execute prep-work and crack filling.

Late that night, the rain came into town and Hilton had to be prepared to dry the pavement before continuing the work.

“We came back the next morning before the sun was up,” said Hilton. “We used blow torches to get the condensation from the rain off of the asphalt so we could keep the project rolling. We had to have it sealed and striped that day for them to drive on because there was a wedding happening that evening.”

Despite the impending deadline and

Before, the asphalt was aging and had not been maintained in five years.

Xpress Asphalt Solutions

Mother Nature, Xpress Asphalt Solutions finished the project, and the city was pleased with the work.

“The city thought we went above and beyond, meeting the deadline of only two days, and were happy with the end result,” said Hilton. “They saw our work ethic and what customer relations mean to us. Now we have a working relationship with the city and have opened the door to more jobs in 2022.” ■

See all 2022 Pavement Award winners at ForConstructionPros. com/21992866

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www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement | February 2022 | PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION

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SEAL & STRIPE LARGE |

JESSICA LOMBARDO, EDITOR-IN-CHEIF

Luxury Vehicles, High-End Sealcoating, Award-Winning Project SouthTex Asphalt seals and stripes over 1,500,000 square feet of pavement at a high end vehicle processing center, overcoming tight timelines and supply shortages

I

n the pavement maintenance business, we often don’t associate ourselves with extravagances, especially when there’s black sealant involved.

However, even luxury vehicle centers need their pavement maintained, and it’s up to those of us in the industry to make sure our precision and experience protects these valuable assets, and our reputation.

“Any time you’re working around brand new luxury vehicles, there are going to be challenges,” Andy Jackson, owner of SouthTex Asphalt says. “We were ‘lucky’ enough on this project that

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the vehicles were just one of the many obstacles we had to overcome.”

While SouthTex has a 25 year relationship maintaining this particular lot in Houston, TX, they have never encountered the challenges they saw on the project this year. Not only did the crew at SouthTex sealcoat and stripe one-third of the 82 acre facility in 35 days, they completed the work despite paint shortages, weather delays and high customer demand, winning them Pavement’s 2022 Seal & Stripe Large Job award.

WORKING WITH THE WIND In the Summer of 2021, the facility manager contacted SouthTex to complete the pavement maintenance work that was needed. Jackson and his team advised them to wait to do the work until later in the Fall to take advantage of the more moderate weather conditions.

“Texas had experienced a very wet and very hot summer, so we wanted to wait to complete this massive project until later in the year,” Jackson says.

“This would allow the pavement the proper curing temperature and also decrease the chances of weather delays for the intricate work.”

To maintain operation of the vehicle processing center, which is a holding area for high-end vehicles before they are transported to their final destination, the SouthTex crew had to complete the work in several different phases.

“Fortunately, the amount of vehicles being processed were lower than usual due to the chip shortage,” Jackson says.

“We've worked out here before and the facility literally had no room, but they were able to give us basically a fifth of the project at a time. This allowed us to take care of larger sections.”

The entire facility will be sealcoated in three separate phases over time. In phase one, which was performed during 2021, the project was broken down into five different sections, each averaging 300,000 square feet.

The crews cleaned each section with a Broce Broom Sweeper and a Buffalo

PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION | February 2022 | www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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Turbine Blower on a LineDriver. They also used two Billy Goat blowers for the detail work.

“The lot was very very dirty,” Jackson adds. “We worked hard to get it clean and we hauled the dirt and debris offsite once it was picked up by our crews.”

To complete the sealcoating, the crew used the spray method to apply two coats of sealer using two 1500-gal. truck mounted spray rigs.

“The wind was the biggest concern in doing this,” Jackson says. “ We had to be very conscientious on where the wind was heading and how strong it was. It could be a beautiful, perfect day, but if the wind was coming in at 15-20 miles per hour right towards where all the cars are parked, that’s a problem.

“When we were spraying, we had to be keenly aware of what the wind was doing and how strong it would be,” he adds. “We would look at the forecast as best we could and find out where the wind was going to go that day, and we would make sure to coordinate with the facility managers there and let them know where not to park the cars based on the wind.”

To keep the crews moving while using massive amounts of sealer, SouthTex relied on their SealMaster dealer.

“SealMaster of Houston would bring out 3900 gallons of mixed material,” Jackson said. “The latex, the sand and the water were already mixed and then brought to us. We would be able to empty out one tank in the morning

and they would bring us another batch in the afternoon or early the following morning so we could get right back in action. Because of this, we didn't have to waste time loading up on site with sand, water, etc. and it made a huge difference in our production. SealMaster of Houston was fantastic and was a wonderful partner on this project.”

In all, SouthTex put down 47,000 gallons of sealer on this phase of the project.

SCARY STRIPING SITUATION The Nationwide shortage of materials, from toilet paper to steel, did not miss the pavement maintenance industry. A resin shortage caused severe paint shortages throughout the industry, but particularly in Texas where manufacturing facilities were shut down due to COVID and weather.

The shortage was so bad, SouthTex was almost unable to bid this job.

“That was a really scary situation,” Jackson says. “The only way that we would have been able to do this job was if we could secure enough paint to do the job right. The facility owner would not have been interested if we said we could seal it, but not stripe it. This whole project was contingent upon ‘can we get the paint?’”

Fortunately SealMaster of Houston came through again for SouthTex and

was able to get an allotment of paint, enough to complete this job.

“That was a huge, huge help to us,” Jackson says. “Not only that they were able to find and secure the paint for us, but also store it for us until we were ready to use it. That allowed the job to move forward.”

Once the paint was secured and the lot sealed, the crews came back in to complete the striping, which caused yet another set of challenges.

“They wanted to increase the width of each parking stall during this re-stripe,” Jackson said. “We had to essentially lay out the entire parking lot again as we weren't able to follow the existing stripes.”

As this process began, the lot started to get busier as more cars were coming in.

“We had to lay it out and stripe it in a timely fashion to where we could move on to the next section,” Jackson adds. “We wanted to reduce or eliminate any delays that we could possibly have and so that was a challenge that put pressure on the striping crew to lay it out and get it done so that we could move on to the next section and they could bring more cars in.”

In all, 94 buckets of paint was put down and this section of the project was completed in 35 days from start to finish. ■

See all 2022 Pavement Award winners at ForConstructionPros. com/21992866

SEAL & STRIPE LARGE JOB RUNNERS UP Affordable Striping & Sealing, Las Vegas, NV Royal Pavement Solutions LLC, Islip, NY

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement | February 2022 | PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION

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GOOD NEIGHBOR |

DORMIE ROBERTS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Safe Pavement for Children With Medical Complexities Maul Paving donates time and material to Almost Home Kids

A

mong their charitable efforts, Maul Paving of Naperville, IL donated preventative maintenance to a short-term health care facility for children with complex medical conditions.

Almost Home Kids provides a bridge from hospital to home through an innovative community-based care system.

SCOPE OF THE DONATION The initial project started four years ago when Maul Paving reconstructed their entire parking lot, totaling upwards of $250,000. Paul Price, director of business development, reaches out every two years

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for the lot maintenance to ensure the parking lot is safe and protected.

“Community partnerships are vitally important to us,” said Gail Linhart, director of operations. “Not only does it allow us to steward our fiscal resources directly to the children’s care and the supportive clinical programs, but the safety and quality of our facility is greatly enhanced.”

This facility is operational 24/7 and the crew had to accommodate emergency vehicles. The six-person team put in a 12-hour day, sectioning the lot and utilizing fast curing agents in the material to maintain operation. Once dry, the line marking crew came and made sure the facility was ready.

“It feels good knowing we made a difference to the facility and the children

it serves,” said Price. “These children are able to get in and out safely, it’s properly paved, seal coated and restriped.”

This in-kind donation totaled $5,000 worth of pavement services.

“We are proud of the communities we serve and donations like these can ensure visitors using the facilities are safe, on well-maintained properties,” said Price. ■

To read the full Good Neighbor article, visit ForConstructionPros. com/21977736.

GOOD NEIGHBOR RUNNERS UP ACI Asphalt & Concrete, Maple Grove, MN Marathon Solutions Group, LLC, Houston, TX

PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION | February 2022 | www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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1/26/22 9:21 AM

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BEST OF WEB |

DORMIE ROBERTS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The Swan Company Achieves Best of the Web Award The company creates a branding tool to educate customers

A

company website doesn’t just happen overnight. There is a lot of moving pieces and technical aspects to creating a site that embodies a whole company vision. With those things in mind, owners, Joe and Kimberley Swanekamp set out to create a branding tool that was user-friendly for clients to build trust and confidence in The Swan Company.

“It’s interesting how far we have come,” said Joe Swanekamp. “I designed the first website on Weebly, and I was so proud of what I built. But quickly, we realized you needed a lot of experience and some education to compete on a high level with the other contractors’ websites.”

The Swanekamp’s then went to three different design companies before settling on one. With a compilation of both of their ideas, the website was officially launched in 2020.

CLASSIFIEDS

TRUSTSWAN.COM A captivating collection of videos with a bright white phrase “trusted partners for property management professionals” is the first thing that greets people on the homepage of the website. Across the top, an easy-to-read navigation bar leads customers through the tabs of the most important information including services. As users click through, vibrant photos are shown that relate to that particular service.

“A picture is worth a thousand words,” said Joe. “I like to show potential customers pictures and overwhelm them with the understanding of the quality work we do. Utilizing photos also creates culture with our customer base because they are able to see their property on our website and know they bought into a quality brand.”

The site not only showcases pictures, but it features projects the company has completed. There are blog posts with educational content, and an “About”

section which dives deep into the trust they are building with their customers.

No detail has been overlooked. Under the “Contact Us” section, next to an easy to fill in form to get in touch, a personal video by Joe is embedded into the page that can help any customer understand the work they do in less than 90 seconds.

“It took a lot of refining to get to the point that the website is at now,” said Kimberley. “I still consider it a work in progress. We are frequently making changes and improving it, adding new features as it’s a continual process.”

STAYING AHEAD OF THE CURVE Updating photos and videos, writing informative blog posts and analyzing site optimization are all things the Swan Company continually does to keep their website up to date. Processes like these keep them current on the internet and helps portray the brand they are building that reaches outside the walls of their office.

“The digital world is constantly evolving and changing,” said Kimberley.

“Staying current is a fundamental part of being in business these days, you have to stay current and grow with the times even if that means reaching outside of your comfort zone.” ■

See all 2022 Pavement Award winners at ForConstructionPros. com/21992866

BEST OF WEB RUNNERS UP DACS Corp., Denver, CO Synergy Pavement Group, South Beloit, IL

46

PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION | February 2022 | www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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DORMIE ROBERTS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

| BEST MARKETING VIDEO

Earth Road Inc. Asphalt Dairy Farm Paving Project wins Best Marketing Award The company pays homage to local farmers through brief marketing video while showcasing their paving work

W

ith ties to the agriculture industry, Earth Road Inc. Asphalt created a feel-good video combining paving and dairy farming released October 2021.

The resulting marketing video was voted Pavement’s Best Marketing Video for 2022 by 51% of all online voters.

“The idea came from Jamisan Spano, daughter of the owners Peggy and Jim Spano,” said Ailie Ham, designer and owner of Ailie Inc., a marketing agency utilized by Earth Road Inc. Asphalt. “Peggy and I often work in tandem to create marketing assets for the company. This was a special project for me personally as I have family who are dairy farmers.”

The 30-second video opens with, “we support our local dairy farmers” on a black background. As the music starts to ramp up, the company logo is showcased front and center. Then comes the images of the project complete with their paver, roller and dump truck. As the video continues, the music reaches its height and the photos continue to flow in, creating an exciting experience. There is a pause in the music where the phrase “without American farmers, we would not have food” fades in and out, creating a dramatic effect. In the final seconds, the company logo reappears along with the American flag, “made in America” and the company contact information.

“This particular project was really fun for us because our whole family was involved,” said Peggy Spano, sole owner of Earth Road Inc. Asphalt. “It was also neat to see how the cows reacted as well, they would follow every move the equipment was making.”

Keeping in mind the heavy farm equipment that would be traveling on the asphalt, Spano specified seven inches in two lifts to be laid around the stall barn.

“During the project, we had seven to ten crew members completing the paving and compaction,” said Jim Spano, project manager at Earth Road Inc. Asphalt. “It was a pretty standard job that took a few days to complete.”

This was not the first video produced and the company has a collection of on-the-job videos, clips and photos showcased on their website and YouTube channel. Earth Road Inc. Asphalt also uses social media platforms to show their work, including TikTok.

“We just started TikTok,” said Ham. “We are seeing a large amount of reliable traffic from the platform. It is fun and if you put up some good stuff, people will follow you.”

The company plans on debuting the award-winning video across their social platforms and their website. ■

View the full video here: https://youtu.be/nzNEifCaYsI

BEST MARKETING VIDEO RUNNERS UP: Royal Pavement Solutions LLC, Islip, NY Swan Company, Neshanic Station, NJ

CLASSIFIEDS

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement | February 2022 | PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION

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2022

TOP

CONTRACTOR

TOP CONTRACTOR SURVEY

2022

TOP

CONTRACTOR PAVEMENT 2022 Top Contractor Survey

W

elcome to the Pavement Maintenance &

To determine whether a company qualifies

Reconstruction survey of paving & pave-

for one (or more) of our five lists we will multiply

There are 3 ways to complete and submit this form:

ment maintenance contractors. Our hope with

your total 2021 sales dollars by the percentage

• Online at www.surveymonkey.

this survey is to develop verifiable Top Contractor

of work done in each industry segment. For

com/r/2022TopContractorSurvey

listings in each of five industry segments: Paving,

example, if a contractor reports $1 million in

• Complete a hard copy and fax (920-542-

Sealcoating, Striping, Sweeping and Pavement

2021 sales and generated 40% of those sales

1133) or mail it to: Pavement Maintenance &

Repair. To do that we need to know:

from striping, the number used to determine

Reconstruction, Top Contractor Survey,

• Gross Sales Volume for your fiscal year 2021

qualification for the Striping Top Contractor List

201 N. Main Street, Ste. 5, Fort Atkinson, WI

(regardless of the date that fiscal year ended) • A breakdown by percentage of the type of

would be $400,000 ($1 million x 40%).

Note: No sales figures will be reported or pub-

53538; Attn. Dormie Roberts.

• Complete a hard copy, scan and e-mail to

lished; sales figures will be used only internally for

droberts@ACBusinessMedia.com

determining each list. Also, no contractor will be

Thanks very much for your participation.

(see additional explanation at the end of the

eligible for the list without third-party verification of

We do appreciate it.

survey)

your Fiscal Year 2021 Gross Sales Volume.

work that generated those 2021 sales • Third-party verification of that sales total

Name & Title of Person Completing This Form *First _____________________________ Last _______________________________________

DEADLINE: April 22

5. * What percentage of your fiscal year 2021 Total Gross Sales is generated by working as a subcontractor for other contractors?

E-mail ____________________________ Phone ____________________________________

6. * Do you self-perform more than 50% of your work? ___Yes

*Company Information Company Name (as you would like it to appear on the magazine) _________________________________________________________________________________ Street Address ________________________________________________________________ City State Zip Code ___________________________________________________________ Phone Number with Area Code ______________________________________________ Website _______________________________________________________________________ Years in Business _____________________________________________________________

7.

Please indicate your number of employees at peak season (If employees fulfill more than one function please include them in the category they perform most often): _______ Management _______ Field Supervisors _______ Laborers _______ Office Staff _______ Sales May we contact Your Company by e-mail? ___Yes

___No

1.* What is your company’s Total Gross Sales for your Fiscal Year 2021?

_________________________________________________________________________ (This figure used internally for listing purposes only; it will not be published.) Please round to whole dollar amounts. (Example: 1,548,222; note: when entering online please omit commas.)

2. * What percentage of your fiscal 2021 Total Gross Sales is represented by each of the following areas (must total 100%): ______ Paving ______ Sealcoating ______ Striping ______ Sweeping _____________________ Other (explain)

______ Pavement Repair ______ Concrete ______ Surface Treatments (Micro, Slurry, Chip, Fog, etc.) ______ Hot mix asphalt plant operation

3. * What percentage of your fiscal 2021 Total Gross Sales is generated from work done on each of the following (must total 100%): _______ Highways _______ Driveways _______ Streets/roads _______ Other (explain) _________________ _______ Parking lots 4. * What percentage of your fiscal 2021 Total Gross Sales is generated from each of the following types of customers (answers must total 100%). _______ Commercial/Industrial _______ Municipal (state/local agency) _______ Multi-family residential (apartments/condos/HOAs) _______ Single-family residential _______ Other (explain) _______________________________________________

PVM0222_50-52_TopContractorSurvey.indd 50

___No

What was your overall company-wide profit margin in FY 2021? (Not for publication; results will be presented for the industry as a whole.) _______ Less than 3% _______ 5%-10% _______ More than 15% _______ 3%-5% _______ 10%-15% 8. How many different customers did you work for in FY 2021? _______ Fewer than 100 _______ 151-200 _______ 301-400 _______ 101-150 _______ 201-300 _______ More than 400 9. How many different jobs did your company complete in FY 2021? _______ Fewer than 100 _______ 151-200 _______ 301-400 _______ 101-150 _______ 201-300 _______ More than 400 10. What is the estimated replacement value of your equipment fleet (including trucks)? _______ Less than $250,000 _______ $1 million - $2 million _______ $250,000 - $500,000 _______ More than $2 million _______ $500,000 - $1 million Signature _____________________________________________________________________ Title (please print) ____________________________________________________________ Date: __________________________________________________________________________

IMPORTANT! SALES VOLUME VERIFICATION

To qualify to have your Top Contractor application considered, third-party verification of your FY 2021 Total Gross Sales is required from your company’s CPA, an independent CPA or your accounting firm, or a copy of the appropriate page from your tax return. Verification must be on the CPA or accounting firm letterhead (no photocopies) and must include a statement to the effect that “I have reviewed the company’s Top Contractor application, and the FY 2021 gross sales response to question Number 1 is accurate to the best of my knowledge.” The letter must be signed and dated and include the person’s name, title and telephone number. No financial information will be revealed; it will be used only internally to determine qualification for each listing. Send verification to:

droberts@ACBusinessMedia.com or Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction 2022 Top Contractor Application 201 N. Main Street, Ste. 5, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 Attn. Dormie Roberts Questions? Dormie Roberts, Associate Editor; Phone: 800-538-5544 ext 1299; droberts@ACBusinessMedia.com

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