Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction June/July 2017 by ForConstructionPros.com

How to Handle a Lute

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF NATIONAL PAVEMENT EXPO

MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION JUNE/JULY 2017

How to Repair

First Look at

OIL SPOTS

2017

What Equipment Do You Need to Handle

SNOW?

NPE 2018 Workshops!

TOP CONTRACTOR

SURVEY RESULTS CATEGORIES

SEALCOATING

TOP 50

STRIPING

TOP 50

› 16

› 22

› 26

PAVING

TOP 50

PAVEMENT REPAIR › 30

Enter Your Job for a

PAVEMENT AWARD!

› › › www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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HOW CRACK SEALING IMPROVES PRESERVATION TREATMENTS

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What’s Inside

2017

June/July 2017

TOP CONTRACTOR

SURVEY RESULTS

FEATURES 14

2017 Pavement Top Contractor Lists

Participation declines, lists cut to 50 companies each – but results remain consistent with previous years and profit margins grow.

Sealcoating 50

46 Crack Sealing as

a Pretreatment Improves Results

50 Contractors’ Choice:

26 Paving 50

Paving in 3D

The use of 3D paving helps Park Construction meet demanding NFL specs at Vikings’ new stadium.

64 “How to” Guide

Offers Tips to Moreeffective Social Media Marketing

Snow Removal

22 Striping 50

NCAT study shows that crack sealing before a preservation application can reduce cracking.

54 Measure of Success:

Here’s the equipment you need for successful snow removal operations.

The “Social Media Sealcoater” links Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram to shortcut marketing.

30 Pavement Repair 50

42 10 Sweeper

Maintenance Tips

A good preventative maintenance program is the best cost-benefit value to your sweeper.

Vol. 32, No. 5 June/July 2017

Published and copyrighted 2017 by AC Business Media Inc. 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 Inc., 201 N. Main St., 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. Canada Post PM40612608. Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction, PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION is proudly supported by these associations:

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement • PAVEMENT • June/July 2017 3

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What’s Inside June/July 2017

DEPARTMENTS 6

Editorial

Hot Mix

Is There Value in Numbers?

The Latest News in the Industry

10 Just In Select New Products and Upgrades 12 NPE Buzz NPE is all new in Cleveland 34 Pavement Profit Center

44 Pavement

Defects & Solutions

How to Remove Oil Spots from Asphalt

58 Classified

Ads

66 Your Business Matters 5 Tips to Help Predict the Outcome of Each Job 67 On The Job How to Handle a Lute

69 NAPSA Report How Do You Locate a Power Sweeping Professional? 69 WSA Update Staying Profitable Means Getting Paid 70 PCTC Dispatch Responding to Regulatory Reform Initiatives

71 Technology Update Smartphone Camera Keeps Things Hot 72 Contractor Snapshot South Carolina’s Pro-Seal Develops from Demand in the Market 73

Index

74 Tailgate Talk 8 Actions “Best Foremen” Take

Get fast, relevant product information in the Buyers Guide at

ForConstructionPros.com 4 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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Editorial

Allan Heydorn, Editor

Is There Value in Numbers? What’s your profit margin for the year? How has it changed over the years – and how does that compare to others who perform similar work? What are some of the attributes of contractors with large sales numbers? ARE THOSE QUESTIONS you ask yourself? Are the answers of interest? Do you think insights like that might help your business? We do, but apparently we’re almost alone. Check out the overview of the 2017 Top Contractor lists that starts on page 14. The first thing you’ll notice is that, because of reduced participation, we had to reduce the size of each list from 75 to 50 companies in each industry

segment. And once again we don’t even have a sweeping list. We have to admit, we don’t get it. The Top Contractor survey is brief and takes only 10 minutes to complete. Yes, we do require verification so that is an extra step, but the verification makes the results more valid and of more value. Yes, you do need to provide your gross sales dollars but those are not revealed to anyone. They are used to determine whether a company qualifies for a list and to generate a total sales number for the industry. But look at just some of the information the Top Contractor survey generates: • A year-to-year benchmark of industry-wide sales

• A year-to-year benchmark of segment-only sales • Profit margin tracking Where else can you get this information? We don’t know of any place. What can you do with it? Well, we’ve been told that loan officers like it. But also consider this: If you‘re a striper and you earned a 7% margin last year, is it valuable to know that at least 73% of your competitors generated a greater margin than you did? And that 48% generated more than twice the margin you did? Maybe there’s a good reason you’re earning less – markets are different, after all. But maybe you’re underselling your services and maybe

there’s room to tweak your pricing without much risk. We think there’s value in participating in the survey – for contractors of all sizes – because the information generated can benefit every company and the entire industry. So let us know if there’s an easier or better way to do this or if there’s information we aren’t collecting that we should. And for those who participated, thanks very much; for those who haven’t, we hope you’ll reconsider. There’s real value in those numbers.

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6 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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Hot Mix

Federal Signal Acquires Truck Bodies and Equipment International Federal Signal Corporation, Streator, IL, has signed an agreement to acquire Truck Bodies and Equipment International (TBEI), a leading U.S. manufacturer of dump truck bodies and trailers, for $270 million. According to Federal Signal Corp., the acquisition will enable the company to strengthen its market position as a specialty vehicle manufacturer in maintenance and infrastructure markets. It will also allow the company to leverage its expertise in building chassis-based vehicles, significantly expand its exposure to higher growth industrial end-markets and balance the mix of revenues it generates from municipal and industrial markets. Federal Signal’s announcement says “TBEI has successfully built a portfolio of strong brands, which currently occupy premier market share positions in their respective product categories, through a combination of an intense focus on operational excellence, a comprehensive distribution strategy and continuous attention to its customers’ primary requirements for a highquality product and short lead times.” TBEI operates five manufacturing facilities throughout the U.S. and employs approximately 850 people. “The TBEI business is a strong strategic fit with our ESG [Environmental Solutions Group] businesses and allows us to broaden our focus on maintenance and infrastructure markets. With its large industrial customer base, TBEI will accelerate the achievement of our long-standing objective of balancing the mix of revenue streams between municipal and industrial. This acquisition is consistent with our disciplined capital deployment strategy, which targets the acquisition of high performing businesses that grow and compound our cash flow,” said Jennifer L. Sherman, president and CEO. Robert Fines, TBEI’s president and chief executive officer, will be joining Federal Signal’s management team. “We are excited to join the Federal Signal

Neyra Adds Connecticut Distribution Center Neyra Industries Inc., Cincinnati, OH, recently opened a distribution center in South Windsor, CT. Neyra Pavement Products serves the Dover, New Castle and Georgetown areas. For details on this and other centers in the Neyra Pavement Products network contact 302-312-3160 or visit www. neyra.com. family and add TBEI’s six established brands to Federal Signal’s portfolio of market-leading businesses,” said Fines. “There are many similarities between TBEI’s operations and those of Federal Signal and we are confident in our ability to cross-pollinate manufacturing practices, leverage our distribution networks and create a leading platform to serve the needs of our customers.” Federal Signal Reorganizes ESG Federal Signal Corp. has also reorganized its Environmental Solutions Group (ESG), including whole-goods, parts and service offerings and equipment rentals across government and industrial markets, “to maximize success and achieve profitable growth,” according to Federal Signal. Miceli said the reorganization has resulted in the creation of new management positions to allow the ESG to bolster operations and maintain focus on continued growth. Tony Fuller, director of industrial sales for the Environmental Solutions Group’s FS Solutions, is now vice president of ESG Global Sales. Fuller is responsible for whole-good sales to the group’s dealer, utility, industrial and oil and gas channels on a global basis. In conjunction with the reorganization, a Federal Signal has created a new group, the Industrial Solutions Group. Comprised of the Jetstream and FS Solutions teams, the Industrial Solutions Group will serve as a single face to industrial customers to provide an expanding offering of primarily nonwhole goods solutions. Bill Krupowicz, vice president and general manager of Jetstream, will expand his role to serve as vice president of the Industrial Solutions Group.

Entries Open for 2018 Pavement Awards!

With the season well underway, it’s time to begin thinking about documenting your best or most-challenging work so you can enter it into the 2018 Pavement Awards. Presented by Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction, the awards provide industry-wide recognition for contractors involved in all aspects of pavement maintenance. Among the awards are Contractor of the Year (any contractor other than sweeping), Sweeping Contractor of the Year, the Alan Curtis Industry Service Award and the Pavement Hall of Fame. Job-related awards recognize contractors and their crews for their 2017 efforts. Entries are open for: • Seal & Stripe: Small Job • Seal & Stripe: Large Job • Paving: Non-Parking Lot • Paving: Parking Lot • Good Neighbor Award (charitable contributions)

All entries must be made online at ForConstructionPros.com/ PavementAwards - and entering is easy. All that’s required is a brief description of the job and its challenges, including an explanation of why the job should be recognized. Then upload two highresolution photos and you’re done! So as we get deeper into the season, keep the 2018 Pavement Awards in mind. Note particularly good work and tough challenges, take photos - and enter them in the appropriate category. And we make the website “live” so you can enter throughout the summer as jobs are completed. Actual deadline is November 1 but you don’t have to wait... And you can enter more than one job! Entries are voted on by Pavement’s Advisory Board. Award winners will be announced at the 2018 National Pavement Expo, Feb. 7-10 in Cleveland, OH.

Industry Appointments At Bergkamp Inc., Salina, KS, Rex Eberly is general manager of Bergkamp Bituminous Solutions (BBS) and Jimmy Kendrick is director of contractor sales. At Dynapac North America LLC, Rock Hill, SC, Shellie Larranaga is vice president of finance & administration.

8 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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THE KEY TO SUCCESS WITH POROUS PAVEMENT IS

TO KEEP THE PORES AND JOINTS OPEN. Before

After

Maintenance: Routine surface debris removal and Restoration: Deep cleaning to restore infiltration on plugged surfaces Cleaning the pavement with just the nozzle on the Elgin Whirlwind, a high-powered, pure vacuum sweeper a few times a year does the trick. It has been tested and used in this application for over a decade with impactful results. To learn more visit www.elginsweeper and request the Maintenance and Restoration of Porous Pavement Surfaces white paper or contact your Elgin Dealer today.

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Just In 1

Get fast, relevant product information in the Buyers Guide at ForConstructionPros.com 1 Carlson CP130 Commercial Paver Combining highway-class build, productivity and mat quality in a commercial-class paver, the CP130 gives contractors a leading platform for municipal and large commercial applications. •• 130-hp Cummins QSF3.8 Tier 4 Final engine •• One-piece forward tilting hood, large side doors and access panel in the hopper for service and accessibility to engine compartment •• Class-exclusive armrest controls, swing out operator stations and 3-man configuration provide leading ergonomics and visibility ForConstructionPros.com/12305561

4 Volvo PT125C Pneumatic Roller

Volvo Construction Equipment’s PT125C nine-wheeled pneumatic tire roller is designed for roadway construction and resurfacing applications. •• Employs a kneading action for the compaction of hot and warm mix asphalt •• Heavy-duty 14-ply tires are ideal for chip seal applications •• Central tire inflation system •• 9,826-lb. operating weight (with ROPS) •• 68.2-in. drum or rolling width •• 74.3-hp Tier 4 Final D3.3 Volvo engine ForConstructionPros.com/12320053

Crafco Plexi-Melt

Sakai SW754 Roller

Crafco’s PLEXI-Melt is an innovative high strength, low density, protective packaging used to contain Crafco hotapplied sealants and mastics that quickly and thoroughly melts without affecting product installation characteristics or specification performance. •• PLEXI-melt packaged material is much easier to handle as blocks are dropped directly into the melter eliminating waste and empty boxes •• Block design melts much faster than conventional sealant block configurations, is both sun/water resistant and can be stored up to one year outdoors •• Shape of PLEXI-melt block melts 58% faster than traditional boxed mastic/ sealant material

The Sakai SW754, 67-in. vibratory tandem drum roller offers improved operating efficiency as well as ease-ofmaintenance while retaining many of features of its successful 770-series line. •• Applications include both thin and thick asphalt lift compaction, as well as compaction of coarse graded asphalt mixes and aggregate base and subbase layers •• EPA Tier 4 compliancy is achieved by an efficient 3.8 L Kubota engine offering up to 10 hours of actual run time without refueling •• A long wheel base helps achieve the flattest possible compaction surface yet is not excessive, for ease in trailer transportation

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5 Case DV209D & DV210D Double Drum Asphalt Rollers

6 Nite-Hawk Osprey II Sweeper

Case’s Tier 4 Final double drum vibratory asphalt rollers (DV209D and DV210D) deliver 100% tractive effort due to a balanced drum design and a variety of standard features. •• 100-hp Deutz engine with EGR, DOC and SCR aftertreatment technologies •• Updated cooling system and automatic idle control reduce fuel consumption by up to 15% •• Automatic vibration control •• Crab steering hydraulically offsets rear drum up to 6.7 in. •• Oscillating articulated roller joint oscillates +/- 6 degrees •• Operating weights: 21,080 lb. (DV209D) and 22,930 lb. (DV201D)

The next generation Osprey II is engineered to perform in the most diverse operating environments. •• Built on a low profile conventional chassis, this sweeper can excel in any location •• Advanced Hydraulics generate power and reliability where you need it most •• “Stealth Sweeping” System single engine hydraulic design delivers the quietest performance of any sweeper •• No auxiliary engine delivers performance with efficiency •• Innovative controls – User friendly controls customized for operators •• Driver friendly – Simple operation, training and No CDL requirement

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10 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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KM 4-40 Infrared Heater

Q Heat Cycling Technology

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NPE Buzz

Allan Heydorn, Editor

Cleveland to Host

NPE 2018

First visit to city features 54 conference sessions including 39 new topics FOR THE FIRST TIME in its history, National Pavement Expo will visit Cleveland, OH, home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (and the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame), among other sites. In its 32-yearhistory, NPE has visited Nashville; Charlotte, NC; Tampa and Fort Lauderdale, FL; Atlanta, GA; and Memphis, TN, but this will be the first time NPE has been held north of the Mason-Dixon line. The 2018 NPE will be held Feb. 7-10 at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland in downtown Cleveland. (A pre-NPE Boot Camp by Brad Humphrey, Pinnacle Development Group, will be held Feb. 6.) The convention center is connected to the 600-room Hilton Cleveland Downtown, which is among the hotels NPE will be utilizing. The 2018 NPE follows NPE’s 2017 conference and trade show in Nashville, which was the largest and most successful event in NPE’s history. The 2018 educational conference will feature 54 sessions including the day-long pre-NPE Boot Camp and 11 in-depth workshops. The remaining 42 sessions are 90 minutes each. Of the 54 sessions 39 are new and several will be updated with new video. Among the new 3-hour workshops are: Coaching Winners: Your #1 Leadership Priority, Brad Humphrey Pinnacle Development Group’s Brad Humphrey has always preached about the close relationship between leadership and coaching skills, and in this new session he ties the two directly together. “Find a great coach, and most likely you will find a great leader,” he says in his session description, and his 3-hour program builds on that. Humphrey says the mosteffective coaches are successful because they have gained the trust and respect of

their team, “even when the decisions are not always popular,” and the session will outline how to make that happen. Among the questions Humphrey will answer are, how is leadership different from management? What critical coaching skills do leaders use to motivate performance? And how can I use leadership and coaching skills to improve morale and performance in my own company? Wednesday, Feb. 7; 9:00 a.m. - Noon How a Question-based Sales Process Will Get You More Work, Guy Gruenberg Sales driven businesses and relationships are the backbone of sales. In this workshop, Guy Gruenberg, Grow Consulting, will outline and teach part of the Consultative Sales Process that is designed to help salespeople initiate and develop relationships with customers. Gruenberg will explain the process and why it works, teach techniques salespeople can use or teach their sales team, and help attendees compare the results of a question-based processed with whatever

Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland

sales process they are currently using. Wednesday, Feb. 7; 9:00 a.m. - Noon Team-building for Contractors: How to Avoid the “Silo Syndrome,” Giselle Chapman Long-time NPE team-building specialist Giselle Chapman, Chapman Business Solutions, knows internal “teams” often don’t work together and, occasionally, even work at crosspurposes. That gives Chapman a unique insight and problem-solving background to help contractors make sure their teams work together. Office, sales, field, management, equipment maintenance and other contractor teams need to coordinate their efforts to help every contractor achieve its goals. Chapman will help each team reach their “production potential,” introduce what she terms a Team Wisdom Inventory, and provide tips to help create a teamfocused environment. “If any individual

12 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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team works only in its own ‘silo’ they block the coordination of all teams and the company can’t achieve the job quality, customer satisfaction – and profit – every contractor pursues.” Wednesday, Feb. 7; 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Introduction to the Power of Job Costing, Jeff Stokes and Matt Slawson Years ago, few contractors recognized the importance of job costing – and fewer still actually tracked their costs. But more and more contractors are tackling job costing and this new session will provide a “how to” overview of what job costing involves and how to get started. Both from Next Level Contractor System, Jeff Stokes and Matt Slawson will explain how job costing data affects scheduling and customer satisfaction, how to collect and report job costs, how job costing data assists in proper estimating and how job costing can earn you more profit per job – among other advantages. Thursday, Feb. 8; 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Humphrey “Boot Camp” to Tackle Leadership for 2018 Specifically for National Pavement Expo, Pinnacle Development Group has developed another one-day leadership “boot camp” designed to help contractors develop skills to help their professional (and personal) growth and to impact their company’s future. Brad Humphrey has specially designed this day-long boot camp, titled “Leaders on a Mission 2018: How to become the leader your company – and industry – needs,” specifically for crew foremen, supervisors, managers and owners attending the 2018 NPE in Cleveland, OH. Humphrey says the boot camp will help people raise their own leadership skills, will teach skills that will enable leaders to help others become leaders and will offer “no bad job” leadership techniques that will improve efficiencies and raise profits. Tuesday, Feb. 6; 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Includes lunch and breaks.

How to Structure Sales Compensation to Motivate Salespeople – and Generate High-Profit Sales, Jeff Stokes, Next Level Contractor System In his second 3-hour workshop of NPE 2018, Jeff Stokes, Next Level Contractor System, tackles a question every contractor faces: How do you compensate salespeople to both motivate them and generate high-profit sales? Stokes says the answer is a sales structure that rewards the right behaviors of sales personnel and he’ll present an approach “that includes effective incentives to motivate sales personnel and create positive competition, how to align behaviors of sales personnel to achieve higher sales and profit and specific ‘Action Steps’ to implement an improved compensation plan that is right for your size company.” Friday, Feb. 9; 1:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m. For details on NPE 2018, Feb. 7-10 at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland visit www.nationalpavementexpo.com.

Road Pro the multi-purpose solution

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www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement • PAVEMENT • June/July 2017 13

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2017 TOP

CONTRACTOR Allan Heydorn, Editor

The 2017 Top Contractors

OVERVIEW Participation declines, lists cut to 50 companies each – but results remain consistent with previous years

LAST YEAR IN this space we discussed how Pavement’s Top Contractor lists had stabilized, with the Paving, Sealcoating, Striping and Repair lists each containing 75 companies. We lamented the loss of the Sweeping category, as fewer than a handful of true sweeping companies decided to participate, but on the whole we were encouraged by the participation and growth of the lists. Then came 2017, and we have to tell you we didn’t see this coming. Overall participation in the 2017 Top Contractor survey was down roughly 25% – meaning that 25% fewer contractors elected to fill out the survey. That means the pool from which we determined the Top Contractor lists was 25% smaller, and the end result is that none of the four 2017 Top Contractor lists reached 75 companies. (And Sweepers, still, barely participated.) So for the 2017 Top Contractors each category contains 50 companies. Because lists are based on dollar-volume of sales within each category (stripingonly or sealcoating-only sales, for example), contractors who might have qualified had we been able to list 75 firms are not going to be included. Also, the results in overall sales dollars and segment-only sales dollars will understandably be smaller, but the results should be no less valid for the companies included in the lists. Because of the reduced participation, we won’t make apple-to-apple comparisons of year-to-year results; instead we’ll report them as reflective of the current state of the industry. In some cases we’ll

compare results to previous years, but we’ll note any differences in list size that might account for any differences.

Overall Sales Dollars So let’s start with overall sales dollars of the participating contractors, which topped $910 million for the 2017 lists. That’s a decline from $1.717 billion in 2015 and $1.188 billion last year (but remember some of the lists in those years had 75 companies and for 2013-2015 there was a small Sweeping list, too). That overall sales number represents the combined total of only paving-only, sealcoating-only, stripingonly, and repair-only sales – in other words the sales figures used to compile our four lists. No sales dollars are duplicated and any sales relegated to the “Other” sales category also are not included. While we can’t quantify the size of the industry (a question we are asked routinely), we can report that all sales from all companies participating in the survey, whether they qualified for a list or not, tops $3.587 billion for 2017 list participants. This number is the sum total of all sales for all contractors who fully completed a survey form.

What the 2017 Lists Tell Us The 2017 lists reaffirm what we’ve known for some time and what the lists have confirmed since started in 2013: Diversification is an essential component of the contractors with the largest sales volume. Almost all companies on all the

More Information This Year! Note: In the past, Pavement held back some survey results, making them available in a “white paper” analysis that was sent only to those companies that participated in the survey (whether they qualified for a list or not). The purpose of that was to encourage participation – people who completed the form received additional survey results and some analysis of the results from Pavement. But as an incentive to encourage participation that white paper analysis didn’t work, so much of that information will be revealed in this issue.

lists perform a variety of services for their customers: • None of the Paving 50 companies provides only paving services (three generate 90% or more from paving) • None of the Sealcoating 50 provide only sealcoating (one generates 96% from sealcoating while another generates 80% from sealcoating) • Two Striping 50 companies provide only striping services (two others generate more than 90% from striping) • None of the Pavement Repair 50 provide only repair services (no surprise there and none generate more than 70% from pavement repair). The takeaway then, is larger contractors see value in diversifying.

14 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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What Diversification Means If National Pavement Expo has a mantra, it’s encouraging contractors to diversify, both to strengthen and to grow their business. Just as a diversified investment portfolio can better weather economic ups and downs, a contractor who offers a variety of services can more easily adapt to changes in the economy, the local market and competition from other contractors. Also, offering a broader variety of services enables contractors to keep that revenue in-house – as opposed to hiring a subcontractor (often a specialist, see below) to do that work – which helps profit and growth. In addition, contractors that offer a variety of services are able to generate more dollars from each customer, which potentially makes each sales call and contract awarded that much more profitable. These diverse contractors make themselves more valuable to each customer by enabling the customer to solve a wider variety of problems with one phone call. That, in turn, strengthens the contractor/customer relationship. The survey results also show that diversifying shouldn’t stop at the services offered, though that’s often the first thought that comes to mind. Even a quick glance at the Customer Mix and the Where We Work categories in the Top Contractor lists over the following pages clearly shows that to generate the sales that put them on these lists, contractors work for a variety of customer types and on a variety of different pavement locations. The vast majority of contractors on all four lists work on a variety of pavements (highways being the smallest percentage) with parking lots not surprisingly leading the pack, and they work for a broad variety of client types.

Does “Specialization” Still Exist? But what about the “specialists,” the contractors that provide only one service or that rely very heavily on one service?

Those are companies that most likely work closely (and probably as subcontractors) with larger contractors who hire specialists to perform work they don’t want to perform or to keep jobs moving, thereby increasing productivity. We can speculate that so few of these “specialists” qualify for these lists because those specialists are smaller firms (though there is the possibility, even likelihood, that some large specialists choose not to participate in the survey). So absence from these lists doesn’t mean those types of contractors aren’t out there or that those types of contractors are unsuccessful.

Overall Profit Margins We’ll report profit margins for each industry segment in the introduction to each segment in the following pages, but the chart on this page provides a look at the overall range of profit margins for all companies responding to the survey, whether they qualified for a list or not. As you can see, each year for the industry as a whole, there’s a broad range of profit margins with which contractors are working. Some of the differences become clearer when we look at each industry segment, but the good news is that a healthy percentage of contractors are reporting what could be considered healthy margins – and better yet, these margins have shifted toward the higher side since our first Top Contractor list in 2013. As evidence, take a look at the “More than 15%” category which is showing a steady staircase improvement each year (and the “Less

than 3%” and “3-5%” categories, are trending downwards). So survey results indicate that 44% of contractor reported margins greater than 15%; another 33% reported margins in the 10-15% range. That means that 77% of contractors responding generate profits of 10% or greater. It’s important to note, however, that because all the lists were whittled to 50 rather than 75 companies – meaning 25 companies with lower sales volumes were left off – there’s a possibility that profit margin results are skewed toward the higher end. But it’s only a possibility. There’s as good a chance that smaller companies with lower overhead could be reporting double-digit margins too.

What’s the Most-Profitable Service? In last year’s white paper, Pavement asked the question, “Is there a ‘most-profitable’ pavement maintenance service?” Over the following pages profit margin results are broken down within each segment – and arguments can be made for both paving and sealcoating — but the short answer is probably “No.” The four categories are very similar in their margin breakdowns with the following reporting margins of 10% or more (percentages in parentheses are last year’s figures when lists contained 75 companies each): • 77% of the Sealcoating 50 (64%) • 77% of the Pavement Repair 50 (64%) • 73% of the Striping 50 (62%) • 73% of the Paving 50 (59%)

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SEALCOATING 50

2017 TOP

CONTRACTOR

Allan Heydorn, Editor

2017 Sealcoating 50 More sealcoaters earning greater profits SEALCOATING-ONLY SALES for the 2017 Sealcoating 50 totaled $112,311,455 – a significant decline from last year’s $201,503,509 (and less than half of the sealcoating-only sales totals at their 2015 peak of $249 million). But as with other segments, this list was reduced by one-third due to fewer contractors completing the survey form. Correspondingly, total sales for all the work the 2017 Sealcoating 50 did was $885,005,566, down from $1.299 billion last year, which was down from $1.531 billion in 2015 (which was a more than 50% jump from $1.058 billion in 2014). Sealcoating-only sales trailed all other industry segments, with paving-only sales surpassing $503 million, pavement repair-only sales coming in second at more than $165 million, and striping-only sales topping $139 million. Keeping in line with the other sealcoating segment results, average sealcoating-only sales were $2,246,229, down from $2,756,143 last year and from $3.3 million in 2015. But average sealcoating-only sales were up from the 2014 average figure of $2 million. Sealcoating-only sales represent 13% of total Sealcoating 50 list sales (15% last year), with the other sales the result of a broad mix of pavement maintenance-related work, including: • 42 companies perform paving work (84%) • 47 companies perform striping work (94%) • 43 companies perform pavement repair work (86%) As these figures indicate, the Sealcoating 50 represent a snapshot of the diversity within the industry as

almost all list members perform other pavement maintenance services. As the profit margin chart on this page shows, contractor profit margins within the Sealcoating 50 continue to shift upwards. The percentage of contractors reporting margins of greater than 15% rose from 26% in 2016 to 44% this year. Sealcoating 50 contractors also reported a jump from 28% to 33% in margins of 10-15%. So contractors reporting margins of greater than 10% rose from 64% in 2016 to 77% this year. But it’s fair to say that at least some of that increase results from cutting 25 of the smaller contractors from the list.

Where Sealcoaters Work

parking lots, 18% reporting 90% or more of sales from parking lots, and 66% reporting sales from sealcoating driveways. All of the Sealcoating 50 indicated they generate sales from parking lot work. Still, 58% report sales from work on streets and 16% report they work on highways.

The Sealcoating 50’s Customers • 49 contractors work for commercial/ industrial customers (98%) • 44 contractors work for multi-family residential customers (88%) • 38 contractors work for municipal clients (76%) • 26 contractors work for single-family homeowners (52%)

There’s no question that the Sealcoating 50 emphasize off-road work, with 10% reporting 100% of sales from

16 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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2017 TOP

* = Did Not Answer

Striping

Sweeping

Pavement Repair

Other

Highways

Streets/Roads

Parking Lots

Driveways

Other

Commercial

Municipal

Multi-family

Single-family

Other

Customer Mix (%)

Sealcoating

Where We Work (%)

Paving

Sales Composition (%) Year in Business

CONTRACTOR

SEALCOATING 50

A&A Paving - Roselle, IL

Ace Asphalt of Arizon - Phoenix, AZ

ACI Asphalt & Concrete, Inc - Maple Grove, MN

All County Paving - Delray Beach, FL

American Asphalt R & R Co.,Inc - Hayward, CA

ASAP Asphalt Sealing And Paving Co. LLC - McMurray, PA

Asphalt Solutions Inc. - Youngstown, OH

100

ASR Services - Anchorage , AK

Atlantic Southern Paving and Sealcoating - Sunrise, FL

Birmingham Sealcoat - Oxford, MI

Black Diamond Paving and Concrete - Hayward, CA

Brahney Paving / 1-877-FIX-ASPHALT - Mullica Hill, NJ

100

C & R Asphalt, LLC - Lexington, KY

Caldwell Paving LLC - Charleston, TN

Collegiate Sealers & Paving - Chantilly, VA

Constantine Sealing Service - Glastonbury, CT

CPM (CA Pavement Maintenance) - Sacramento, CA

D & G Sealcoating and Striping Inc. - Ft. Myers, FL

Daniel B. Krieg, Inc. - Harrisburg, PA

DH Striping Company - Oviedo, FL

Dominion Paving & Sealing - Purcellville, VA

Eosso Brothers Inc. - Hazlet, NJ

Erickson Asphalt Services - Princeton, MN

F. Allied Construction Co., Inc - Clarkston, MI

Finley Asphalt & Sealing - Bristow, VA

Great American Sealcoating - Hillsborough, NJ

Harding Group - Indianapolis, IN

J & J Enterprises Inc. - Las Vegas, NV

Luizzi Bros. Sealcoating & Striping - Albany, NY

M&D Blacktop Co - Grove City, OH

Magic Seal LLC - Hilton, NY

Maul Asphalt - Plainfield, IL

100

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18 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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2017 TOP

* = Did Not Answer

Striping

Sweeping

Pavement Repair

Other

Highways

Streets/Roads

Parking Lots

Driveways

Other

Commercial

Municipal

Multi-family

Single-family

Other

Customer Mix (%)

Sealcoating

Where We Work (%)

Paving

Sales Composition (%) Year in Business

CONTRACTOR

SEALCOATING 50

Moore Seal Inc. - Townsend, DE

Neff Paving - Zanesville, OH

O’Leary Asphalt Inc. - Ijamsville, MD

Parker Line Striping Inc - DeKalb Junction, NY

100

Precision Striping and Sealcoating, Inc. - Blairstown, NJ

Pro-Pave Incorporated - Sterling, VA

Pro-Seal Asphalt Contractors - North Charleston, SC

Pro-Seal Services, Inc. - Powhatan, VA

Rabine Group - Schaumburg, IL

Reese’s Sealcoating Inc - Acampo, CA

Richland Sealcoating Co., Inc - Mansfield, OH

Rose Paving LLC - Bridgeview, IL

100

Stripe-A-Zone, Inc. - Grand Prairie, TX

T&N Asphalt Services, Inc. - Salt Lake City, UT

The Surface Masters, Inc. - Marietta, GA

100

U.S. Pavement Services - Woburn, MA

United Paving Co. - Corona, CA

Yeager Asphalt Inc. - Carrollton, MI

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20 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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PAVING 75

2017 TOP

CONTRACTOR

Allan Heydorn, Editor

The 2017 Striping 50 Striping list reinforces its status as most-stable industry segment IN LAST YEAR’S white paper, we noted that of all the Top Contractor lists, the Striping list showed not only the steadiest growth, but also the most stability. We theorized that where other industry segments were severely hit by the Great Recession, it’s possible that the lower-cost striping services were not hit as hard. So, we continued, it’s possible there wasn’t the pent-up demand for striping, meaning there weren’t the huge leaps seen in the sealcoating and paving sales lists in 2015 and 2016. The white paper noted that “A similar steady uptick in striping-only sales for this [striping] list in 2017 will likely affirm that and demonstrate a stable – possibly the most stable – segment of the paving & pavement maintenance industry.” And that’s exactly what happened. Total striping-only sales for the 2017 Striping 50 was $139,214,580 – up from just over $133 million last year. And that’s despite the Striping list being cut from 75 to 50 companies! That growth in striping-only sales continues the trend that we started tracking in 2014 with $92 million and $112 million in 2015. The Striping 50 surely has demonstrated its stability and a steady growth pattern for the striping aspect of their sales. Unfortunately total sales for all the work the 2017 Striping 50 did decline to $926,195,292 from $1.177 billion last year, from $1.5 billion in 2015, and from just over $1 billion in 2014. But it’s fair to say that had we been able to expand the list to include 75 firms the 2017 total sales figure would have neared or surpassed last year’s total. Striping-only sales represent 15% of total list sales, up from 11% last

year, 7% in 2015 and from 9% in 2014. Average striping-only sales for 2017 was $2,784,291 – up from $1.774 million in 2016, from $1.492 million in 2015 and from $1.297 million in 2014. Other revenue was generated as follows: • 36 companies pave (72%) • 44 companies sealcoat (88%) • 39 companies repair pavement (78%)

Profit Margin Growth Sales increases don’t necessarily translate into bottom-line profit, but we’re happy to note that profit margins for the Striping 50 continue a shift to larger margins. Margins for the Striping 50 have been edging higher since Pavement began the lists five years ago. Those reporting margins greater than 15% rose to 48% up from 39% in 2016 and 31% in 2015 (and from 30% in 2014 and 17% in 2013). And while companies earning 10-15% profit declined to 25% from 28% last year, the percentage of contractors earning more than 10% profit rose to 73% (67% last year, 64% in 2015).

The percentage of contractors earning 5% or less remained stable at 4%, still a significant improvement over the 10% figure reported in 2015.

Where Stripers Work All Striping 50 companies generate sales from parking lot work, with 7 companies reporting 100% of sales from parking lots and another 10 companies reporting 90% or more from parking lots. Work on roads and streets generates sales for 33 companies; 15 companies indicated they work on highways; 25 work on driveways, but it’s unlikely that involves striping.

The Striping 50’s Customers

• 49 contractors work for commercial/ industrial customers (98%) • 41 contractors work for multi-family residential customers (82%) • 39 contractors work for municipal clients (78%) • 31 contractors work for single-family homeowners (62%)

22 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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STRIPING 50 Sealcoating

Striping

Sweeping

Pavement Repair

Other

Highways

Streets/Roads

Parking Lots

Driveways

Other

Commercial

Municipal

Multi-family

Single-family

Other

Customer Mix (%)

Paving

Where We Work (%)

Year in Business

Sales Composition (%)

A&A Paving - Roselle, IL

Ace Asphalt of Arizona - Phoenix, AZ

ACI Asphalt & Concrete, Inc - Maple Grove, MN

All County Paving - Delray Beach, FL

American Asphalt R & R Co., Inc - Hayward, CA

American Roadway Logistics - Richfield, OH

100

ASAP Asphalt Sealing And Paving Co. LLC - McMurray, PA

Asphalt Maintenance Systems - South Beloit, IL

Asphalt Restoration Technology Systems, Inc. - Orlando, FL

Asphalt Solutions Inc. - Youngstown, OH

100

ASR Services - Anchorage, AK

Atlantic Southern Paving and Sealcoating - Sunrise, FL

Bloomfield Parking Lot Maintenance Inc - Freeport, NY

100

Bottom Line Striping - Paterson, NJ,

Brahney Paving / 1-877-FIX-ASPHALT - Mullica Hill, NJ

100

C & L Sweeping and Pavement Maintenance - Jackson, NJ

C & R Asphalt, LLC - Lexington, KY

Constantine Sealing Service - Glastonbury, CT

CPM (CA Pavement Maintenance) - Sacramento, CA

D & G Sealcoating and Striping Inc. - Ft. Myers, FL

D.E. Gemmill, Inc. - Red Lion, PA

DH Striping Company - Oviedo, FL

Dominion Paving & Sealing - Purcellville, VA

Eosso Brothers Inc. - Hazlet, NJ

Exterior Maintenance Service, LLC - Nashville, TN

100

F. Allied Construction Co., Inc - Clarkston, MI

Finley Asphalt & Sealing - Bristow, VA

Harding Group - Indianapolis, IN

J & J Enterprises Inc. - Las Vegas, NV

JMP Excelsior Services LLC - Oakland, NJ

Joseph McCormick Construction Co. - Erie, PA

110

Lynne Services Inc. - St. Johns, FL

100

* = Did Not Answer

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement • PAVEMENT • June/July 2017 23

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2017 TOP

Striping

Sweeping

Pavement Repair

Other

Highways

Streets/Roads

Parking Lots

Driveways

Other

Commercial

Municipal

Multi-family

Single-family

Other

Customer Mix (%)

Sealcoating

Where We Work (%)

Paving

Sales Composition (%) Year in Business

CONTRACTOR

STRIPING 50

Magic Seal LLC - Hilton, NY

Maul Asphalt - Plainfield, IL

100

Moore Seal Inc. - Townsend, DE

Neff Paving - Zanesville, OH

O’Leary Asphalt Inc. - Ijamsville, MD

Parker Line Striping Inc - DeKalb Junction, NY

100

Precision Striping and Sealcoating, Inc. - Blairstown, NJ

Pro-Pave Incorporated - Sterling, VA

Pro-Seal Asphalt Contractors - North Charleston, SC

Rabine Group - Schaumburg, IL

Rose Paving LLC - Bridgeview, IL

100

Stripe-A-Zone, Inc. - Grand Prairie, TX

Stripes & Stops Company - Houston, TX

T&N Asphalt Services, Inc. - Salt Lake City, UT

The Surface Masters, Inc. - Mariett, GA

100

U.S. Pavement Services - Woburn, MA

United Paving Co. - Corona, CA

Zone Striping, Inc. - Glassboro, NJ

100

* = Did Not Answer

24 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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2017 TOP

CONTRACTOR

Allan Heydorn, Editor

The 2017 Paving 50 Profit margins continue to trend higher for this parking lot-focused group THE 2017 PAVING 50 contractors generated $503,576,781 in paving-only sales. That’s a significant decline from almost $713 million in 2016 (and from $875 million in 2015, and $621 million in 2014), but in each of those years the list contained 75 companies. Because there are fewer companies in the list, speculation as to the decline (if there really is one, though the trend does seem to indicate it) is difficult. As we pointed out last year, paving-only sales in 2015 list were so high at least partly as a result of the pent-up demand from the Great Recession (work was completed in 2014). Once that demand was met, the markets could have settled into a more normal rhythm. As in the past, paving-only sales continue to dwarf sales of other industry segments, with pavement repair-only sales coming in second at more than $165 million, followed by striping-only sales of more than $139 million and sealcoatingonly sales of more than $112 million. That paving volume outpaces all other categories makes complete sense given the size, cost, cost of material and complex nature of many hot mix asphalt paving jobs.

Total Sales for Paving 50 Total sales for all the work the 2017 Paving 50 did was $962,411,076 – the lowest total since we began reporting this information in 2014 ($1,548 billion in 2016; $1.649 billion in 2015; $1.122 billion in 2014). So paving-only sales represent 52% of total list sales, up from 46% in 2016, down from 53% in 2015 and down from 55% in 2014. The remaining 48% of sales come from a broad mix of other pavement maintenance services: • 48 companies perform sealcoating work • 40 companies perform striping (though 32 of those companies

generate 5% or less of sales from striping) • 40 companies perform pavement repair work As the profit margin chart on this page shows, contractor profit margins within the Paving 50 are shifting upwards. The percentage of contractors reporting margins of greater than 15% remained at 33% in 2017, the same as in 2016. But Paving 50 contractors reported a large jump from 26% to 39% in margins of 10-15%. So contractors reporting margins of greater than 10% rose from 59% in 2016 to 72% this year. That compares to 63% in 2015, 54% in 2014 and 55% from 2013. Paving contractors generating less than 5% profit margin (10% of this year’s list) might need to be concerned about their margins – and their survival. And it’s certainly possible many of those lowermargin contractors are high-volume pavers (working primarily on roads and highways as opposed to parking lots?) where they make up in volume what they lack in margin. Hopefully that’s the case because

paving contractors working on driveways and parking lots who generate a lessthan-5% profit are doing themselves (and the market) a disservice.

Where Pavers Work There’s no question that the Paving 50 emphasize off-road work, with 12% reporting 100% of sales from parking lots, 16% reporting 90% or more of sales from parking lots, and 62% reporting sales from driveway paving. All of the Paving 50 indicated they generate sales from parking lot work. Still, 56% report sales from work on streets and 22% report they work on highways

The Paving 50’s Customers • 48 contractors work for commercial/ industrial customers (96%) • 44 contractors work for multi-family residential customers (88%) • 34 contractors work for municipal clients (68%) • 27 contractors work for single-family homeowners (54%)

26 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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PAVING 50 Sealcoating

Striping

Sweeping

Pavement Repair

Other

Highways

Streets/Roads

Parking Lots

Driveways

Other

Commercial

Municipal

Multi-family

Single-family

Other

Customer Mix (%)

Paving

Where We Work (%)

Year in Business

Sales Composition (%)

A&A Paving - Roselle, IL

Ace Asphalt of Arizona - Phoenix, AZ

ACI Asphalt & Concrete, Inc - Maple Grove, MN

ADC Paving - Louisville, KY

Advanced Asphalt Recycling LLC d/b/a J Metcalf Paving Waterbury, CT

All County Paving - Delray Beach, FL

American Asphalt R & R Co., Inc - Hayward, CA

ASAP Asphalt Sealing And Paving Co. LLC - McMurray, PA

Asphalt Associates Inc - Roberts, WI

Atlantic Southern Paving and Sealcoating - Sunrise, FL

Black Diamond Paving and Concrete - Hayward, CA

Brahney Paving / 1-877-FIX-ASPHALT - Mullica Hill, NJ

100

C & L Sweeping and Pavement Maintenance - Jackson, NJ

C & R Asphalt, LLC - Lexington, KY

Caldwell Paving LLC - Charleston, TN

Collegiate Sealers & Paving - Chantilly, VA

CPM (CA Pavement Maintenance) - Sacramento, CA

Daniel B. Krieg, Inc. - Harrisburg, PA

Dominion Paving & Sealing - Purcellville, VA

Eosso Brothers Inc. - Hazlet, NJ

Erickson Asphalt Services - Princeton, MN

F. Allied Construction Co., Inc - Clarkston, MI

Finley Asphalt & Sealing - Bristow, VA

Gann Asphalt & Concrete - Riverside, MO

H.G. Mays Corporation - Frankfort, KY

Harding Group - Indianapolis, IN

Intercounty Paving Co. - Carmel, NY

J & J Enterprises Inc. - Las Vegas, NV

J&L Paving - Paris, TX

Joseph McCormick Construction Co - Erie, PA

110

Lakeside Paving and Sealing Inc - Carnelian Bay, CA

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement • PAVEMENT • June/July 2017 27

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PAVING 50

2017 TOP

CONTRACTOR

Sealcoating

Striping

Sweeping

Pavement Repair

Other

Highways

Streets/Roads

Parking Lots

Driveways

Other

Commercial

Municipal

Multi-family

Single-family

Other

Customer Mix (%)

Paving

Where We Work (%)

Year in Business

Sales Composition (%)

M&D Blacktop Co - Grove City, OH

Magic Seal LLC - Hilton, NY

Maul Asphalt - Plainfield, IL

100

Neff Paving - Zanesville, OH

O’Leary Asphalt Inc. - Ijamsville, MD

Parker Line Striping Inc - DeKalb Junction, NY

100

Pro-Pave Incorporated - Sterling, VA

Rabine Group - Schaumburg, IL

Richards Paving Inc. - New Castle, DE

Roccie’s Asphalt Paving - Stamford, CT

Rose Paving LLC - Bridgeview, IL

100

Rowe Construction Group - La Porte, IN

Ruston Paving - Manassas, VA

100

Sipes Asphalt Solutions Co. - Indianapolis, IN

100

The Surface Masters, Inc. - Marietta, GA

100

U.S. Pavement Services - Woburn, MA

United Paving Co. - Corona, CA

Valley Blacktopping, Inc. - Eagan, MN

Yeager Asphalt Inc. - Carrollton, MI

* = Did Not Answer

28 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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PAVEMENT REPAIR 50

2017 TOP

CONTRACTOR

Allan Heydorn, Editor

2017 Pavement Repair 50 This up-and-down list shows the importance of repair to all contractors – as margins continue to improve THIS LIST HAS fluctuated significantly year to year, partly because it’s gone from 75 companies to 50 to 75 and then this year back again to 50. But as the figures below hint, there’s got to be more to the fluctuation than the size of the list. Start with this year’s Pavement Repair-only sales, which totaled $165,080,441 for 50 contractors. Now consider this: • 2016 – $255 million in sales, list size 75 companies • 2015 – $269 million in sales, list size 50 companies • 2014 – $141 million in sales, list size 75 companies So the largest total of pavement repair-only sales was in 2015, when the list contained 50 companies – the same size list as this year when repaironly sales barely topped $165 million (second-lowest total in the four years we’ve tracked this). But regardless of where the totals are this year, and while few contractors would label themselves “pavement repair contractors,” pavement repair-only sales surpass striping-only and sealcoating-only sales. This clearly emphasizes the importance of this category not only to clients but to contractors as a revenue generator. Total sales for all the work the 2017 Pavement Repair 50 was $813,442,954, down from $1.28 billion last year, which was down $500 million from 2015 when only 50 companies reported $1.779 billion in sales (which was up more than $700 million over 2014’s sales of $1.044 billion when the list had 75 contractors). Pavement repair-only sales account for 20% of total list sales – the same as in

2016. Average pavement repair-only sales for 2017 was $3,301,608 – very close to the average repair-only sales last year of $3,356,169 (down from $5.3 million in 2015, which was way up from $1.88 million in 2014). With pavement repair-only sales accounting for only 20% of list sales, it’s clear that this work goes hand-in-hand with other pavement maintenance work. Contractors in the Pavement Repair 50 perform other work as follows: • 47 contractors perform striping work (94%) though striping is a much less significant aspect of the business • 47 perform paving work (94%) • 48 perform sealcoating work (96%)

(vs. 62% last year, 64% in 2015 and 60% in 2014). No contractors reported earning less than 3% margin.

Profit Margins Grow

The Pavement Repair 50’s Customers

For this year’s Pavement Repair 50, profit margins are sound – and continue to improve: 44% reported margins greater than 15% (up from 36% last year, 28% in 2015 and from 34% in 2014); 33% reported margins between 10-15% (up from 26% last year but down slightly from 36% in 2015 and 2014). That means that 77% of the Pavement Repair 50 generated more than 10% profit from their work

Where the Pavement Repair 50 Work As with the Sealcoating 50, work for contractors in the Pavement Repair list is focused off-road, with 12% reporting 100% of sales from parking lots, 26% reporting 90% or more of sales from parking lots, and 64% reporting sales from driveway work. All of the Pavement Repair 50 indicated they generate sales from parking lot work. Still, 56% report sales from work on streets and 16% report they work on highways.

• 49 contractors work for commercial/ industrial customers (98%) • 45 contractors work for multi-family residential customers (90%) • 35 contractors work for municipal clients (70%) • 23 contractors work for single-family homeowners (46%)

30 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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2017 TOP

* = Did Not Answer

Striping

Sweeping

Pavement Repair

Other

Highways

Streets/Roads

Parking Lots

Driveways

Other

Commercial

Municipal

Multi-family

Single-family

Other

Customer Mix (%)

Sealcoating

Where We Work (%)

Paving

Sales Composition (%) Year in Business

CONTRACTOR

PAVING 75

A&A Paving- Roselle, IL

Ace Asphalt of Arizona - Phoenix, AZ

ACI Asphalt & Concrete, Inc - Maple Grove, MN

Advanced Asphalt Recycling LLC d/b/a J Metcalf Paving Waterbury, CT

All County Paving - Delray Beach, FL

American Asphalt R & R Co.,Inc - Hayward, CA

ASAP Asphalt Sealing And Paving Co. LLC - McMurray, PA

Asphalt Associates Inc - Roberts, WI

Asphalt Maintenance Systems - South Beloit, IL

Asphalt Restoration Technology Systems, Inc. - Orlando, FL

Asphalt Solutions Inc. - Youngstown, OH

100

ASR Services - Anchorage, AK

Atlantic Southern Paving and Sealcoating - Sunrise, FL

Birmingham Sealcoat - Oxford, MI

Brahney Paving / 1-877-FIX-ASPHALT - Mullica Hill, NJ

100

C & R Asphalt, LLC - Lexington, KY

Collegiate Sealers & Paving - Chantilly, VA

Constantine Sealing Service - Glastonbury, CT

CPM (CA Pavement Maintenance) - Sacramento, CA

Dominion Paving & Sealing - Purcellville, VA

EastCoat Pavement Services - Clinton, CT

100

Eosso Brothers Inc. - Hazlet, NJ

Erickson Asphalt Services - Princeton, MN

Exterior Maintenance Service, LLC - Nashville, TN

100

F. Allied Construction Co., Inc - Clarkston, MI

Finley Asphalt & Sealing - Bristow, VA

Gann Asphalt & Concrete - Riverside, MO

Giordano Construction Inc. - Houston, TX

Harding Group - Indianapolis, IN

J & J Enterprises Inc. - Las Vegas, NV

J&L Paving - Paris, TX

Joseph McCormick Construction Co. - Erie, PA

110

Sponsored by

32 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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PAVEMENT REPAIR 50 * = Did Not Answer

Sealcoating

Striping

Sweeping

Pavement Repair

Other

Highways

Streets/Roads

Parking Lots

Driveways

Other

Commercial

Municipal

Multi-family

Single-family

Other

Customer Mix (%)

Paving

Where We Work (%)

Year in Business

Sales Composition (%)

Lakeside Paving and Sealing Inc - Carnelian Bay, CA

Luizzi Bros. Sealcoating & Striping - Albany, NY

M&D Blacktop Co - Grove City, OH

Neff Paving - Zanesville, OH

O’Leary Asphalt Inc. - Ijamsville, MD

Parker Line Striping Inc - DeKalb Junction, NY

100

Pro-Pave Incorporated - Sterling, VA

Pro-Seal Asphalt Contractors - North Charleston, SC

Pro-Seal Services, Inc. - Powhatan, VA

Rabine Group - Schaumburg, IL

Richards Paving Inc. - New Castle, DE

Richland Sealcoating Co., Inc - Mansfield, OH

Ruston Paving - Manassas, VA

100

Seal-O-Matic Pavement Solutions - Olathe, KS

T&N Asphalt Services, Inc. - Salt Lake City, UT

The Surface Masters, Inc. - Marietta, GA

100

U.S. Pavement Services - Woburn, MA

United Paving Co. - Corona, CA

Sponsored by

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement • PAVEMENT • June/July 2017 33

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Sweeping

Sweeper Maintenance Tips

A good preventative maintenance program is the best cost-benefit value to your sweeper. PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE now could save you and your crew from an even bigger headache down the road. Vital sweeper systems and parts must be well maintained – and replaced – on time as needed. Here are 10 tips to keep your sweeper performing at top performance: 1. Clean the debris hopper daily. Cleaning helps avoid dirt accumulation, which will generate rust as well as restrict the airflow and the performance. 2. Maintain the hopper screen. Keeping the hopper screen clean and free of any obstructions is essential because it is the central area where the airflow will move freely to the fan. 3. Inspect the fan and fan inlet. An inspection should be done daily. Look for debris buildup that can cause vibration and result in bearing and driveline damage. The fan should be replaced at the first sign of machine vibration. When it is time to replace the fan, the driveline

NPE 2018 to Offer Sweeper Maintenance Seminar Proper maintenance of street and parking lot sweepers has a significant impact on client satisfaction and contractor profitability, and that’s especially true where preventive maintenance is concerned. To make contractors aware of the importance of preventive maintenance and to help them set up their own in-house program, National Pavement Expo will offer “Sweeper Maintenance for Reliability & Performance” as part of its 2018 conference program, Feb. 7-10 in Cleveland, OH. “Routine maintenance is as simple as oil and filter changes as well as cleaning and checking fluid levels, but preventive maintenance goes above and beyond day-to-day tasks,” according to the session description. “In this session, you’ll learn that preventive maintenance is a systematic inspection of equipment components where potential problems can be detected and corrected before any failures can occur. You’ll learn preventive maintenance practices including adjustments, repairs, worn part replacements and partial or complete assembly overhauls. Routine and preventive maintenance proactively helps to keep your equipment up and running, preventing any unplanned downtime and expensive costs from unanticipated equipment failures. By educating and training your operators and technicians to recognize and diagnose potential problems before they occur, you can prevent lengthy and costly break downs. You’ll take home specific guidelines on how to maintain your sweeper, with expert advice on key recommendations of operational and adjustment tips to improve your sweeper’s performance -- and your bottom line.” Presented by Costas Cordonis, Schwarze Industries, the session is open to all contractors and is a free session for members of the North American Power Sweeping Association. For details on this and NPE’s 54 conference sessions visit www. nationalpavementexpo.com.

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should also be replaced with new bearings to keep it fresh and up-to-date. 4. Inspect and replace air seals. All rubber seals that are associated with the fan inlet, intake tubes and doors of the hopper should be replaced when they become worn to keep a tight seal for optimum vacuum. All rubber seals should be replaced routinely. 5. Inspect and adjust the sweeping head. On all air sweepers, the sweeping head is considered the most important part of the machine. Any time the sweeping head is out of adjustment, the sweeper performance will decline dramatically. 6. Inspect the rubber skirts daily. The rubber skirts reach the ground, so make sure they are sealing to the ground creating an optimum vacuum. The rubber skirts should be replaced when it is no longer possible to achieve a good seal on the ground. 7. Adjust & replace curb brooms. The curb brooms are designed to move the debris from the curbs to the path of the sweeping head. As the curb brooms wear, they will require adjustment. It is necessary to replace the bristles or adjust the curb brooms’ strike pattern (as specified in your sweeper owner’s manual) to maintain the optimum settings. The curb broom bristles should be replaced when it is no longer possible to achieve the strike pattern to clean the curb efficiently. 8. Monitor & maintain the hydraulic system. The hydraulic system of the sweeper should be maintained regularly with the correct viscosity oil, hydraulic filter changes and pressure settings to ensure high performance. Replace weak or inoperative hydraulic components at the first sign of hydraulic pressure loss. 9. Inspect the water system. A properly functioning water system will keep debris moist as it enters the hopper, not allowing it to stick to the screen, which would restrict airflow. Inspect the water filter daily to make sure it’s kept clean and the spray nozzles are clear. 10. Maintenance Schedule Log. Be sure to keep a documented maintenance schedule to ensure a long life for all the parts on your machine.

Every sweeper that leaves the factory comes with an operations and maintenance manual which covers both the sweeper unit and chassis truck. Go through that manual when you first receive the unit as maintenance can change from model year to year.

Contributed by Schwarze Industries. For additional information visit the Schwarze website at www.schwarze.com

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Defects & Solutions

Jessica Stoikes, Associate Editor

How to Repair Oil Spots on

ASPHALT

Your customers hate them; You need to know how to get rid of them – and fast THERE ARE BASICALLY three stages of deterioration as a result of an oil spot on an asphalt pavement, and these stages determine the appropriate repair approach. Left untreated, however, these stains can lead to further softening of the asphalt area and, in cases of older asphalt, extensive deterioration. Knowing what the stages are and understanding how to treat the damage at each level is the key to repairing oil spots.

When oil stains are noticed, they should be addressed as soon as possible by scrubbing with a detergent and flushed thoroughly with water. This will protect the asphalt pavement and the sealer from degrading.

STAGE ONE: No Damage, Clean & Seal When your customers are first considering a sealcoat application after paving, contractors should be on the lookout for oil stains before proceeding. “The very best way to protect an asphalt parking lot from oil damage is to sealcoat the entire area within 12

months of paving,” says Jeff Cayton, regional vice president at Neyra Industries. “That first sealer treatment, if done in a timely manner, is the best way to protect from oil and chemical spills and will greatly improve the life cycle of that pavement.” When oil is first introduced to an asphalt pavement it will start out as just a stain. At this point, oil has not yet penetrated the surface of the asphalt. “An oil stain is a dark mark that happens when oil drips on a parking lot,” says Bill Maclean, The Brewer Company. “There is no damage from a stain because the parking lot has either been sealed or the surface is very old and oxidized so there’s a stain, but no damage. An oil spot is heavier than that and within six months to a year, these spots cause the asphalt to become soft and encounter damage." When oil stains are noticed, they should be addressed as soon as possible by scrubbing with a detergent and flushed thoroughly with water. This will protect the asphalt pavement and the sealer from degrading. “If the pavement is already degraded from oil penetration, the only true fix is to remove the contaminated asphalt and replace it with virgin hot mix asphalt,” Cayton says. “As we all have experienced, many property managers do not want to spend the amount of money required to properly fix oil-degraded asphalt, which usually leads to oil spot priming and sealcoating.” Oil-spot primers allow the sealcoat to bond to the oil-stained surface again. You may want to test a small area to make sure that the material adheres properly before continuing the remainder of the sealcoating project. “As long as nothing is loose, as long as

If the asphalt has not been sealed, the oil will start to dissolve the asphalt binder in the pavement, leading to pitting. Pitting compounds the problem because pitting allows water to wash other oil and chemicals into the pitted area, further deteriorating the pavement.

the asphalt binder hasn’t been destroyed under the oil spot, primers help hold things together again and prevent additional damage,” Maclean says. “It will help the pavement sealer stick to the surface since it obviously won’t stick to oil.” Cost impact: Minimal. It should be considered an additional preparation for your sealcoating application.

STAGE TWO: Minimal Damage Showing Exposed Surface, Repair Needed When the oil spot on the pavement has started to create minimal surface damage to the top layer of the asphalt

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surface, the pavement now is in stage two of deterioration. “This can happen fairly rapidly,” Maclean says. “Something that was just 1/8-in. deep is now all of a sudden after one winter 3/4-in. deep and needs to be repaired.” At this point, the pavement may be experiencing raveling, which is a loss of aggregates, and the pavement is exposed or possibly forming a small depression. “If the asphalt has not been sealed, the oil will start to dissolve the asphalt binder in the pavement leading to pitting,” Cayton says. “When pitting occurs, the problem is compounded by allowing water to wash other oil and chemicals into the pitted area, further deteriorating the pavement.” While not recommended by manufacturers, contractors will sometimes burn off the excess oil with a torch, apply an emulsion and resurface the location with hot mix asphalt. In the northeast and Canada, many paving contractors are now using infrared heaters to repair this type of Stage Two damage. Cost impact: Medium. This type of repair will usually require an asphalt patch crew to complete before sealcoating.

If the oil spot has caused enough damage that it’s into the surface of the asphalt, where stones are loose and coming out because the binder is dissolved, then oil spots need to be saw cut and patched.

STAGE THREE: Severe Damage, Saw Cut & Replace Asphalt At this point, there is extensive damage and deterioration to the pavement. The oil-stained area is now exhibiting softening of the pavement section. Your customer really only has two options to consider. “A cold patch will never do an adequate job,” Maclean says. “If the spot has caused enough damage that it’s into the surface of the asphalt, where stones are loose and coming out of the surface because the binder is dissolved, then the spot needs to be saw cut and patched.” A saw cut provides clean, sound edges for the patch and removes the affected area to the full depth of the paved section. The contractor then reconstructs the patch, often with multiple layers of hot mix asphalt. This method would allow you to remove all the affected paving area and ensure that the oil spot is gone forever. Cost impact: High. However, it may be cost effective if performed in conjunction with other asphalt site repairs. It also would be cost effective over the long term as the repair will extend the life of that area of pavement. Another option instead of saw cutting is to consider using a small cold planer to mill away the top 1.5 to

When an oil spot starts to create raveling and causes aggregates to break away from the surface, a repair needs to take place to protect the integrity of the asphalt and the base material underneath from further damage.

2-in. of existing material to remove the oil damage. After the damaged area is removed, clean the affected area, apply a tack coat and resurface with hot mix asphalt. Cost impact: Higher than normal, but this method is very effective in removing the oil-affected area and can be less expensive than saw cut removal and replacement (provided you have access to a mill). Whichever method your customer chooses, it’s important your customers know that oil spots left untreated will continue to erode and damage their asphalt pavement surface, potentially damaging a larger area, resulting in much higher repair costs. “There’s no other way to address it,” Maclean says. “Once the asphalt surface is damaged, you can’t really shovel something in there and hope it’s going to last.” Understanding the stages of damage caused by oil spots enables you to provide options to your customers on how they can best protect their pavement investment and extend its life cycle.

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Crack Sealing Jessica Stoikes, Associate Editor

Crack Sealing as a Pretreatment Improves Preservation Treatment

RESULTS

NCAT study shows that crack sealing as a pretreatment before a preservation application can prevent cracking GENERALLY, PRESERVATION treatments and pavement overlays are used to restore surface course characteristics such as smoothness, friction and aesthetics, or to add structural support to an existing pavement. However, any preservation treatment needs to be placed on a structurally

sound base. If an existing pavement is cracked or provides inadequate structural support, these defects will often reflect through even the best-constructed overlay and cause premature pavement failure in the form of cracks and deformations. To maximize the useful life of a pavement, failed sections of the existing pavement should be patched or replaced and existing pavement cracks should be filled. Cracks are going to happen in asphalt pavement and when they do, it's important to stop them from further damaging the surface and creating potholes.

Before proceeding with any type of surface treatment, consider these points about crack sealing as a preservation pretreatment. What is it: Crack sealing is the placement of specialized treatment materials (crack sealant) above or into cracks to prevent the intrusion of water and incompressible materials. Why crack sealing is needed: Cracking is a common and unavoidable type of damage found in asphalt pavement. The Asphalt Institute indicates that crack sealing is the single

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Section L7 received a crack seal pretreatment and then the chip seal application. In this section, the pavement showed 100% less cracking in year one and 100% less cracking still at year two compared to the control -- just by adding crack sealing prior to the chip seal application.

most-important pavement maintenance activity. Sealing cracks promptly helps to prevent water penetration which can accelerate the deterioration of the pavement and result in potholes and base failures. Where to do it: Crack sealing maintains a tightly sealed crack only as long as the pavement remains stationary and the pavement is structurally sound. In climates with extreme temperatures, where expansion and contraction of the pavement occurs often, resealing may be necessary every year. Sealing and filling should be done only on dry surfaces and when the temperature is above 40° F. (Cooler temperatures cause the pavement to contract, opening the crack and making it easier to fill properly.) Traffic can be allowed on sealed cracks immediately if a detackifying agent is used, otherwise traffic should not be allowed on the sealed cracks until sealant has cured. Why/when you should not crack seal: According to the Asphalt Institute, sealing and filling cracks should not be done on a pavement that has significant structural problems as crack sealing or filling does not provide any structural improvement to the pavement. If the pavement has base failures, severe rutting or fatigue (alligator) cracking, crack sealing/filling is not an appropriate preservation option. Preservation prognosis: Crack sealing can extend the life of the pavement 2-5 years; can provide a 10-point sustained increase in Pavement Condition Index (PCI) for 7 years when compared to an untreated crack; can reduce potholes and secondary cracking; and can maintain pavement smoothness over a 5-year period when compared to a pavement that has not been crack sealed.

Improving Results through Research Studies Therefore, treating cracks prior to any surface treatment is vital to assuring the desired performance of the surface treatment. Recently, the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) in Auburn, AL, completed a study regarding the effects crack sealing has on the success of a preservation treatment. The comprehensive three-year study from 2012-2015 evaluated 25 different treatments. There were a variety of results, but in regards to crack sealing as a pretreatment, the study found that: • Crack sealing reduced development of interconnected cracking and reduced subgrade moisture levels • Crack sealing as pretreatment

Section L12 comparatively received crack sealing as a pretreatment before the micro surface course. At year one, there was 90% less cracking and at year two, there was 60% less cracking compared to the control.

improved surface treatment results for chip seals and micro surfacing The study used 25 different sections along with a control section to study each different preservation treatment. The control in this study is defined as normal cracking as if no treatment was applied. NCAT compared the results of the preservation treatments with the control section. The first section of notice for the study is Section L5, where NCAT

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Crack Sealing applied only a crack sealing treatment to the pavement. The result is that after year one, the pavement had 100% less cracking than the control group, and after year two the pavement had 75% fewer cracks when compared to the control section. NCAT also created sections of pavement that were to receive other preservation treatment methods. They compared those sections to both the control and to sections that received crack sealing as a pretreatment before the preservation treatment.

Crack Sealing & Chip Seals Section L6 received only a chip seal treatment. Compared to the control, the pavement had 100% less cracking at year one, but at year two the treatment had 25% more cracking than the control group without any treatment. The next section, L7, received a crack seal pretreatment and then the chip seal application. In this section, the

pavement showed 100% less cracking in year one and 100% less cracking still at year two compared to the control – just by adding crack sealing prior to the chip seal application. By completing crack sealing as a pretreatment prior to a chip seal, the pavement went from 25% more cracking with a chip seal alone at year two to 100% less cracking with a chip seal over crack seal pretreatment, showing that a small investment yields a large return.

Crack Sealing & Micro Surfacing The study then focused on micro surfacing as a preservation treatment option. Section L11 received a micro surfacing treatment with no crack sealing pretreatment. At year one there was 50% less cracking than the control section. At year two there was 15% less cracking than the control.

Section L12 comparatively received crack sealing as a pretreatment before the micro surfacing course. At year one there was 90% less cracking – a 40% improvement over the L11 section – and at year two there was 60% less cracking –- a 45% improvement -- compared to the control. NCAT and other municipalities are continuing to study crack sealing as an inexpensive way to extend the life of the pavement. Crack sealing has demonstrated to be the lowest cost preservation treatment with the highest benefit to cost ratio and is one of the the best investments to protect pavement. Crack sealing has been shown to extend pavement life more than five years while improving sealant service life, pavement service life, PCI and pavement smoothness (IRI).

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Contractors ’ Choice: Snow Removal Jessica Stoikes, Associate Editor

What Snow Removal Equipment Should You Add to Your Pavement Maintenance Business? Manufacturers recommend these items for contractors entering the snow business WE KNOW. It’s the middle of the summer and we’re trying to talk to you about snow. Trust us though. When that white stuff starts falling, you’ll be glad we helped you prepare your business to withstand the change in the weather. Without realizing it, many construction contractors already have some of the most expensive equipment needed for snow handling – skid steers, track loaders, pickup trucks, wheel loaders etc. You have the equipment 12 months out of the year, why not use it? Pavement maintenance contractors also have the commercial relationships already developed to easily become a snow partner with your summer maintenance customers. "Some larger accounts, such as home owner associations, typically only look for four-season providers," says Michael Frank, senior product manager at SnowEx. "By adding snow and ice control, it may give a contractor access to a larger/better customer base…one that opens the door to more clients for the pavement maintenance side of the business too." Plus, as a pavement professional completing snow maintenance, you can give your customers peace of mind that you’re going to do everything you can to protect that pavement. Someone is out there doing it, why shouldn't it be you? But before you jump into adding snow handling as a way to keep business flowing during winter, put some time and consideration into what current pieces of equipment you will use and

what additional support equipment you may need. Here’s what manufacturers say are the essential items contractors should add to their snow removal fleet.

Keeping it Compact Since you most likely have a skid steer that’s just sitting around all winter, there are additional snow removal options to consider purchasing. “Contractors use compact equipment because oftentimes a pickup truck is too cumbersome and can’t fit into tight

spaces,” says Mike Fitzgerald, loader product specialist, Bobcat Company. This is why snow removal is a great business to put your company equipment to use year-round. "You can use a standard skid loader bucket to move snow, but if you’re getting serious about snow removal you need to step up to dedicated snow attachments," says John Dotto, brand marketing manager, CASE Construction Equipment. "The type of attachments you choose should take into account a number of factors. The size and weight

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of your skid steer will dictate the size snow push or plow blade your machine can handle. Consider putting on some additional counterweight, if you haven’t already, to improve traction and pushing performance in heavy, wet snow." Attachments most commonly used with skid steer loaders are the snow blade, snow V-blade, angle broom, push broom, snowblower, scraper, snow pusher and buckets. For further versatility, many snow removal companies opt for a snow V-blade because it can be configured five different ways — as a straight blade, V-cut blade, scoop blade and 30° left- or right-angle blade. Due to time constraints, crews can’t always clear jobsites before traffic drives over the freshly fallen snow. So for snow removal jobs that require removing hard-packed snow and ice, Fitzgerald suggests using a scraper attachment. It has a self-sharpening cutting edge that easily slides under stubborn snow and ice on pavement to produce a smooth surface.

Many pavement maintenance contractors already have the more expensive equipment like skid steers, pickup trucks and UTV’s in their fleet. This equipment can be used yearround for snow removal.

clearing commercial parking lots and there is pedestrian and vehicle traffic to contend with, you’re going to want to be as visible as possible."

It’s a Push A snowblower attachment proves ideal for blowing snow away from the area, into a pile or dump truck with a truck-loading chute. "If you’re looking to use a snowblower to throw snow away from the site, you’ll need to consider hydraulic flow rates and make sure you’ve got the correct electrical auxiliary circuits to take full advantage of all of the blower’s functions," Dotto says. "Most snow attachments come in a wide variety of widths, from small sidewalk-sized V-plows and snow blowers, to pushes and blades that are 10 ft. wide or wider. Understanding what your machines are capable of, and the space limitations of the area you are clearing should all be considered when selecting a snow attachment." For lighter snowfalls, attach an angle broom, which is ideal for sweeping less than 6 in. of snow. In addition to clearing snow from parking lots, sidewalks and pathways in the winter, these attachments can be used for sweeping away dirt, leaves, gravel and other debris, which makes them valuable all year-round. "One more thing to consider for your skid steer snow removal fleet is lighting," Dotto says. "Look for lighting package options that throw light all around the machine, and consider adding additional warning lights such as beacons or four corner strobes. If you’re

A snowblower attachment is ideal for b lowing snow away from an area, into a pile or dump truck with a truck-loading chute.

For a pavement maintenance contractor just entering the snow business, a snowpusher attachment may be an ideal solution. Compatible with smaller-sized skid steers, tractors and wheel loaders weighing up to 5,000 lbs., snow pushers are perfect for clearing small parking lots, sidewalks and larger driveways. The pushers can also help reduce fuel and salt usage by increasing pushing efficiency and eliminating follow-up plowing. “Skid steers, backhoes and wheel loaders are attractive for pushers in a ‘big box’ parking lot because they move a ton of snow and they move it all to one spot instead of windrowing it,” says Doug Clark, product manager with Western Plows. “Pushers require a prime mover with a lot of torque and traction to move this weight.” This is why it’s important to select a pusher with the proper size and weight that match the skid steer or loader as well as for the application. Bigger pushers aren’t always better. For example, a skid steer equipped with a 10-ft. pusher ideally clears narrow parking aisles and handicapped parking spaces during the day with traffic present — a common occurrence when people scramble for supplies to ride out the storm. A 19-ft. loader-mounted pusher works more efficiently on large lots with wider clearing areas. Veteran snow removal contractors use a formula based on acres and pushing capacity to determine productivity ahead of time. This helps create a strategy for operator schedules and determines priority when it comes to clearing properties according to size. For example, if there is 3-in. of snow on the lot a 10-ft. containment plow with a pushing capacity of 13 yds. will take

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Contractors ’ Choice: Snow Removal roughly 30 minutes to clear anywhere from two to three acres. A contractor using a 16-ft. model with a 28-yd. capacity can complete the same job in the same weather conditions in about half the time. This formula changes depending on snow conditions and characteristics, such as wet snow, which takes longer to clear, but it gives a rough time frame with which to work and helps determine the amount of pushers and machines needed.

Pickups & Plows A problem with a compact piece of equipment, though, is that it’s not as easy to transport quickly from job to job because each location requires

Balancing Act The snow removal business can be boom or bust. As a business owner, it’s important to create business contracts in a way that will help your company be profitable in a low-snow season. “This business is obviously very weather dependent,” says Doug Clark, Western Plows. “You have to be very business savvy to be profitable.” The best snow and ice contractors will manage a portfolio of whole-season contracts and contracts that are based on a per-push approach. Using both types of contracts helps you hedge your bets and ensures you can be profitable in a very unpredictable business. Under seasonal contracts you will be paid a set amount of money no matter how much it snows or how often you plow. These can be good contracts for your best customers, those with small lots and for locations that are grouped close together. Per-push contracts require payment for every job you visit and clear snow. “From the contractor’s point of view, seasonal contracts are the most lucrative when it hardly ever snows,” Clark says. “Per-push contracts are best when it’s constantly snowing. Since you can’t tell ahead of time for the year what it’s going to do, a savvy contractor will understand his cost structure and try and stabilize his income by maintaining a portfolio of each type.”

moving the equipment on a trailer. This is why some contractors prefer to use a pickup truck with a snow plow for snow removal as it’s much more versatile. "Assuming a contractor already owns a medium-duty truck, they simply need to buy a snow plow package," says Mark Klossner, vice president of marketing at BOSS Snowplow. "The mount system can be mounted to the frame of their existing trucks and easily removed when not in use." As a pavement maintenance contractor, however, it’s your job to choose a plow for your pickup that’s going to be kind to the pavement underneath the snow. “Snow plows traditionally come with steel cutting edges that are known to leave streaks and divots in the pavement,” Clark says. “Snow plow manufacturers make a number of different products that

A V-blade snowplow is an ideal purchase for pavement maintenance contractors who already own a meadium- or heavy-duty pickup. These plows are a better option to handle frozen snow.

Depending upon your pavement’s configuration, you may also consider the versatility and convenience afforded with a V-blade, which some manufacturers have built for multi-directional use as a straight blade, V-cut blade, scoop blade and a left- or right-angle blade. “For every V-plow you add, make sure you have at least three to four straight blades,” Clark adds.

Ice Control

are more surface friendly like a poly or rubber cutting edge on the plow. These will not damage the underlying surface.” The size of the plow and equipment you use will vary depending on the size of the area you are plowing. If you’re installing a plow on a pickup truck, plow recommendations are based on the Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (FGAWR) of your vehicle – which is the maximum allowable weight that can be placed on the front axle. The snow plow you use on your vehicle should comply with the FGAWR recommendations. Straight blades and V-plows (V-blades) will both get the job done, but V-plows have the ability to angle and direct snow. Straight blades are still the biggest seller and often can be more affordable than V-plows, but V-blades can be a better option for handling frozen snow.

Taking snow removal one step further, many contractors add a salt spreader to their business. "Not only will spreading salt provide a more all-encompassing service to your customer, but you’ll also increase your workload," Frank says. "Whereas pushing snow relies on snow falling in the first place, controlling ice is a winterlong battle, regardless of how much snow flies. Every company is faced with the concern of liability if someone gets injured on their property. "If you just look at Center for Disease Control statistics, roughly 800,000 people are hospitalized each year due to a slip-and-fall injury, and the overall medical costs for these injuries hits about $34 billion each year. It makes sense for business owners to take precautions to not only prevent injuries but also to make it clear that they went through the proper procedures to try and alleviate a Adding a pre-wetting system to your salt spreader will accelerate the ice-melting process for your customers.

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hazard. Because of these common business concerns, by having the ability to spread salt and sand on a property, in addition to clearing snow, that’s a major leg up over a contractor just offering snow control." A salt spreader attachment can be mounted in a UTV's cargo box or in the form of a pick-up tailgate spreader or a hopper. This can be used to spread salt and sand on sidewalks and pathways, making it ideal for more snow removal tasks for buildings and grounds applications. BOSS recently launched a new product called the QuickCube system for skid steers that helps contractors overcome many of the obstacles to growth and profitability in the ice removal business. "The system utilizes poly totes that hold about 1,000 lbs. of salt and are weather proof," Klossner says. "The totes can be pre-filled with salt and staged at a customer’s location along with a skid steer. When the winter weather hits, the operator simply travels to the jobsite and operates the skid steer to spread the salt. In addition, the contractor can purchase a box plow for the same skid-steer, which can be quickly attached to the skid steer for plowing and then quickly switched back to the QuickCube system for salting." If you're spreading salt with a pickup, efficiency is key. “If you’re starting out with one to two lots, a tailgate spreader is great,” Clark says. “Once you have four to five lots you should look in to a salt hopper. Tailgate spreaders do not handle bulk salt, you’re emptying each bag into the spreader. With a hopper, you can get more done faster.

“When it comes to snow removal, you want to look for anything that’s going to increase your efficiency,” Clark says. “If you can do anything to improve how fast you’re moving snow, like putting down more salt or adding a wide-out plow, it will result in faster plowing. This means you can attack other contracts more quickly, bringing down your marginal costs and allowing you to be more profitable.”

The QuickCube system from BOSS holds 1,000-lbs of salt that can be staged at a customer’s location for quick deployment.

Pre-Wetting as an Investment Another growing trend in snow and ice control is the use of brine. "If you’re currently spreading salt to counter ice, the first logical step to incorporating brine would be to add a pre-wet system to your spreader," Frank says. "This introduces liquid brine to the granular material being spread to accelerate the ice-melting process and to help keep the material from bouncing off the pavement being treated. "Beyond pre-wetting systems, there are dedicated brine sprayers that are designed to mount in the beds of everything from UTVs to large flat-bed trucks,” Frank says. “Though brine can be sprayed to treat ice after it has formed, one of the most popular uses for this equipment is to spray a brine solution in advance of a snow event – otherwise known as “anti-icing.” When the liquid evaporates, what’s left is a fine film of salt on the pavement surface. As snow falls, it is unable to form an ice bond to the pavement, which makes

Insurance Insights Just like other facets of your business, you need to make sure you have proper insurance coverage before you enter the snow business. “You can’t view snow removal as a profit center,” says Doug Clark, Western Plows. “You have to view it as a whole separate segment of your business and understand the insurance and the costs. Property managers will write contracts so they will put all the slip trip and falls and assume zero risk.” For full coverage on how to ensure that you have adequate coverage for your snow division, visit www.forconstructionpros. com/pavement-maintenance/ article/20860831/ensuring-adequateinsurance-coverage-for-your-snow-division

plowing snow after a storm much easier. Furthermore, this practice uses about a quarter of the salt as spreading granular material on top of ice, meaning you’re able to clear snow down to the pavement more effectively with lower effort and investment." Contractors interested in snow removal should consider joining the Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA) or the Accredited Snow Contractors Association. Klossner says SIMA, for example, has a library of resources, training and a trade show that can help a new snow and ice contractor quickly gain the skill sets needed to be successful in the industry."

Adding ice control to your snow removal business increases your work load and provides an allemcompassing service to your customers.

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Paving

Measure of

SUCCESS

The use of 3D paving helps Park Construction meet demanding NFL specs at Vikings’ new stadium HIGH FIVES AND handshakes celebrated an NFL victory four months before the opening kickoff at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The reason for the cheering? The paving crew had met the demanding flatness specs set by the NFL for the stadium bowl’s asphalt base. Park Construction, the Minneapolisbased asphalt subcontractor at the new home of the Minnesota Vikings, placed an asphalt mat that varied less than 1/8in. over a 10-ft. x 10-ft. area the entire length and width of the field. NFL officials tested the mat’s flatness with a 10-ft.- long straight edge after the two-day paving job in late April. “When he started pushing the straight

edge up the joint, which is potentially our worst spot, he just started raving about the quality of work. And then his boss started running the straight edge north and south for a few minutes, and it was the same thing. Then it was high fives and handshakes through the entire group,” says Paul Plieseis, project superintendent. The use of 3D paving helped the Park Construction crew quickly place a high quality surface. “I’ve changed my view of how tightly we can dial in the customer’s tolerances,” Plieseis says. With 3D paving, asphalt is placed based on elevation. The 3D paving system utilizes the Trimble Total Station and software onboard the paver to compare the screed position and slope with a digital design of the project. A Caterpillar AP1055E paver with an AS2302C screed laid down the mix. AccuGrade PCS900 is integrated with the Cat Grade Control factory

Park Construction placed approximately 3,000 tons of asphalt for two lifts, one was 2.5-inches. compacted and the second was 2-inches compacted.

2D system. The AccuGrade PCS900 is an overlay system that does all of the required 3D calculations, and then transmits the information to the paver’s 2D system. The 2D system then drives the machine tow-point hydraulics to the height specified by the 3D system.

Knowledge is Power To determine how to tie in asphalt to concrete features already in place at the stadium, Shawn Bloch, GPS Survey Manager for Park Construction, shot the elevation of existing concrete with a transit. He found that four elevation marks on concrete walls were within about an inch, plus or minus, of 104 feet all the way around the bowl. This wasn’t close enough for the tight tolerances

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required for asphalt paving. The actual elevation had to be adjusted at the four points. “When we reset to the actual coordinates, that brought us within our tolerance for our control,” Bloch says. Creating a 3D model of the site to download into the paver took Bloch approximately one hour. “For this project, we had three elevations. We had one elevation for the top lift of asphalt, one for the top of the base course, and one for the gravel surface. It was pretty quick and simple,” he says. Before asphalt paving could begin, approximately 75 tons of aggregate had to be removed from the bowl. Hard, packed aggregate, ½ to ¾ inches in diameter, was ripped and then graded to elevation. Park Construction had one week to complete grading. A Cat 160M Motor Grader outfitted with 3D grading, which eliminated the need for shooting grades and grading stakes, completed the work in 3 and a half days. The 3D paving job was a first for Park Construction, and some techniques needed tweaking. Steve Devlaeminck, a screed operator since the 1990s, had been taught to keep the tow point centered at zero. “We started out paving with tow points in the center at zero, and we noticed our mat was going up and down,” Devlaeminck says. “We made adjustments to correct that.”

Park Construction’s 3D paving system uses the Trimble Total Station and software onboard the paver to compare the screed posistion and slope with a digital design of the project.

when elevations were checked, and keeping a consistent head of material. "I knew my head of material was good, but we had to stop and check our elevations. Instead of stopping slowly and checking, we stopped right away. Then we went right back up to speed. That was a crucial part of ensuring the mat laid was nice,” Dilley says. Park Construction placed approximately 3,000 tons total for both lifts. The first lift was 2.5 in. compacted, and the second was 2 in. compacted. Compaction coming off the back of the screed was 89 percent.

Key Match Ups Steve Goutermont, a Caterpillar Paving consultant, mentioned that performance is improved for this paver and screed combination when the tow-point is positioned at zero-plus-paving-thickness and the angle of attack is at ¼ inch. "Once we changed the tow points and maintained our paver speed, we could see the results instantly. Everything settled down and we started getting a nicelooking mat,” Devlaeminck says. Wayne Dilley, paver operator, said his top priorities were keeping the paver as straight as possible, stopping exactly

The team met the challenge of paving a stadium bowl that is oval-shaped, and includes concrete drainage and other details like conduit for end zone cameras. “The first couple of passes around the stadium, the biggest issue we had was matching into the concrete that was in place, getting by the gate valves and catch basins that they had in place, and trying to match the surface with those elevations or those items,” Bloch says. Dilley adds, “As a paver operator and screed operator, we like to keep our

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Paving screed at the exact same width if we can. That wasn’t possible.” When screed width changed, so did the head of material. The paver’s mix delivery settings needed to be adjusted to keep the head of material consistent. “That was probably one of the bigger challenges for me,” Dilley says. Communication with the screed operator was key to keeping the initial starting pad at the correct elevation. “I started to give the guys grades on the pad that we would start on, and made sure that that was at the elevation where we needed to be,” Bloch says. “I kept shouting out numbers to him, if we were high or low.” Tolerances were close after the first day of paving, which set a benchmark for second day adjustments. “On day two, we dialed in an exact paving speed, we paved at that speed all day long, we knew exactly where our head of material had to be, and we kept it there,” Dilley

The team met the challenge of paving a stadium bowl that met flatness specs that varied less than 1/8-inches over a 10-foot x 10-foot area, the entire length and width of the field.

says. “Everybody was on their A game. That's probably one of the nicest paving jobs I've ever seen in my life.” After the first day of paving, a topographic survey was done of the entire site. “We could see what we needed exactly for thickness on day two. And then they came up with a compaction factor so that we could hit that exact elevation across the entire project,” Plieseis says. Measurements showed three low areas. “That's where I think the Trimble Software was really helpful. It was able to tell the paver that there was a low area coming up, so the screed could start making the adjusting before it

got there,” Devlaeminck says. “The 3D system allowed for highs and lows and for compaction. The end result, we hit the numbers right on.” Park Construction also had to meet the challenge of a high profile job, with numerous subcontractors working simultaneously.

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Teamwork Critical “There were a lot of eyes on us,” says John Lenarz, paving supervisor and superintendent. “We’re doing something that nobody in the industry has done before—putting an asphalt layer down underneath an athletic field. With that and just working with all the other

1. Roll Out - Peel off Release Paper Press to Adhere Strip to Pavement

trades and contractors on the site, the logistics of moving about and getting your work done, it was challenging.” "The support that the paving crew and myself received from Caterpillar, Ziegler Cat and Trimble was crucial. It was truly a team effort," Lenarz says. Morning meetings with prime contractor, Mortensen Group, included logistics of getting asphalt trucks in and out. “They would ask how many trucks for the day, how many tons for the day. They wanted to keep us moving along with our work, and maybe reroute some of the subcontractors to a different day,” Plieseis says. Hot mix left the asphalt plant at 280290° F, and the goal was to have mix delivered to the site at 250° F. “We had several laborers staged throughout the project to flag traffic, and make sure trucks weren't sitting on the street an excessive amount of time and that they could back in safely,” Plieseis says.

2. Apply Heat to Liquefy and Permanently Seal Joint

A Cat CB66B Steel Drum Roller running at low amplitude and high frequency was used for breakdown, with 90 to 91 percent compaction. A PS360C rubber tire roller, and a CB64 roller aided in compaction. A CB24B roller (3 ton) served as finish/touchup roller. Final compaction of 93-94 percent exceeded the density targets of 92 percent. In the end, the paving job was picture perfect. Before leaving the stadium, Bloch took several cell phone photos of the finished product. “It was smooth, not a roller mark or anything,” he says. “That’s because of the 3D paving system that we used. That’s the flattest, smoothest surface I’ve ever seen. It looks just perfect,” While viewers of Super Bowl LII on Feb. 4, 2018 at US Bank Stadium may not notice the exceptional flatness of the field, the crew from Park Construction will know they notched the first NFL win at the stadium.

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Classifieds

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58 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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Classifieds

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With time & money on the liline – A Arrow ddelivers. li www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement • PAVEMENT • June/July 2017 59

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Classifieds

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Please call for used parts for most striping equipment and save! 60 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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Social Media Marvin Joles III

“How to” Guide Offers Tips to More-effective Social Media Marketing Wis-Coat owner and “Social Media Sealcoater” links Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram to shortcut his marketing I REALLY WISH I had all the money back that I spent on “traditional” advertising and marketing throughout the first 10 years of my business. Not because it was a ton of money — even though to a young man starting out in the sealcoating business…it was — but because I feel like I just threw all that money out the window. The countless newspaper ads, phone book ads, radio ads and various forms of community advertising never really generated enough work to support my family for a month in rural Wisconsin, let alone the six-month season here when everybody in the asphalt maintenance industry really needs to hustle to fit as much work in as possible in while the weather allows. “Just get us through the next six months of equipment maintenance and paperwork,” I always thought. I know some guys pick up seasonal or part-time work to get through the year, and props to you guys who do this to “get it done” and “make it through.” But my goal is to generate enough income during the season to get me through the winter until the next season starts.

Trying to Sell My Value When I did get a call from my marketing, it would usually be from an older customer who, no matter how much I tried to separate myself from the “other guys” by talking until I was blue in the face, always said the last guy was cheaper.

After Before It wasn’t until I started to get my chops and courage that I began to ask those customers, “Where is that guy now”? Asking that made me feel better, but it really never seemed to matter to the customer anyway. It seemed the only time I ever got somebody to really want me to do the job was when they had seen me doing another driveway and realized that I actually cared about my work and was different than anybody who had serviced their driveway or parking lot before. That, or when the following year

One of the advantages of Facebook is contractors can post before-and-after photos, showing customers quality work— even before bidding or meeting them.

they asked their neighbor who had sealcoated their pavement the year before because it still looked awesome! Only then, in those instances, was I really able to bid what I considered to be my value, instead of bidding the cheapest price. But it still wasn’t enough to only do asphalt maintenance and make it work all year in Wisconsin. All that changed when I let customers inside my business through social media.

Easier Than You Think Wis-Coat, my asphalt maintenance company, is based in a county with a population of only 17,000 people. We service

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this market with a crew of two – me and one other person – using four trucks and a second office two hours away, plus we do some work in Iowa. Our work is split almost equally between commercial and residential customers, and about 80% of our work is sealcoating and crack filling. The remainder is patch work and striping. Each year for the last five years, we have grown between 10% and 20%. How have I made it work and grow? The answer is simple: social media. Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram, and how we can link them together and to our website. Twitter and LinkedIn play a role (but that’s another article). Now, before you turn the page or scan the pages looking for spray tip ads or deals on push blowers because you think you won’t understand anything I am going to say next…STOP! It’s just not as intimidating as you think. I’m not a tech genius, (in fact, I don’t know how I am going to develop a Power Point for my presentation at National Pavement Expo in Cleveland!) but I do know that I can take a picture and make a simple Facebook post on my personal and business page, and in the U.S. Sealcoaters group on Facebook. And I know how to send people there to check it out — people that have never even heard of Pavement Magazine before. What kind of people? People who know me. People at businesses I frequent. Parents of children that my children play sports with. People who work at places that need asphalt maintenance: business owners, organizations, property managers, other contractors who are looking for their subcontractor “sealcoat guy,” old friends, friends of friends and so on and so on and so on. Then, one (or more) of these people will hit the “share” button on my Facebook post, and people that I have never had contact with will see it, then somebody that they know sees it and “shares” it because they like it and so on and so on and so on. All this happens for the cost of…a slight moment of time.

Transparency Sells The magic of platforms like Facebook is that they give you a chance to be transparent and show your work to a

customer before a customer even meets you. Simple. And after a prospect calls to request an estimate, it’s easy to direct them to Facebook where they can look you up to check out some of your work. Or maybe they type in “sealcoating near me” on Google and your page pops up. So they pull out their smartphone, type in your business name, click and BOOM! Your website pops up and your Facebook page pops up. They click your Facebook page because they know it goes more in depth and because they know people can honestly comment on there. And when they get to your page they can find before/ after photos of a terrible-looking driveway that now looks amazing and gives the house amazing curb appeal. That pothole that was in the middle of it? Yeah, we fixed that. Those wide transverse cracks that had the trees growing out of them? Filled and sealed. And by the way, this picture was taken two days ago, but we serviced it two years ago. Seeing all that, the customer all of the sudden knows they are dealing with an actual, legitimate business that seems to know what they are doing. So, they dig a little deeper and discover you have done a ton of great jobs. They even find links to some of your YouTube videos of parking lot transformations. Some of the parking lot jobs were big commercial lots that they had noticed (or that they’ve visited in town) and some were even for people they knew! The bonus comes when they scroll through the comments and read all the positive things that people are saying about your business and your work -- and you haven’t even made it to the jobsite yet to shake hands and introduce yourself. Then maybe the customer decides “I’ll add them on Snapchat to see what their business does daily.” See where I’m going here? The opportunity social media provides so we can offer our own “two cents” about ourselves quickly adds up to paper money. And for those of you still scared or intimidated about getting on social media, you should know that the

Marvin Joles III has transformed his small pavement maintenance business by emphasizing a variety of social media marketing.

“Big Fish” customers often prefer to use social media outlets to search for and contact businesses and business owners. Social media marketing works. It’s fast, easy, you can add links to your messages, it saves time -- and as all us sealcoaters know, “time is money.” I think the key is the word transparent, which I mentioned earlier. Transparency is powerful. When you’re transparent, you’re connecting your customers directly with your business and letting them in behind the scenes. Transparency is powerful. It gave me the power to make a positive change in my business and life. I also believe that being transparent can yield the power to change the perception of sealcoaters and the pavement maintenance industry in general by giving customers and people outside our industry an opportunity to see our industry as the honest people we are and who take pride in what they do. Marvin Joles III is owner of Wis-Coat LLC, Lone Rock, WI. It should come as no surprise that you can reach him or get to know him and Wis-Coat via a variety of social media including Facebook (Marvin Joles III or WisCoat LLC), on the YouTube Channel (WisCoat), on Snapchat (Wis-Coat). Also reach him and learn more about the U.S. Sealcoaters group on Facebook. He will present “How to Make Facebook, YouTube and Other Social Media Work for You” at National Pavement Expo, Feb. 7-10, 2018 in Cleveland.

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Your Business Matters

Sue Dyer

Tips to Help Predict the Outcome of Each Job

How Partnering Scorecards can dictate a project’s success HOW WOULD YOU like to be able to predict the level of success (or failure) of your projects? Well, it seems that it is closer than you might think. Studies show that by using a monthly Partnering Scorecard you can have a great handle on what is actually happening on your project. And the scores turn out to be a great predictor of what is going to happen! This means you and your team have time to make course corrections before they become inevitable. In the International Partnering Institute’s Study of 13 different projects that used a monthly partnering scorecard over a two-year period, 12 of the 13 projects’ scores improved over the life of the project. Overall, project scores improved by as much as 1.13 points (28%) over the life of the project. The average improvement was 1/2 a point (+0.54 = 14%). But “Predict-Ability” does take commitment, and you must use the construction scorecard as a tool. Just like every tool, the better you are at using it, the better your results. Here are some tips for getting the most from your partnering scorecard.

TIP #1: Make the Partnering Scorecard a Requirement • The project scorecard must be a requirement and the team must feel that it is valued and valuable for them to take the time to share their scores and comments. It is the leader that can and must make this happen. If you take the scorecard seriously, so too will your team members. If you ignore it and don’t use it, they will do the same. • Putting the requirement into your project documents will help ensure everyone knows you are serious. • Having senior management remind everyone that you want 100%

participation in this month’s scorecard – and convey that it is an important part of your project’s success – will get people to complete the scorecard. • Monitoring and acknowledging those who are completing the scorecard will reinforce its value. Monitoring who is not completing the scorecard will help ensure they will complete it next time.

TIP #2: Create an Atmosphere of Trust • Your partnering effort is designed to develop a culture of trust and collaboration. This fosters the open, honest atmosphere that will allow your scorecard to reflect the good, the bad and the ugly that occurs on your project. • Trust happens when you grow certainty that you will be fair and resolve issues before they grow into problems or disputes. To have the most meaningful partnering and scorecard program takes commitment. • Trust can be built over time, but it is highly predictable that your expectations define your relationships. So, check yourself to make sure you are not defensive, protective or hostile toward your teammates. You will define the atmosphere and it will heavily influence your results.

TIP #3: Understand the Tool • The partnering scorecard is a snapshot in time of what is occurring on your job and allows you to measure your teamwork effectiveness and the ability to achieve your project’s goals. • Orienting your team members on the partnering scorecard and its importance can go a long way to overcoming barriers to its use.

TIP #4: Evaluate Your Results • Your scorecard will be emailed to everyone on your project team each month – but you have to evaluate what

the scores mean. This can easily be done during a regular project meeting. • Look at any scores where you have a “1” or “2” as these indicate negative momentum. These are where the team is feeling frustrated or issues are emerging, so focus on them. • Look at your scores in the “3s.” These are OK, and with a little focus might become 4s or better. This will grow your positive momentum dramatically!

TIP #5: Make Course Corrections • Set deadlines and keep them. This will create trust and grow your predictability. It is not the issues that predict your success or failure; it is how the team deals with the issues. • Elevating issues up your dispute ladder is needed and should not be put off because you want to hold on to the decision. Get a decision and move on. • Resolving issues where the team is stuck or they are creating frustration is your top priority and needs to happen before the next scorecard if possible. Woody Allen said “We are all interested in the future, because that is where we are all going to spend our lives.” Think about using a Partnering Scorecard to allow you to predict how you and your project team will be spending your time. Sue Dyer is resident of OrgMetrics LLC, the author of Partner Your Project, and a recognized thought leader on collaboration in construction. Sue just launched Partnering FIT, a training program using new virtual training technology that allows her to include 30 years of lessons-learned and make them available to you and your teams any time, any place, 24/7. For more information about Sue Dyer, please visit www.OrgMet.com.

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John Ball

On The Job

How to Handle a

lute

Following “best practices” will result in a smooth, high-quality asphalt mat

LUTING FRESHLY PLACED hot mix asphalt is done on every paving project, making the asphalt lute the most-common hand tool on paving jobs. Sometimes a paving job needs two lute guys: one for the joint you’re matching and one for work against concrete on the other side of the paver.

Luting is an art. It’s not simple and it’s not easy – but it can be the difference between a great paving job and one that either doesn’t look good or doesn’t last long – or both. It’s not a skill that anybody can just grab and try to lute. In fact, luting is very much like raking (most luters start out on the rake). But where raking is moving mounds of material, luting is the “fine tuning” of the asphalt mat. It involves taking off the stone and manipulating the mat to eliminate imperfections.

So the lute man needs a light touch and a skilled eye. He (or she) will either help produce a quality mat on the job or – if he is too heavy handed or if he works the mat too much -- the job will be worse when he gets done. The lute should not drag on or into the mat, instead it should float on the mat, much like leveling of concrete. Luting is the “fine tuning” of the asphalt mat. It involves taking off the stone and manipulating the mat to eliminate imperfections.

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On The Job

Handling the Lute The lute man is usually the “spotter” on the paving crew. He is charged with inspecting the mat and recognizing where there’s a “high spot” that he can shave off to give the mat a nice finish. Or if he spies a low spot that will puddle in the rain, he can call for a shovel of mix to fill it in. A right-handed lute man typically places his left hand low on the bottom of the lute handle and the right hand near the top of the lute handle. The handle stays perpendicular to the arm, which enables the lute operator’s forearm to have touch of the lute so the lute angle doesn’t vary. The handle is always in touch with the forearm so wherever the forearm goes the lute follows, always at the same angle. Where one crew member handles a shovel to add mix to low spots, the lute is used as a leveling tool. In fact, lutes are often used in conjunction with a straight edge to make sure the surface is flat. The lute man’s job is to get all the good product he can out of each shovel full by pushing and pulling the mix back and forth and repeating. The lute man massages the hot mix asphalt so the fine materials fill in

the hole and the larger material comes to the top where you can pull it off. The lute man wants to blend that shovel full of mix with the rest of the mat. When you pull off excess material either push it off onto the unpaved gravel or the worker with the shovel comes and picks it up and puts it away. Do not put it back in the paver because that mix has already been stripped of its properties; you don’t want to reuse the mix.

The Lute Tool As for the lute itself, the hand tool is available in a variety of sizes and types. A typical lute blade is serrated on one side with a straight edge on the other. This enables the lute user to roughen the surface with the serrated edge and flip the tool and do smoothing with the other side. Lutes are available made of wood or aluminum, and lute size is often a matter of personal preference. Lutes are available in 2-ft.-wide versions but the most-common lute found on a paving crew is 36 in. x 3 in. with 8-ft. handle. A 3-ft. lute is most common one because it’s easier to blend the mix into the mat better when working in 3-ft. sections

than if you’re working in 2-ft. sections. You just can’t blend it as nicely if you’re working in smaller areas. Lutes are also available with a variety of handle lengths, but long handles are better because you can reach farther without walking onto the mat. (In fact, the lute man often wears tamp shoes so he can walk on the mat without leaving footprints.) Lutes tend to get hot so some people wear gloves when using one. Other people don’t like to wear gloves because they can’t get the feel of the lute when wearing them.

Lute Maintenance When working in the field, it’s common for excess asphalt to build up inside the blade when pulling it and outside the blade when pushing the material. To reduce this build-up, all lutes should be sprayed with a release agent to lubricate the blade, making it easy for the mix to slide off. In addition, it’s a good idea for the operator to carry a putty knife in a sheath attached to his belt. The putty knife blade should be stiff and measure 1-1/2 in. wide and can be used to scrape off excess asphalt that doesn’t slide off the blade. A good lute handler is not always just “busy, busy, busy” because you don’t want to work the mix if it doesn’t need it and you don’t want to overwork the mix even when it does need it. So if you have a lute guy who’s busy all the time, your paver operator needs to do a better job or you need to find something else for your lute man to do.

John S. Ball is president of TopQuality Paving, P.O. Box 4398, Manchester, NH 03104; tqpaving@ yahoo.com. He is also an annual speaker at National Pavement Expo, which will be held Feb. 7-10, 2018 in Cleveland. For details visit www. nationalpavementexpo.com. The lute man is charged with identifying “high spots” in the mat that he can shave off to give the mata anice finish.

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NAPSA

WSA

How Do You Locate a Power Sweeping Professional? One of the best avenues for exposure of your business is the North American Power Sweeping Association’s (NAPSA) Contractor Locator. One North Carolina member reported: “I received a call from someone who said they found us on the NAPSA Contractor Locator. We just signed a contract with this company for sweeping that will bring us $750 per month in revenue!” That is the kind of success that makes NAPSA a real value and this is just one of the benefits that NAPSA members enjoy! The locator is found on the home page of the NAPSA website at www.powersweeping.org. The locator is FREE to NAPSA members and every contractor member is listed on this spectacular networking tool! Potential clients across the United States and the world can find a NAPSA member on the Contractor Locator with just the click of a button. The NAPSA website and Contractor Locator receive hundreds of visits every month. How many of these potential clients are in your area? What better way for customers to find your business than being listed on the NAPSA Contractor Locator? Contact NAPSA at (888) 7570130 or visit on-line today for

Staying Profitable Means Getting Paid

membership information and to find out more about your listing on the Contractor Locator!

The North American Power Sweeping Association (NAPSA) is a nonprofit association made up of contract sweepers, service providers and sweeping equipment dealers, manufacturers and suppliers. NAPSA is dedicated to providing beneficial support to the membership and enhancing services to the sweeping industry. The members of NAPSA are committed to promoting and educating the power sweeping community while enhancing the environment. For more information on NAPSA membership, please visit www.powersweeping.org or call (888) 757-0130.

“Potential clients across the United States and the world can find a NAPSA member on the Contractor Locator with just the click of a button.”

Retail bankruptcies over the last 12 months are at nearrecession levels. Included are such well-known brands as Payless, BCBG and PacSun. These have been accompanied by numerous store closures by JC Pennys, Macy’s and K-Mart/Sears, to cite a few. More concerning for sweeping contractors are their retail customers that are on the brink of disaster — when they have no way of knowing that fact. All they see is a lengthening of time frame on payments. The question is: How long should a contractor continue to sweep a property when payment hasn’t been received in a timely fashion? The answer varies by a variety of factors, including contract language, length of service, personal relationship with managers and more. However, there are some guidelines to consider. When you contact late-paying clients and receive a promise to pay, make sure you document any such agreements. If you got the information in-person or via the telephone, either ask for an email confirming the payment plan/time frame or generate one yourself. If the latter, it should be in the form of “Thank you for your agreement to pay your invoice in such and such a manner,” spelling out the details of the arrangement. At the end, include a sentence on the order of “If the above isn’t your recollection of our agreement, please let me know right away.” Make your message friendly but concise. Consider filing a Mechanics Lien and/or try using the Internet to check on a company’s current

“How long should a contractor continue to sweep a property when payment hasn’t been received in a timely fashion?” reputation. Develop better contract language for future work, with clauses that spell out what your rights are concerning late or non-payment for services. At the World Sweeping Association (WSA), we even maintain an informational database of all the third-party vendors and invite our members to add to the information. We also share payment stories of note among members in our twice-monthly “WSA Member Update” email. Current information and documentation, coupled with decent contracts, are keys to keeping your payment stream flowing.

WSA contributor Ranger Kidwell-Ross has been providing information to the power sweeping industry since 1988. He is editor of WorldSweeper.com, an information resource for power sweeping, as well as founder and executive director of the World Sweeping Association. For more information about WSA visit www.WorldSweepingPros.org or contact Kidwell-Ross at director@ worldsweepingpros.org.

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PCTC

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Responding to Regulatory Reform

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Pave Patch is also available in Right Pointe Technology! Delivering innovative quality products since 1996. Call us at 888-755-5700 and ask about our new generation of products. 234 Harvestore Dr. Dekalb, IL 60115 toll free: 888.755.5700 fax: 815.754.5702 www.rightpointe.com

ForConstructionPros.com/10846286

To help fulfill his promise to reduce governmentimposed burdens on business, President Donald Trump directed every federal agency to establish regulatory reform task forces to identify regulations issued by the agency that, among other criteria, rely in whole or in part on data, information, or methods that are not publicly available or that are insufficiently transparent to meet the standard for reproducibility. Several federal agencies – including the Department of Commerce (DoC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – asked the public to help by identifying regulations that unnecessarily burden business. PCTC responded to the DoC’s and EPA’s requests for information by explaining the inadequacy of existing remedies available to sealcoat manufacturers and their suppliers and customers that have been burdened by the unaccountable actions of a nonregulatory federal agency - the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that might best be described as “pre-regulatory” or “regulation by information.” In its comments to the DoC, PCTC wrote: In summary, PCTC has made sure that USGS management is aware of the demonstrable flaws, manipulations and other scientific deficiencies of their advocacy research, but our concerns have been either ignored or been shown the back of USGS’s hand. The USGS has used its web site and its communications arms to promote the advocacy research, in full knowledge of the questions that have been raised, but without any acknowledgement

that there even is a question. PCTC believes that the USGS, as an agency of the U.S. government, has the responsibility not to use its perceived authority, or allow that authority to be used, to make false representations about a product that has been used safely for over 50 years, and to recognize that the science promulgated in its name does not comport either with the findings of scientists with expertise that the USGS does not have or with good scientific practice. PCTC believes that the USGS has the responsibility to correct the public record and to explain to those state and local governments that have already banned or are thinking about banning RTS that there is no sound scientific basis for those bans. Finally, PCTC believes that USGS must comply with FOIA and produce the information withheld from PCTC which, consistent with every recognized scientific practice, would allow PCTC to attempt fully to replicate and reproduce the conclusions reached by USGS in its studies. In its comment letter to EPA, PCTC pointed out that EPA is using flawed advocacy research in “pre-regulatory” or “regulation by information” of its own by disseminating the USGS’ unwarranted conclusions on the Agency’s website. You can read the full comment letters on PCTC’s website, www. pavementcouncil.org.

ForConstructionPros.com/12280270

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Jessica Stoikes, Associate Editor

Keeping Things on the Jobsite A new smartphone attachment can map asphalt temperatures instantaneously WE ALL KNOW that temperature is the key to a successful asphalt paving job. When there are extreme differences in temperature and the mix gets cold, you’re like to have mat failure. However, it can be difficult to know just how hot the asphalt being put down is when you’re in the middle of paving. New technology has been developed to help contractors to see temperature differences in the mix, but some of those cameras can cost over $15,000. In comparison, a new smartphone camera attachment from Seek Thermal costs as little as $250 and is changing the game of temperature monitoring for asphalt contractors.

Monitoring Heat On some jobs, it’s inevitable that mix sits in the bed of the truck, or multiple trucks lined up, for longer than it should before it’s dumped into the paver. At that point, the temperature of the mix could already be compromised, making it hard to

achieve a quality mat. “When the mix comes, you can use the camera attachment to measure where there are cool spots in the bed and mix it up before dumping it in the paver,” says Marc Okicich, director of salesAmericas for Seek Thermal. “The camera can be used anywhere where you’re looking to measure temperature. When the mix is delivered, temperature of the mat, ambient temperature, etc.”

easy to pack away. It combines powerful thermal insight with a 206 x 156 sensor, a 36-in.wide field of view and runs off the low energy from your smartphone. Your smartphone display makes this as visual and large as your phone or tablet screen. Its detection distance can be shortened into a few inches or can detect temperatures up to 1,000 ft. away. “With this device, you can quickly identify cold spots in the pavement,” Okicich says.

Quick to connect and detect, the Seek Thermal Compact or CompactPro cameras use advanced infrared technology to let you see thermal images in day or night. The smartphone attachment is designed to work with both iPhone and Android top models in conjunction with the app contractors can download once they purchase the camera. This device is portable and

“At that time, you are able to proactively do something to fix the problem before it’s too late.” You can also use the camera to monitor just those objects that are above a certain temperature. For example, if you know something is supposed to be at or above a certain temperature you can set a range to see only images of those times with temperatures above 200°F.

Technology

Which beer is the best? Use your Seek Thermal camera to snag the coldest beer before someone else does.

Logging Temperatures Just like contractors document density on a jobsite for proof of work, these cameras can be used to document and log temperatures. The camera can be used to get a spot temperature, take a photo, time stamp it, date stamp it and give a location. The data can be stored in your phone and then e-mailed or transferred to a hard drive. By doing this, contractors can have documented proof that the mix was delivered at the desired temperature for optimal laydown and compaction. Video can also be recorded while you’re moving. This allows you to record temperatures coming out of the truck on a consistent basis. Video can also show the hottest and coldest spots on the mat for documentation and pavement performance review purposes. Seek Thermal has devices that range from $250$700 and can be used in all applications from home repair, plumbing and HVAC, and even hunting. The device can also be used off the jobsite, making sure you get the coldest beer before your buddies do.

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Contractor Snapshot

Jessica Stoikes, Associate Editor

Potential Customer Becomes Sealcoat PROVIDER Started in response to a gap in the market, South Carolina’s Pro-Seal Asphalt doubled in size in two years WHEN JEFF ROMSZEWICZ was traveling for his former employer in 2015, he was in need of a sealcoating company to maintain a lot at their Charleston, SC, location. Romszewicz called more than 12 companies and received just one call back for the business. “It was frustrating,” Romszewicz says. “I needed this work done and the one person that did return my call never even showed up to give me a quote.” Sensing a need for a reliable business in the market, Romszewicz started Pro-Seal Asphalt Contractors that year. “I decided we were going to do things right,” Romszewicz says. “We were going to call customers back, show up on jobsites looking professional and leave them with a quote on the spot. “Since then, we can’t even keep up. Every single month we’re doubling in work.” Pro-Seal has grown from sealcoating and patching mainly in the Charleston area, to handling a 150-mile radius around the area including Savannah, GA, Columbia, SC, and even Myrtle Beach, SC, where they now have a full-time sales representative in that market. “When we started in

Charleston we had a few apartment complexes and they wanted us to do work at their other locations,” Romszewicz says. “That helped us expand our business to other markets.”

Marketing Matters Since the Charleston area is quite high-end, there are very few asphalt driveways to maintain making Pro-Seal’s customers almost 100% commercial. Romszewicz knows that marketing his business to those customers is important. “Our average parking lot is 50,000 – 75,000 square feet,” he says “These are big, important jobs and customers.” For this reason, Romszewicz makes sure their equipment and employees are always professionally outfitted. “A lot of companies let their sealcoat rigs drive around plastered with sealer,” Romszewicz says. “We make sure ours are painted, clean and feature our logos. Our entire crew is in full uniform with safety vests and ID badges. We look very professional when you drive past a jobsite. People remember that.” Pro-Seal is also a member of the Charleston Apartment Association and they have been successful in gaining business through the trade show the association conducts each year. “Our marketing dollars are very well spent there,” Romszewicz says. “We want to make sure that the people who attend this show will remember us and we go all out to do so.”

This year, the trade show featured a circus theme and ProPro-Seal m Seal did not always bra akes sure their equ disappoint. The ip nded and clean for ment is company pureach job. chased more than 50 orange barrels to create a full-size elephant in their booth. “The trade show is big for growing our business,” Romszegood employees. In response, wicz says. “The elephant shows Romszewicz changed his pay we’re different than our compestructure to attract new workers. tition and by investing time to “Finding help is the hardest differentiate ourselves, people thing right now,” he says. “We will remember us and that gives decided to change all employees us a competitive advantage.” from an hourly to a piece rate Additionally, Pro-Seal uses system to help make the job Google AdWords to advertise more attractive. I think guys their business and the company who understand this see how receives over two phone calls a much money they could make day through these efforts. in a day. Instead of a flat $15/ “We ask every customer hour, they could potentially who calls how they heard about make over $25/hour depending us and 90% of the time it’s on how productive they are.” through Google or a referral,” The company is also running Romszewicz says. ads in local churches and Pro-Seal has also made the restaurants to help add to their Pavement Top Contractor list for seven-employee crew. With the last two years and makes sure the plan to add paving to their to capitalize on this to help them business within the next year, gain a competitive advantage. they’re going to need the help. “After we made the list, we “We currently sub out our were sure to add our Top Conpaving work, but that’s growing tractor honors to our marketing so we’re hoping to bring that in materials,” Romszewicz says. house soon,” Romszewicz says. “Then when we were going “When we’re ready to pave, after these larger customers, it our customers will be ready to added value to our business that hire us. They’ve asked for it so our competition didn’t have, it it’s just a matter of investing in vetted us to them.” the equipment, getting guys the training they need for us to Hassles of Hiring be successful in that realm and Like most companies in the busitelling our customers we’re full ness, Pro-Seal has trouble finding service for them now.”

72 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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PAVEMENT Published by AC Business Media Inc.

Index Advertiser Index

PAGE

B & E Seal Coat Products Inc.

Billy Goat

Carlson Paving Products Inc.

Cimline Pavement Maintenance Group

Copperstate Hose

Crafco Inc.

7, 17, 31, 49

Crum & Forster A Fairfax Company

Deery

Dickson Industries Inc.

Elgin

Gem-Seal Pavement Products

GuardTop

Keystone

Keystone Plastic Inc.

K-M International

LaserLine Manufacturing Inc.

LeeBoy

Maintenance Inc

M-B Companies Inc.

Mesabi Asphalt Tools

MRL Equipment Company Inc.

Neyra

Pavement Maintenance Supply

Outsert

Pavement Maintenance Supply Warehouse Inc.

Powerhouse Paving

ProCru

Quik Pave Products Inc.

Right Pointe

SealMaster

REPRINTS Denise Singsime at (800) 538-5544 ext. 1245 dsingsime@ACBusinessMedia.com.

SOYSolv

Seal-Rite

Star-Seal

LIST RENTAL Elizabeth Jackson, Account Executive, Merit Direct LLC, Phone: (847) 492-1350 ext. 18 • Fax: (847) 492-0085 • ejackson@meritdirect.com

Unique Paving Materials Corporation

Weiler

201 N. Main Street | Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 800.538-5544 • www.ACBusinessMedia.com www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement Editorial Office: Allan Heydorn, 2339 Stratford, Westchester, IL 60154 (708) 531-1612 | Fax: (708) 531-1613 | aheydorn@ACBusinessMedia.com PUBLICATION STAFF: Publisher: Amy Schwandt Editor/Conference Manager: Allan Heydorn Associate Editor: Jessica Stoikes Art Director: April Van Etten Ad Production Manager: Patti Brown Sr. Audience Development Manager: Wendy Chady Audience Development Manager: Angela Kelty ADVERTISING SALES: (800) 538-5544 Tom Lutzke, Jill Draeger, Eric Servais, Sean Dunphy, Amy Schwandt, Erica Finger, Denise Singsime FORCONSTRUCTIONPROS.COM WEBSITE: Digital Operations Manager: Nick Raether Digital Sales Manager: Monique Terrazas Editor: Larry Stewart Managing Editor: Kimberly Hegeman CHANGE OF ADDRESS & SUBSCRIPTIONS PO Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257, Phone: (877) 201-3915 Fax: (800) 543-5055 • circ.pavement@omeda.com

AC BUSINESS MEDIA INC.: Chairman: Anil Narang President and CEO: Carl Wistreich Executive Vice President: Kris Flitcroft VP Content: Greg Udelhofen ADVISORY BOARD: ACI Asphalt Contractors Inc., Maple Grove, MN: Jim Bebo Asphalt Contractors Inc., Union Grove, WI: Robert Kordus Asphalt Restoration Technology Systems, Orlando, FL: Connie Lorenz Capitol Sweeping Service, South Windsor, CT: Thomas Kuhns Clean Sweep Inc., Chattanooga, TN, Pete Phillips Custom Maintenance Services, Shippensburg, PA: Michael Nawa Eosso Brothers Paving; Hazlet, NJ: Tom Eosso 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 Roccie’s Asphalt Paving, Stamford, CT: Vincent Engongoro Rose Paving Co., Bridgeview, IL: Alan J. Rose 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: Anne LeHuray, Executive Director

Get fast, relevant product information in the Buyers Guide at

ForConstructionPros.com

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Tailgate Talk

TODAY, THE Construction Foreman is one lost soul! For many, it is merely a glorified "best worker" or "lead man" position. They really aren’t in charge of anything nor do they really have the authority to execute plans on a site. In the worst-case scenario, they are just doers ¬ not paid to think, just execute orders. What a complete waste of human potential! Let me share with you what good foremen have demonstrated over the years. See how many match up with your foremen.

1. THEY SEEK WORK PLANS EARLY The best foremen are those who regularly ask for their next project's file. They want to get a head start in reviewing plans, locations, job profile, customer information, surrounding challenges etc. Receiving project information on the day they are to start not only angers the best foremen but leads to quality, safety, and morale problems.

2. THEY STUDY PLANS …AND ASK QUESTIONS The best foremen I’ve seen never fake it. They have learned, some the hard way, that waiting until you are on the jobsite is not the time to be asking questions that might have changed how you prepared, what equipment you would have brought, or even which workers you would have taken. Foremen want to study their plans, review their list of needed

Brad Humphrey

Actions the “Best Foremen” Take tools, equipment, materials, and identify the other contractors involved on the project.

3. THEY FOLLOW PROVEN METHODS… CONSISTENTLY The best foremen don’t “experiment” without a reason and approval to do so. “Proven Methods” represent a company’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Foremen working for the smart contractor who has taken the time and pain to develop written SOPs will find greater success following SOPs than those sorry “bloats” that have none to follow.

4. THEY UPDATE THEIR LEADERS REGULARLY The best foremen keep their leaders updated on a regular basis. They are transparent and realize that their leader, if updated, is better prepared to answer questions from the customer when caught off guard. Leaders in the loop also can provide greater insights and consulting back to the foreman that can help the job process improve. So once or twice a day, even every few hours depending on the project. The best foremen don’t work in a vacuum…nor do they want to!

5. THEY PREPARE & ORGANIZE EVERY DAY The best foremen prepare each new job, and each day, as if it were the first time they led a project. There’s a reason great athletes and great teams practice warm-ups and basic

drills daily, prior to analyzing and practicing for the next opponent. The best foremen do this every day, from making sure trucks and trailers are packed with all needed tools and equipment to taking a daily walk on the jobsite upon arrival to ensure no safety risks exist.

6. THEY PREPARE THEIR CREWS ON WHO, WHAT & HOW MUCH The best foremen consistently communicate with their crews about who is assigned to what action and efforts. They also communicate specifically what the needs of the project are that day. And, they discuss “how much” needs to be accomplished by lunch or the end of the day. This sets daily goals and gives the crew a target to strive for.

7. THEY HOLD CREW MEMBERS & THEMSELVES ACCOUNTABLE The best foremen realize that everyone is accountable, including themselves. They do not look for easy passes from senior leaders, realizing that senior leaders also are accountable. The best foremen hold their own workers accountable by requiring timely arrival to work, proper use of time during the day, that no one quits for the day too early and not before there is some level of housekeeping done. When a worker fails, the foreman speaks to him and follows SOPs to help the worker fall in line.

8. THEY EMBRACE AND USE THEIR AUTHORITY WISELY & RESPECTFULLY The best foremen use their authority to get jobs ready, executed and cleaned-up. They realize that having such authority is precious and should not be squandered by smarting off to their leaders, cussing out workers, or telling their customers to “take a hike.” It is a privilege to be entrusted with the authority to make a project successful. The best foremen I’ve witnessed realize this and feel empowered to lead, with pride, their workers to be the best crew possible in completing work, win the trust of their customers, and continued faith in them by their senior leaders. What do foremen really do? I think a lot personally. Show me a great foreman and I’ll show you a leader who trains their followers, spends more time with new employees and those who are challenging the SOPs or the company’s requirements, and finally, who takes pride in being a leader. Brad Humphrey is president of Pinnacle Development Group, specializing in the construction industry. On Feb. 6 in Cleveland, the day before National Pavement Expo 2018, Brad will present “Leaders on a Mission 2018,” a day-long “boot camp.” For details visit www. nationalpavementexpo.com. For more information about Brad visit www.pinnacledg.com.

74 June/July 2017 • PAVEMENT • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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