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The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) has been honored with the 2023 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy for demonstrating exemplary commitment and dedication to leadership in energy efficiency and the ENERGY STAR program.

“As we accelerate historic efforts to address climate change, public-private partnerships will be essential to realizing the scale of our ambition,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan.  “I applaud this year’s ENERGY STAR award winners for working with EPA to deliver a clean energy future that saves American consumers and businesses money and creates jobs.”

NAPA is working in partnership with EPA ENERGY STAR to develop resources to enable asphalt mixture producers and paving contractors to better understand their energy performance and decrease greenhouse gas emissions from their facilities. Such efforts include:

• Promoting ENERGY STAR partnership among NAPA members, with six becoming ENERGY STAR partners in 2022;
• Developing an Asphalt Plant Energy Performance Peer Exchange (APEX) program to share best practices and develop resources supporting energy management at asphalt plants;
• Publishing The Road Forward, an industry-wide vision for producing and constructing net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements by 2050;
• Supporting the development of an ENERGY STAR asphalt pavement plant energy performance indicator tool to assist asphalt mix producers measure and benchmark the energy performance of their plants; and
• Including a provision in the Product Category Rules for Asphalt Mixtures that allows Environmental Product Declarations for Asphalt Mixtures to include information about a company’s ENERGY STAR accomplishments (section 8.3.2).

“NAPA’s commitment to sustainability has taken on new prevalence with The Road Forward, and the APEX Program will be a key component for achieving those goals,” said President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “Already, our partnership with ENERGY STAR is providing value by enabling NAPA members to learn best practices for managing and reducing energy consumption at asphalt plants throughout the country.”

Each year, the ENERGY STAR program honors a select group of businesses and organizations that have made outstanding contributions in the transition to a clean energy economy. ENERGY STAR award winners lead their industries in the production, sale, and adoption of energy-efficient products, homes, buildings, services, and strategies. These efforts are essential to fighting the climate crisis, protecting public health, and creating a clean energy future for everyone.

Winners are selected from a network of thousands of ENERGY STAR partners. For a complete list of 2023 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR’s awards program, visit EnergyStar.gov/AwardWinners.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped American families and businesses avoid more than $500 billion in energy costs and achieve more than 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. More background information about ENERGY STAR’s impacts can be found at www.energystar.gov/impacts.

The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) welcomes two experienced staff to its advocacy and engineering teams.

Nile Elam takes the advocacy helm as Vice President, Government Affairs, building on a 12-year advocacy career. Elam previously worked on legislative affairs and regulatory policy for other associations in the construction and transportation sectors. Notably, he was Senior Director, Energy and Resources Policy, at the National Association of Manufacturers; Director, Government Affairs, at the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (a partner in NAPA’s World of Asphalt Show & Conference, taking place in Nashville, Tenn., March 25-27, 2024); and Director, Legislative Affairs, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, among other government affairs positions.

As NAPA’s new government affairs staff lead, Elam represents the asphalt pavement industry before Congress, federal agencies, and stakeholder groups; oversees NAPA’s legislative and regulatory team; and staffs NAPA’s Political Action Committee, including implementation of a new individual Political Advocacy Membership approved by NAPA’s Board of Directors in November 2022.

“Having worked with NAPA on a variety of construction material and infrastructure issues over the years and supporting the Transportation Construction Coalition’s annual legislative fly-in, I experienced firsthand the scope and successes of the industry’s presence in Washington,” Elam said. “I am energized to build upon these achievements and lead NAPA’s advocacy with key policy stakeholders on Capitol Hill and in the Administration, addressing the issues critical to our members.”

Elam replaces Jay Hansen, who retires February 28 after a quarter century of dedicated service to NAPA members nationwide, most recently as Executive Vice President, Advocacy. Among Hansen’s greatest and most recent accomplishments were passage of historic legislation in 2021 vis-à-vis the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act/Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and passage of 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act, both of which avoided pavement type selection mandates. Additionally, Hansen has represented the organization and industry in national news outlets ranging from Marketplace to The New York Times. He also oversaw the founding of NAPA PAC along with NAPA’s current Chair of the Board, Christian Zimmermann of CRH Americas Materials.

“Most people pay no attention to what they drive on, even legislators,” said Hansen. “It’s been my honor to represent the industry and to educate people on the policy and practicality of asphalt pavement, from the halls of Congress to the media to individual members. It’s important that we as a nation don’t take our roads for granted. Nile will be an effective advocate for our continued prosperity.”

Read about Hansen’s storied career in Asphalt Pavement magazine.

Jean-Paul Fort also joins NAPA as Director, Pavement Engineering & Innovation. In this role, Fort works within NAPA’s Engineering, Research, & Technology team leading strategies to advance asphalt pavement technologies for value, quality, and innovation, as well as supporting deployment and rapid adoption of innovations.

Fort has years of expertise in asphalt road technologies and leadership in the industry. He supervised international road-building projects for clients such as the World Bank, facilitated adoption of European technologies in the United States, and led technical and laboratory efforts at Barrett Paving Materials, a Colas company, and Colas USA for the past two decades. Colas USA is a NAPA member and partner in The Road Forward, the industry’s vision for net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements by 2050, which Fort’s work will support.

Fort has been an active volunteer with NAPA as well as NCAT, the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University. He serves on the NCAT Steering Committee and on CAPRI, the Consortium for Asphalt Pavement Research and Implementation. Fort is also a member of the Association of Asphalt Pavement Technologists and the Transportation Research Board Standing Committee on Asphalt Pavement Construction and Rehabilitation.

“I am delighted to join the NAPA team to advance technical innovation and adaptation,” said Fort. “As an active NAPA member and volunteer, I’ve seen this team’s incredible work and look forward to directly contributing.”

Elam and Fort join NAPA staff as the organization’s new three-year strategic plan takes off. More information is available in NAPA’s 2022 Annual Report at NAPAAnnualReport.org.

“NAPA is a strong organization thanks to our incredible members and staff,” said President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “I have utmost confidence in Nile’s ability to lead our advocacy efforts and in Jean-Paul’s history of pavement innovation and implementation.”

(Photos available upon request.)

Nearly 1,000 attendees engaged with topics ranging from skiing to sustainability at the 68th Annual Meeting of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) in Miami Beach, Fla., February 5-8. Attendees included officials from asphalt mixture producers, equipment manufacturers, binder and additive suppliers, paving companies, sustainability experts, business consultants, federal agencies, and others from 47 states and the District of Columbia, The Bahamas, Canada, Italy, and Japan.

Asphalt and Skiing: What’s the Connection?

On February 6, NAPA’s 2023 National Officers were installed, including the swearing in of 2023 Chair of the Board Christian Zimmermann of Belmont, N.H. Zimmermann is New England Group President—comprised of Pike Industries, PJ Keating, and Tilcon Connecticut—for CRH Americas Materials. Zimmermann is the son of two former Olympians: Penny Pitou of the United States and Egon Zimmermann of Austria. Pitou was America’s first alpine skier, man or woman, to reach the Olympic podium in the downhill event; her silver medal at the 1960 Winter Games was the highest place finish in downhill for American women until Lindsey Vonn captured downhill gold 50 years later in Vancouver.

Attendees witnessed Vonn’s winning run on video as they welcomed her to the stage. Vonn sat down for an intimate conversation with Zimmermann and co-host Katie DeCarlo, a fellow athlete and engineer for Heritage Research Group. Vonn spoke of her perseverance despite injuries, naysayers, and elevated expectations—all of which motivated her to become one of the winningest skiers of all time and start her foundation to provide opportunities for young girls.

“It may seem an unlikely connection, having Lindsey Vonn speak at an asphalt meeting,” quipped Zimmermann, “but her drive and perseverance and dedication to extending a hand to the next generation all mirror what we in the asphalt pavement industry do. NAPA and our member companies succeed because we share those qualities. Our talented workforce applies them every day across this country.”

Strategic Accomplishments and a Vision for the Future

Zimmermann and outgoing Chairman James A. Mitchell, CEO of Superior Paving Corp. in Gainesville, Va., along with NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE, updated attendees on the association’s progress. Mitchell unveiled NAPA's 2022 Annual Report, while Zimmermann teased NAPA’s 2023–2025 Strategic Plan. Copeland and NAPA staff recognized recent accomplishments—like the passage of federal legislation investing in surface infrastructure and the absence of pavement mandates from any such legislation. They also presented plans for the next three years to provide leadership and stewardship for the industry along with engagement opportunities for NAPA members, coalitions, and partners. Finally, Copeland and staff provided a retrospective on 10 years of research funded by the Pavement Economics Committee, supported jointly by NAPA and State Asphalt Pavement Associations (SAPAs) to strengthen industry research, prevent harmful legislation, and provide technical knowledge rooted in science.

“We’re excited to embark on this new strategic plan,” said Copeland, “because it reflects our successful member engagement of the past few years and is purposefully designed to chart the future we want to see for our industry and our country.”

Award-Winning Asphalt

On February 8, attendees gathered to celebrate best-in-class projects, celebrating the men and women who execute those projects coast to coast to keep America moving. Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. and the Texas Department of Transportation Amarillo District were revealed winners of the Sheldon G. Hayes Award, the nation’s highest recognition for quality asphalt pavements, for their work on US 287 in Armstrong County, Texas. (For additional details, award winners were recognized in separate statements issued on February 8.)

Asphalt: The Sustainable Pavement

The annual gathering provided working sessions for NAPA’s governing bodies along with networking, an annual business meeting, and informative educational sessions. A significant theme this year was sustainability, following last year’s launch of The Road Forward, the industry’s vision for net zero emission asphalt pavements by 2050. Related sessions covered topics from environmental product declarations (EPDs) to the asphalt plant of the future, one of the most-attended and highest-rated sessions of NAPA’s Annual Meeting.

Future NAPA Meetings

NAPA will host an exhibit and the popular asphalt education track at CONEXPO-CON/AGG, North America’s largest construction trade show, March 14-18 in Las Vegas. The asphalt track consists of 16 asphalt-specific educational sessions including topics such as best practices in paving, using recycled materials in new asphalt pavements, new technologies in the industry, as well as more on EPDs.

NAPA’s Midyear Meeting in Kansas City, Mo., July 9-12, provides another opportunity for members, leaders, and influencers to advance the industry and enjoy more educational and networking opportunities in the City of Fountains.

The organization is already looking toward 2024—mark your calendar for NAPA’s 2024 Annual Meeting in Orlando, January 28-31, and a new Perpetual Pavement Conference coming to Louisville, Ky., that autumn. For updates to NAPA’s event schedule, visit AsphaltPavement.org/Programs or follow NAPA on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.

2023 Annual Meeting Sponsors

NAPA thanks the following sponsors for supporting the 2023 Annual Meeting.

• Arkema Road Science
• Astec Industries
• B2W Software
• BOMAG
• Caterpillar Paving Products
• Colas Inc.
• Command Alkon
• Construction Partners Inc.
• CRH Americas Materials Inc.
• Dow
• Dynapac
• Earthwave Technologies
• Gencor/Blaw-Knox
• HaulHub Technologies
• Herman Grant Company
• Kenco Engineering, Inc.
• Milestone Contractors LP
• National Credit Card Processing Group
• Payne and Dolan, a Walbec Group company
• Standard Filter Corporation
• Superior Paving Corp.
• Volvo Construction Equipment
• Vulcan Materials Company
• Weiler
• Wirtgen Group

At a ceremony during its 2023 Annual Meeting on February 8, the National Asphalt Pavement Association recognized 2022 award winners and honorees who advance the asphalt pavement industry. Please follow links for full releases.

• Winner of the Sheldon G. Hayes Award, the nation’s top award for asphalt paving: Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. and Texas DOT Amarillo District
• Winner of the Ray Brown Airport Pavement Award for airfields: S.T. Wooten Corp. of Wilson, N.C.
• 10 wining projects of the Larry H. Lemon Quality in Construction Awards:
  • APAC-Kansas Inc., A CRH Company, of Hutchinson, Kan.
  • Gerken Paving Inc. of Napoleon, Ohio
  • Granite Construction Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif.
  • Payne & Dolan Inc., a Walbec Group Co., of Gladstone, Mich.
  • Preferred Materials Inc., A CRH Company, of Tampa, Fla.
  • Rogers Group Inc. of Huntsville, Ala.
  • Shelly & Sands Inc. of Zanesville, Ohio, for four projects
• Operational Excellence Award winners
  • Environmental Leadership: Gallagher Asphalt Corp, Thornton, Ill.
  • Community Involvement: Callanan Industries Inc., A CRH Co., Albany, N.Y., and Lehman-Roberts/Memphis Stone & Gravel, Memphis, Tenn.
• Exceptional Volunteer Award honoree Ron Sines, P.E., CRH Americas Materials
• Posthumous honoree of the Associate Member Commendation: Jeffrey Richmond, Sr.

Survey Shows 95 Percent of RAP Is Reused in New Pavement

The results are in, and asphalt is once again the country’s most recycled product.

NAPA’s 12th industry survey examining the use of recycled materials and warm-mix asphalt (WMA) in paving reveals that 95 percent of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is reused in new pavement. The average percentage of RAP used in mixtures increased to nearly 22 percent in 2021, compared with 15.6 percent in 2009, the first year of the survey.

The survey, which also evaluates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, found that annual RAP usage saved 2.6 million metric tons of CO2e—the equivalent of removing 570,000 passenger vehicles from the road.

According to the Asphalt Pavement Industry Survey on Recycled Materials and Warm-Mix Asphalt Usage: 2021, producers used 94.6 million tons of RAP in asphalt production in 2021, conserving 26 million barrels of asphalt binder while replacing in excess of 89 million tons of virgin aggregate. When combined with the savings realized through the use of 630,000 tons of reclaimed asphalt shingles (RAS), the study estimates that producers saved more than $3.5 billion while freeing up nearly 62 million cubic yards of landfill space. 

“The latest Asphalt Pavement Industry Survey on Recycled Materials and Warm-Mix Asphalt Usage has new data, but a familiar conclusion: Our industry takes sustainability seriously,” said NAPA Chairman of the Board James Mitchell, CEO of Superior Paving Corp. “Quantifying our impact in this way began in 2009 through partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and each year it reveals that the asphalt pavement industry is a leader in connecting the country while keeping waste out of landfills.”

Using data from 261 companies, the survey also tracks usage of another 1.3 million tons of other recycled materials incorporated into nearly 9.2 million tons of asphalt pavement mixtures, including recycled tire rubber (RTR), blast furnace slag, steel slag, and cellulose fibers. 

In addition to RAP and RAS, the survey documents usage of warm-mix asphalt (WMA), a technique used to produce 177.9 million tons of mix, or roughly 41 percent of the total estimated asphalt mixture market in 2021. While this represents a 5 percent reduction from the 186.4 million WMA tons reported in 2020, the authors note that WMA tonnage is up almost tenfold from 2009.

“The 2021 survey results show that the asphalt pavement mixture production industry has a strong record of sustainable practices and continues to innovate through the use of recycled materials and WMA,” the authors write, noting that stockpiled RAP to the tune of 137.5 million tons nationwide could mean there are opportunities to increase the amount of RAP used in mixtures.

“NAPA members have led the way in reusing pavements and engineering innovations like warm-mix asphalt,” said NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “The increased implementation of these technological solutions demonstrates how our industry continually works together with suppliers, road owners, and the best available science to find and implement climate-friendly innovations that work for the public good.”

Survey data come from 1,388 production plants representing 261 companies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and was gathered between January and August 2022. The final survey report is available, along with prior annual reports, at AsphaltPavement.org/Recycling.

NAPA is now gathering data from asphalt mix producers across the country for the 2022 construction season survey on the use of recycled materials and WMA at SurveyMonkey.com/r/RMWMA_22.

The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) welcomes Arkema as its newest partner in The Road Forward, an industry-wide vision for sustainable communities and commerce. Their partnership will help fund ongoing efforts to engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements by 2050.

A NAPA Associate member since 2010, Arkema provides the asphalt pavement industry with products ranging from specialty surfactants to pavement technologies, including warm-mix and adhesion-promoting additives, emulsifiers, and strain-tolerant, crack-resistant pavement layers. Lowering carbon emissions, optimizing the use of recycled materials, promoting pavement preservation, and the advancement of environmental stewardship and sustainability in the industry are among Arkema’s key initiatives. Arkema’s Infrastructure business is headquartered in Tulsa, Okla.

Arkema staff, ranging from lab experts to the C-suite, have volunteered with NAPA for the past decade to advance the industry in capacities such as NAPA’s Net Zero Task Force, Balance Mixed Design (BMD) Implementation Task Force, and Legislative Committee, among others.

“Arkema is dedicated to being a sustainability leader and focused on further developing solutions that meet the industry’s current and future social challenges. Our mission is to provide the asphalt industry innovative solutions that drive sustainability,” said Ivann Harnish, Business Director, Americas Infrastructure. “We are proud supporters of The Road Forward and are aligned with its goals.”

“We are grateful to Arkema for their support of The Road Forward and the sustainability leadership they demonstrate within their company,” remarked NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “Their legacy and innovation advance our collective efforts to reach net zero by 2050.”

The Road Forward is comprised of four industry goals, supported by 19 tactics, with investments in research, implementation, and ongoing education across all facets of the asphalt pavement industry. The initiative brings together the entire U.S. asphalt community, from companies like Arkema to road owners and agencies at all levels. The Road Forward Partners actively support this work through financial contributions, leadership, and expertise. 2023 Partnerships are available to NAPA member companies through August 1. Visit AsphaltPavement.org/Forward to learn more about the initiative, access the latest research, and become a supporting Partner.

Arkema content used with permission.

About Arkema

Building on its extraordinary expertise in materials science, Arkema offers a portfolio of first-class technologies to address ever-growing demand for new and sustainable materials. With the ambition to become in 2024 a pure player in Specialty Materials, the Arkema Group is structured into three complementary, resilient, and highly innovative segments dedicated to Specialty Materials - Adhesive Solutions, Advanced Materials, and Coating Solutions - accounting for some 91% of Group sales in 2022, and a well-positioned and competitive Intermediates segment. Arkema offers cutting-edge technological solutions to meet the challenges of, among other things, new energies, access to water, recycling, urbanization, and mobility, and fosters an ongoing dialogue with all its stakeholders. The Group reported sales of around €11.5 billion ($12.1 billion USD) in 2022 and operates in some 55 countries with 21,100 employees worldwide.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) welcomes two new partner companies—Colorbiotics and George Reed, Inc.—in its industry-wide vision for sustainable communities and commerce, The Road Forward. Their investments in The Road Forward will help fund ongoing efforts to engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements by 2050.

Colorbiotics impacts multiple industries, including asphalt additives and topicals, to promote the expansion of sustainability. Headquartered in Ames, Iowa, they use a specially developed science built from soybeans to efficiently restore flexibility of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and extend the service life of asphalt products. This environmentally friendly soybean technology is the first rejuvenator that works at the molecular level, transforming a mix of up to 45% RAP from the inside out to reverse the effects of oxidation and make what was old new again.

An Associate member of NAPA since 2020, Colorbiotics has committed to The Road Forward for two years to help further their mission and continue to find more sustainable solutions.

“Colorbiotics is excited to do its part in educating the industry about carbon emissions. Partnering with this NAPA initiative fits with the steps our company is taking to develop products that will help lower the carbon footprint, from our state-of-the-art plastic recycling facility to developing soybean-based science that increases RAP usage, while also being 100% USDA biobased certified,” said Kent Rotert, Vice President of Colorbiotics. “The Road Forward is at the heart of what we do day after day.”

George Reed, Inc. has been a NAPA Producer member since 2019. Corporate Asphalt Manager Jordan Reed serves on NAPA’s Board of Directors as the Vice Chair for the Advisory Council Western region and is the State Advisor for California. He also serves on the Council for Engineering, Research, & Sustainability and the World of Asphalt Management Committee.

Headquartered in Modesto, Calif., the company operates quarries and asphalt plants throughout Central California. Along with its sister companies, 7-11 Materials, VSS International, and Reed International, they operate asphalt terminals as well as emulsion and concrete plants, and produce construction equipment under the trade names VSS Macropaver, Kasi Infrared, and Stepp Manufacturing. Environmental sustainability and stewardship are embedded in the company’s core values in all operations of The Reed Family Companies.

“We encourage everyone on our team to contribute to environmental stewardship through reducing waste, recycling materials, conserving energy, preserving and restoring natural habitats, and promoting sustainable practices,” said Jeff Reed, CEO of The Reed Family Companies. “Joining The Road Forward is another way in which we foster a culture of environmental responsibility and create a positive legacy for future generations.”

“We are grateful to Colorbiotics and George Reed, Inc. for their support of The Road Forward and the sustainability leadership they demonstrate within their unique companies,” remarked NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “The combined legacy and innovation espoused by these two companies advances our collective efforts to reach net zero by 2050.”

The Road Forward is comprised of four industry goals, supported by 19 tactics, with investments in research, implementation, and ongoing education across all facets of the asphalt pavement industry. The initiative brings together the entire U.S. asphalt community, from companies like Colorbiotics and George Reed, Inc. to road owners and agencies at all levels. The Road Forward Partners actively support this work through financial contributions, leadership, and expertise. 2023 Partnerships are available to NAPA member companies through August 1. Visit AsphaltPavement.org/Forward to learn more about the initiative, access the latest research, and become a supporting Partner.

About Colorbiotics

For the last 30 years, Colorbiotics has led the pack in bringing innovative ideas to life across industries, with a special focus on sustainability. Headquartered in Ames, Iowa, Colorbiotics used one of the state’s most prominent resources, soybeans, to develop a groundbreaking science that changes the way asphalt is made and what it’s made with. This soybean-based technology triggers chemical reactions in reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), paving the way for jobsites to be more cost effective and environmentally friendly. To learn more about Colorbiotics and their work, visit www.colorbiotics.com.

About George Reed Inc.

George Reed began a construction business with his father and brother in the 1920s. They separated and he founded George Reed, Inc. in 1944 with his wife Rose on a reputation for integrity and respect for customers and co-workers. Their son, Wendell, joined the business in 1953 and together began building George Reed, Inc. into a vertically integrated construction and materials business with the addition of sand and gravel plants, quarries, asphalt plants, and concrete ready-mix operations with the belief that “there is nothing we do today, that we can’t do better tomorrow.” In the 1970s the third generation, Jeffrey, joined the business and expanded to include pavement preservation, emulsion and asphalt terminals, and international construction equipment manufacturing. Now, with the addition of fourth generation owners Jordan and Matthew, The Reed Family Companies continue to expand and acquire related enterprises and resources.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) welcomes Sapphire Gas Solutions (Sapphire) to The Road Forward Partner Program. Sapphire’s support of the initiative will help fund ongoing research and education to aid the entire U.S. asphalt industry in producing net zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.

Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Conroe, Texas, Sapphire has provided mobile and permanent gas solutions to almost every industry, including the asphalt pavement industry, with locations serviced nationwide. Sapphire focuses on gas supply and energy transition solutions for public utilities, primary gas supply for mobile and permanent asphalt plants, as well as commercial and industrial (C&I) users. Sapphire also provides renewable natural gas (RNG) services and helps companies transition on-road operations with compressed natural gas (CNG) station construction.

As an active NAPA Associate member, Sapphire’s team volunteers on NAPA committees and subcommittees such as Environmental, Legislative, Sustainability, and Plant Operations.

“Sapphire Gas Solutions is excited to be part of the solution as the asphalt industry paves The Road Forward toward a cleaner and more efficient tomorrow,” said Scott Johns, EVP of Corporate Development at Sapphire. “As an active member of NAPA for several years, we see how the legislative framework is winding the road toward zero emissions. We are strategically positioned to assist the asphalt pavement industry in meeting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals while maintaining and expanding our nation’s critical infrastructure to benefit the present and future.”

“Reducing emissions through renewable, readily available, and innovative energy solutions is a goal of The Road Forward,” said NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE, “so we’re excited to welcome Sapphire Gas Solutions to The Road Forward. Their support propels our collective vision for sustainable communities and commerce connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements.”

For more information about The Road Forward, including 2023 partnership opportunities, visit AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About Sapphire Gas Solutions

Sapphire Gas Solutions is an alternative natural gas company that simplifies the transition to lower cost and cleaner energy. We combine our expertise and workforce with the industry’s leading technologies and hardware to design and deliver energy and power solutions that make financial, operational, and environmental sense. Sapphire’s mobile and permanent fleet of Liquefied Natural Gas, Compressed Natural Gas, and Renewable Natural Gas equipment is deployed to over fifty asphalt plants nationwide utilizing our robust virtual pipeline network; Sapphire brings the energy transition to you.

XBE, an innovator in operations management software for the horizontal construction industry, has joined The Road Forward, an initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) to advance the production and construction of net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements by 2050.

XBE has been a NAPA Associate member since 2019. Grant Wollenhaupt, Chief Commercial Officer, has been involved with NAPA since 2012, serving on the Net Zero and Balanced Mix Design Task Forces, among others. XBE actively supports NAPA events and member engagement. XBE is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, where NAPA’s 2023 Midyear Meeting takes place July 9-12.

XBE is proud to work with 13 NAPA producer members, two of whom are partners in The Road Forward: Gallagher Asphalt (Illinois) and Peckham Industries (New York).

“We’ve been customers of XBE since 2019. In those four years, their software and partnership has optimized our crew and equipment scheduling, daily job production, and trucking operations,” said Dan Gallagher, CEO of Gallagher Asphalt. “I reached out to Sean in January and asked him to join The Road Forward. Their scientific management approach is just what’s needed for us to be successful together.”

Peckham Industries, an inaugural partner in The Road Forward, said in a statement, “Peckham is excited to build on our commitment to sustainability and operational excellence by partnering with XBE to improve efficiencies across our crew, plant, and logistics divisions.”

"With XBE's partnership in The Road Forward, we can tackle the challenge of reducing carbon emissions in the asphalt pavement industry together. Our robust platform makes the opportunities visible and improvements possible. We are thrilled to be at the forefront of this movement towards a sustainable future. It would have been great to solve this problem 25 years ago, but the second best time is now," said Sean Devine, Founder & CEO, XBE.

XBE’s support of The Road Forward will help fund ongoing research and education to aid the entire U.S. asphalt industry in producing net zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.

“We are proud to welcome XBE and their innovative spirit to The Road Forward,” said NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE, “because innovation has always been at the heart of the asphalt pavement industry and will be a driving force for reducing carbon emissions.

“Their support propels our collective vision for sustainable communities and commerce connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements,” added Copeland.

For more information about The Road Forward, including 2023 partnership opportunities, visit AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About XBE

XBE enables the scientific management of horizontal construction leaders through its incomparable software platform. The best run on us. For more information, visit www.x-b-e.com.

Heritage Construction + Materials (HC+M) joined The Road Forward, an industry-wide initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) to achieve net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

Through HC+M’s decades of research into pavement preservation technologies, HC+M has proven itself as an industry leader in sustainability efforts. “HC+M is committed to sustainability because it’s the right thing to do and because it’s smart business,” said HC+M CEO Geoff Dillon. “The Road Forward is an important commitment for us and our industry. It shows that we aren’t afraid to roll up our sleeves and work to build a better tomorrow for future generations.”

HC+M is a part of The Heritage Group, a 90-year-old family of companies employing more than 5,000 people, serving 170 locations, and innovating through science and research. HC+M is comprised of US Aggregates, Milestone Contractors, and Asphalt Materials, Inc.

HC+M companies have a long history of involvement with NAPA. Asphalt Materials joined NAPA in 1961. Milestone, a member since 1967, has earned more than three dozen Quality in Construction Awards and one Sheldon G. Hayes Award, signifying the company’s commitment to quality asphalt pavements.

Similarly, HC+M leaders consistently devote their time and expertise to NAPA and the industry. Heritage Research Group (HRG) Associate Director of Research Gerry Huber has served on numerous NAPA committees and task forces for nearly three decades, including the Sustainability Committee and the Climate Stewardship Task Force. Gerry and HRG Senior Pavement Materials Research Engineer Katie DeCarlo worked on developing The Road Forward. CJ Potts, COO of HC+M Construction, serves as the Indiana contractor representative on the Northcentral Advisory Council. Milestone Contractors Asphalt Operations Manager Patrick Fox is a member of NAPA’s Board of Directors. Kevin Kelly, former NAPA chair and lifetime member, and many other HC+M employees are active members of NAPA committees.

“Heritage Construction + Materials, through its family of companies, has displayed a commitment to the asphalt pavement industry over many decades,” said NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “HC+M’s support of The Road Forward further propels our collective vision for the future: sustainable communities and commerce, connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements.”

Additional opportunities for NAPA member companies to join The Road Forward will become available following NAPA’s Annual Meeting, kicking off February 5 in Miami Beach, Fla. Learn more about these partnership opportunities and the industry’s net zero goals at AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About Heritage Construction + Materials

Heritage Construction + Materials (HC+M) is part of The Heritage Group, a privately held, family-owned business headquartered in Indianapolis that began operations in 1930. HC+M has core capabilities in infrastructure building. Its collection of companies provides innovative road construction and materials services across the Midwest. HC+M companies, including Milestone Contractors, Asphalt Materials, Inc., and US Aggregates, proudly employ 3,000 people at 55 locations across seven states. Learn more at heritagebuilds.com.

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has joined The Road Forward, an industry-wide initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) to achieve net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

Volvo CE is a longtime NAPA member, having joined in 1956. Chad Fluent, Product Planning Manager – Compaction, represents Volvo CE on NAPA’s Associate Member Council.

The Volvo CE commitment to The Road Forward aligns with the company’s own sustainability framework, which includes reaching net zero emissions by 2040 using Science Based Targets (SBTi), rethinking existing production and consumption patterns working toward zero waste, and putting the health, safety, and wellbeing of people at its core.

With 180 years of experience, Volvo CE continues developing products and solutions with innovation and sustainability in mind—for example, building the first construction machine made of fossil-free steel.

“Our goal at Volvo is to help build the future we want to live in, and The Road Forward has a big part to play in that future,” said Fluent. “I’m thrilled we have partnered with NAPA to work toward these important goals.”

The Road Forward and Volvo CE also share the goal of engaging the entire asphalt community: employees, customers, suppliers, stakeholders, and decision makers. NAPA welcomes Volvo’s commitment to The Road Forward and to helping the asphalt pavement industry advance toward net zero emission asphalt pavements.

In supporting The Road Forward, Volvo CE is providing industry leadership on climate action. Their support will help fund ongoing research and education to aid the entire U.S. asphalt industry in reaching net zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.

“Having committed stakeholders across the asphalt pavement industry, including equipment manufacturers like Volvo Construction Equipment, is critical to achieve our net zero goals,” said NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “Support from Volvo CE propels our vision for the future: sustainable communities and commerce, connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements.”

New opportunities for NAPA member companies to join The Road Forward will become available in February. Learn more about the initiative, the industry’s goals, and partnership details at AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About Volvo CE 

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) is a leading international manufacturer of premium construction equipment, and with over 14,000 employees, it is one of the largest companies in the industry. Volvo CE offers a wide range of products and services in more than 140 countries through its global distribution network. Volvo CE is part of the Volvo Group. The Volvo Group drives prosperity through transport solutions, offering trucks, buses, construction equipment, power solutions for marine and industrial applications, financing and services that increase our customers’ uptime and productivity. Founded in 1927, the Volvo Group is committed to shaping the future landscape of sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions. The Volvo Group is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, employs 105,000 people and serves customers in more than 190 markets.

Support Grows for Net Zero Asphalt Pavements

bp has joined The Road Forward, an industry-wide initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), to achieve net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements. bp is a longtime NAPA member, having joined in 1957.

bp’s commitment to The Road Forward further demonstrates the company’s history of innovation and helping customers achieve their goals. bp’s Whiting, Ind. refinery is a large asphalt producing refinery in the Midwest, with modern and flexible access for shipping asphalt throughout North America.

bp’s support will help fund ongoing research and education to aid the entire U.S. asphalt industry in its work to produce net zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.

“We are excited to welcome bp, a longtime NAPA member and innovative global energy company, to The Road Forward,” remarked NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “Their support propels our vision for the future: sustainable communities and commerce, connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements.”

Learn more about The Road Forward and the industry’s goals at AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About bp

bp’s ambition is to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner, and to help the world get to net zero. bp has a larger economic footprint in the United States than anywhere else in the world, investing more than $130 billion in the economy and supporting about 245,000 jobs. For more information on bp in the US, visit www.bp.com/us.

Initiative Aims to Produce Net Zero Asphalt Pavements by 2050

Vinci Construction USA and its subsidiaries have joined The Road Forward, an industry-wide initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) to achieve net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

Their companies have been NAPA members for more than two decades. Allen Hendricks, Vice President at Blythe Construction in North Carolina, serves on NAPA’s Sustainability Committee and the Climate Stewardship Task Force, which developed The Road Forward. Vinci Construction USA employees have also served on the Awards, Environmental, Health & Safety, and various technical committees.

They continue to be avid supporters of NAPA’s Diamond and Award programs. Most recently, Northeast Paving Co. LLC in Pittsburgh, a Vinci Construction USA subsidiary, captured the 2021 Sheldon G. Hayes Award, the industry’s most prestigious paving recognition.

Vinci Construction USA’s commitment to The Road Forward demonstrates its vison to improve the communities they serve. Vinci Construction USA’s network includes nearly 40 asphalt mix production plants and other road-building material facilities, all aimed at supporting a circular economy.

In supporting The Road Forward, Vinci Construction USA is providing industry leadership on climate action. Their support will help fund ongoing research and education to aid the entire U.S. asphalt industry in producing net zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.

Learn more about The Road Forward and the industry’s goals at AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About Vinci Construction USA

Vinci Construction USA encompasses operations in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Florida. Vinci Construction USA is part of Vinci Construction’s international operations. Parent company VINCI is forging a sustainable world, operating in nearly 120 countries with a revenue of more than €49 billion and 260,000 employees worldwide.

Dow is the newest supporter of The Road Forward, an initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) that has the aim of achieving net zero carbon emissions for the asphalt pavement industry.

Dow’s commitment to The Road Forward further demonstrates the company’s 125-year history of innovation. Dow’s asphalt modifiers, such as the ELVALOY™ Reactive Elastomeric Terpolymer (RET) family of elastomers, help engineers, specifiers, and laydown contractors achieve safer, more sustainable roadways by allowing the use of increased levels of recycled content without impacting roadway performance.

In supporting The Road Forward, Dow is providing industry leadership on climate action. The company’s support will help fund NAPA’s ongoing research and education to aid the entire U.S. asphalt industry in producing net zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.

Dow’s sustainability targets include a significant reduction of carbon emissions and efforts to transform the waste and close the loop for plastics. These targets align with Dow’s purpose to deliver a sustainable future for the world through materials science—with particular focus in climate protection, circular economy, and safer materials.

“Dow is committed to increasing sustainability and partnering with NAPA’s Committee for Asphalt Research & Technology and Plastics Task Force, which is critical to our commitment to the industry’s net zero vision,” said C.J. DuBois, Dow Senior TS&D Scientist, and Dow’s representative to NAPA. “Joining The Road Forward is an example of Dow’s leadership in helping reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.”

Learn more about The Road Forward and the industry’s goals at AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines global breadth; asset integration and scale; focused innovation and materials science expertise; leading business positions; and environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership to achieve profitable growth and deliver a sustainable future. The Company's ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world. Dow's portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated, science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Dow operates 104 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 35,700 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $55 billion in 2021. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.dow.com or follow @DowNewsroom on Twitter.

Colas USA is the newest supporter of The Road Forward, an industry-wide initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) to achieve net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

Colas USA is a vertically integrated materials and road construction company comprised of a nationwide network of subsidiaries: Barrett Industries serving New York, Pennsylvania, and the Ohio Valley; Branscome Inc. in Virginia; Colaska in Alaska; Delta Companies Inc. serving the Midwest; Reeves Construction Company serving the Southeast; Simon serving the West; and Sully-Miller Contracting Co. in Southern California. Colas USA employs more than 5,000 people in 50 regional offices in the United States. Their goal is to be a model of excellence by providing safe, innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective solutions.

Colas USA is part of the Colas Group, celebrating nearly a century of innovation. Internationally, Colas companies have led the way in lowering asphalt production temperatures to reduce related emissions. Techniques they’ve advanced include using emulsions, recycling asphalt pavements, and constantly developing and testing sustainable products.

“Colas USA and its international network is dedicated to becoming a world leader in innovation and sustainability,” said John Harrington, President & CEO, Colas Inc. “Through the implementation of our eight commitments, Colas is on the path to reach its global goal of 30% reduction of emissions by 2030. We are all acting, all committed, and without a doubt we will succeed in accomplishing our goal together.”

A NAPA member since 1998, Colas USA and its subsidiaries are active in association and industry leadership. Among a broad swath of participation on NAPA volunteer bodies, Robert Doucet, President of Barrett Industries and Executive Vice President of Colas Inc., is NAPA’s Treasurer; Brett Baker, Executive Vice President of Materials & Operations of Colas Inc., serves on the Advisory Council Western Region; and Colton Ginn, Assistant Environmental Manager of Colas Inc. serves on NAPA’s Environmental Committee. Robert Ponton, President of Branscome Inc. and Executive Vice President of Colas Inc., served on the Climate Stewardship Task Force, which developed The Road Forward, along with many other employees participating on NAPA committees over the past five years.

“By partnering with The Road Forward and NAPA, Colas USA is publicly declaring its commitment to improving business operations while collaborating with other leaders in our field,” Harrington added. “Sustainability and social responsibility are not a competition, but rather an action we must all do together in order to make the greatest impact.”

In supporting The Road Forward, Colas USA is providing industry leadership on climate action. Their support will help fund ongoing research and education to aid the entire U.S. asphalt industry in producing net zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.

“With its nationwide footprint, Colas USA plays a pivotal role in helping the U.S. asphalt pavement industry attain our collective sustainability goals,” said NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “Their leadership on and commitment to The Road Forward further propels our collective vision for the future: sustainable communities and commerce, connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements.”

Learn more about The Road Forward and the industry’s goals at AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About Colas USA (www.colasusa.com)

Colas USA is part of the Colas Group, the worldwide leader in transportation infrastructure construction and maintenance. The Colas Group is active in the construction and maintenance of road, air, rail and maritime transport infrastructure, urban development projects, and recreational facilities. In 1979, Colas USA began operations in the Northeast with the acquisition of Barrett Paving Materials, a 150-year-old company. Colas USA is comprised of eight regional subsidiaries and a total of 37 companies, and provides products and services throughout the United States, from Alaska to Florida and New York to Southern California.

Two Associate members of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) have joined the organization’s net zero initiative, The Road Forward. Midwestern technology companies Earthwave Technologies, Inc., and M.U.C. Holdings, LLC, are the newest sponsors propelling the mission to achieve net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements by 2050.

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Earthwave joined NAPA in 2014. Since that time, Earthwave has worked with paving contractors across the country, revolutionizing materials management for asphalt contractors with customizable solutions that provide better visibility to manage cycle times, reduce trucking costs, and increase production rates. Its Fleetwatcher suite includes E-ticketing, materials management software with a mobile app, FMCSA-compliant E-logs, and construction management solutions to improve efficiency. These components provide real-time tracking and status information not just to save costs, but also to decrease a contractor’s environmental footprint.

“We at Earthwave are excited to support NAPA and our fellow members in this initiative,” said Earthwave CEO Larry Baker. “The asphalt pavement industry has a long history of working together to solve complex issues and this is no different. Teamwork makes the dream work!”

MUC, a remote company headquartered in Cincinnati with employees nationwide, recently joined NAPA. MUC environmental analyst Josie Chiarello is a member of NAPA’s Environmental Committee.

MUC’s proprietary software provides clients in the asphalt industry easy access to near real-time metrics related to energy efficiency and cost. At the core of MUC’s services is its SaaS division, responsible for the collection, aggregation, and processing of all utility and recurring invoices, hence providing a seamless A/P solution and data storage for its clients. GeoMah, MUC’s division responsible for data mining and reporting, uses the software and its outcome as the catalyst that empowers MUC’s clients to improve energy efficiency and economize energy use, which in turn will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to improving air quality and a healthy environment. The platform enables MUC to also assist clients in developing environmental product declarations (EPDs) using NAPA’s Emerald Eco-Label software.

“MUC is a team full of driven and hardworking leaders who emulate the commitment and the hard work that we observe in our construction clients. We are inspired by NAPA’s commitment to pave the way to a more sustainable future in the asphalt industry,” said MUC CEO and Founder Georges Mahama. “In turn, we hope that we are meeting our asphalt clients’ expectations by providing valuable data.”

In supporting The Road Forward, the two companies are providing industry leadership on climate action. Their support will help fund ongoing research and education to aid the entire U.S. asphalt industry in producing net zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.

“It’s meaningful that technology innovators Earthwave and MUC Holdings have joined The Road Forward,” said NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE, “because innovation has always been at the heart of the asphalt pavement industry and will be a driving force for reducing carbon emissions.

“Their support propels our collective vision for sustainable communities and commerce connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements,” added Copeland.

For more information about The Road Forward, including details on the industry goals and a full list of sponsoring companies, visit AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About Earthwave

Earthwave Technologies, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a leading provider of cutting-edge telematics solutions exclusively for the heavy equipment contractor. Since developing our prototype wireless hour meter in 2000, Earthwave’s sole purpose and function has been to learn the construction industry and develop the best wireless tracking solution to help heavy equipment contractors manage their equipment, projects, costs and bottom line. Since 2014, working with paving contractors across the country, Earthwave has revolutionized Materials Management for asphalt contractors by providing them with better visibility to manage cycle times, reduce trucking costs, and increase production rates. The solution can be customized to include scale integration from any plant and quarry sources, to electronically capture load information and meet DOT requirements for e-ticketing initiatives, with or without hardware. If you can measure it, you can improve it!

About M.U.C. Holdings

MUC’s software was developed more than a decade ago with emission-reporting capabilities for each point of measurement. In essence, MUC has provided its clients with carbon emission and other GHG metrics long before it became a matter of compliance. This was not simply forward thinking; this was intentionally baked into the DNA of MUC’s software due to our belief in doing the right thing and promoting sustainability. Our “Data to Knowledge” slogan is centered around providing our clients with what is most valuable, not just the most interesting, and a major part of this is leading them down the path towards sustainability and compliance as the world works to become net zero. As a remote company, MUC has been able to reduce their own GHG emissions and dedicates time to periodically gauge their own footprint in their commitment to sustainability. MUC is well positioned to help other companies on their sustainability journeys.

The Road Forward, an initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) to achieve net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements by 2050, continues to draw commitments from member companies, including Wirtgen America, Inc.

As part of the John Deere Construction & Forestry Division, Wirtgen America, Inc., is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable technologies and solutions for customers throughout the road construction process, from processing to rehabilitating. Wirtgen Group’s sustainability commitment focuses on three fields of action: operations (manufacturing), machine efficiency (developing innovative product solutions), and production systems (specialized solutions). A NAPA member since 1985, Wirtgen Group brands include Wirtgen, Vögele, Hamm, and Kleemann.

Wirtgen America’s team have consistently demonstrated industry leadership through NAPA, including Vice President of Dealer Development Brodie Hutchins’ service as Secretary of the Associate Member Council and membership in numerous committees, as well as Hamm Application Support Manager Tim Kowalski’s participation in the Net Zero Task Force and various committees.

“We are excited to partner with NAPA’s net zero initiative, The Road Forward, because sustainability is a core element of Wirtgen Group’s corporate principles and a guideline for our day-to-day actions,” said Jim McEvoy, President and CEO of Wirtgen America. “We look forward to building The Road Forward together by contributing our leadership and experience with sustainable practices to achieve net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements by 2050.”

In supporting The Road Forward, Wirtgen is providing industry leadership on climate action. Their support will help fund ongoing research and education to aid the entire U.S. asphalt industry in producing net zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.

“We are thankful to Wirtgen for lending their dedication and expertise to The Road Forward,” said NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “Their support not only propels our collective vision for sustainable communities and commerce connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements, but also demonstrates that asphalt pavement equipment manufacturers can create positive impact.”

For more information about The Road Forward, including details on the industry goals and a full list of sponsoring companies, visit AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About Wirtgen America

The WIRTGEN GROUP is an internationally operating group of companies in the construction equipment industry. We owe our strength to the five traditional product brands WIRTGEN, VÖGELE, HAMM, KLEEMANN and BENNINGHOVEN. As technological leader, we can offer our customers mobile machine solutions for road construction and road rehabilitation, plants for mining and processing minerals or recycling material and for the production of asphalt. Our corporate culture is based on our history of delivering value – for the success of our customers on construction sites around the world. This is what motivates our employees to work together to develop innovative processes and manufacture high-quality products.

Committing to the industry-wide initiative to achieve net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements by 2050, two member companies have pledged their support for The Road Forward, an initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA).

Chattanooga-based Astec is a founding member of NAPA. Astec manufactures portable, relocatable, and stationary continuous mix asphalt plants, batch process asphalt plants, and related components such as fume condensers and emissions control devices. Astec has made a public commitment to the environment and is focused on the innovation of products used to recycle natural resources and reduce carbon footprints. Astec founder J. Don Brock served the industry as Chairman of NAPA’s Associate Member Council in 1989. Astec’s commitment to NAPA continues today, with Greg Renegar, Vice President of Customer Success, currently serving on NAPA’s Committee for Asphalt Research and Technology and numerous task forces.

“Sustainability is embedded in our strategy,” said Jaco van der Merwe, Group President, Astec. “We have a responsibility to do what is right for society and our planet, and that includes doing our part to help combat climate change. Our partnership with NAPA and The Road Forward reaffirms our public commitment to design and manufacture heavy equipment that helps promote a healthy environment for generations to come.”

Headquartered in Western Pennsylvania, Lindy Paving, Inc., joined NAPA in 2001. In the decades since, Lindy projects have consistently been heralded as the best of the best, receiving five Sheldon G. Hayes Awards recognizing the best highway-paving projects in the country as well as two dozen Quality in Construction Awards. These accolades evidence Lindy’s leadership commitment to quality and innovation in asphalt production and lay-down techniques, aspects that underscore the integral nature of asphalt pavements to resilient communities and its commitment to The Road Forward.

Lindy Vice President of Operations Dan Ganoe served on the Climate Stewardship Task Force, which developed The Road Forward. “Lindy Paving is proud to partner with NAPA and The Road Forward and participate in the initiative to produce and construct high-quality sustainable asphalt materials and pavements,” he said.

In supporting The Road Forward, these two companies are providing industry leadership on climate action. Their support will help fund ongoing research and education to aid the entire U.S. asphalt industry in producing net zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.

“We proudly welcome Astec and Lindy Paving to The Road Forward,” said NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “Both companies have demonstrated leadership on issues that advance our industry, the communities they serve, and our shared climate. Their support of The Road Forward propels our collective vision for the future: sustainable communities and commerce, connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements.”

For more information about The Road Forward, including details on the industry goals and how your company can support this work, visit AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About Astec

Since 1972, Astec has been connecting communities by providing innovative rock to road solutions for our customers. United by our purpose - Built to Connect - Astec is a leading global manufacturer of specialized equipment for asphalt road building, aggregate processing and concrete production. Operations are divided into two primary business segments. Infrastructure Solutions includes road building, asphalt and concrete plants, thermal and storage solutions. Material Solutions includes aggregate and other material processing solutions. For more information, visit astecindustries.com and follow us on social media.

About Lindy Paving, Inc.

Since 1979, Lindy Paving, Inc.’s commitment to quality and innovation have consistently delivered award-winning asphalt paving and product manufacturing. Part of The Lindy Group, headquartered in New Galilee, Penn., Lindy Paving is the largest asphalt paving contractor and manufacturer in Western Pennsylvania, with plants in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Erie, Crawford, Indiana, Lawrence, Mercer, and Westmoreland Counties. These facilities can produce up to 600 tons per hour of PennDOT-approved hot-mix asphalt, warm-mix asphalt, stone matrix asphalt, and crumb rubber asphalt. Focusing on collaboration, Lindy provides best-in-class customer service through exceptional product and project management.

Construction Partners, Inc., (CPI) has joined The Road Forward, an initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) to achieve net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements by 2050.

As a leading asphalt paving contractor and asphalt producer in the southeastern United States, CPI has a mind for sustainability and an eye for innovation in every mile it creates. The decision to support the industry-wide initiative, The Road Forward, is just one example that demonstrates CPI’s commitment to strengthening climate stewardship within the industry. In fact, CPI played a role in shaping the initiative; Jamie Moretz, Vice President at CWR Contracting, Inc., a CPI company, served on NAPA’s Climate Stewardship Task Force.

The CPI companies are active members of NAPA, with memberships dating back to 1965. CPI’s involvement within NAPA has been extensive, including its leadership support in advancing workforce development and sustainability initiatives. “As Chairman of the Board for NAPA in 2019, I was particularly focused on addressing our workforce crisis,” said John Harper, CPI’s Senior Vice President.

“During our research, we quickly discovered that sustainability and workforce development are connected. Much of our existing and future workforce is passionate about leading the way toward a more sustainable future.” Harper emphasized, “Our industry must invest in new technologies and processes to stay ahead of the curve while attracting future generations of workers to support us in creating sustainable transportation infrastructure.”

CPI’s Vice President of Sustainability and Innovation, Heather Dylla, serves on NAPA’s Environmental Committee, Sustainability Committee, and Net Zero Task Force. Working alongside the CPI operating companies, Dylla is improving the company’s ecological performance and helping reduce its carbon footprint while preserving productivity.

“Collaborating with NAPA and adopting available industry tools—such as the NAPA Emerald Eco-Label EPD software and the newly formed EPA ENERGY STAR® APEX program—has shaped CPI’s environmental sustainability program,” she said. “There is no question that achieving meaningful emission reductions will require collaboration across our supply chain and with our external stakeholders.”

In supporting The Road Forward, CPI is providing industry leadership, in alignment with their own corporate commitments, on climate action. CPI’s support will help fund ongoing research and education to aid the entire U.S. asphalt industry in producing net zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.

“By joining The Road Forward initiative, CPI is a committed partner in tackling the challenges that face our industry,” said Dylla. “CPI understands the importance of reliable roads and sustainable practices. By working together and with the support of The Road Forward, we will continue to develop and implement new technologies and best practices that will help meet this challenge.”

“The Road Forward proudly welcomes the leadership commitment of Construction Partners, Inc.,” said NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “The CPI team has been integral to expanding our shared knowledge about environmental and sustainability topics. Their continued support propels our collective vision: sustainable communities and commerce connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements.”

For more information about The Road Forward, including details on the industry goals and a full list of sponsoring companies, visit AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About CPI

Construction Partners, Inc. is a vertically integrated civil infrastructure company operating across five southeastern states. Supported by its hot-mix asphalt plants, aggregate facilities and liquid asphalt terminal, the company focuses on the construction, repair and maintenance of surface infrastructure. Publicly funded projects make up the majority of its business and include local and state roadways, interstate highways, airport runways and bridges. The company also performs private sector projects that include paving and sitework for office and industrial parks, shopping centers, local businesses and residential developments. To learn more, visit www.constructionpartners.net.

The Road Forward, an initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) to achieve net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements by 2050, has attracted a new funding partner in Summit Materials (NYSE:SUM, “Summit”), which has established detailed targets for emissions reduction by 2030 and a commitment to net zero by 2050.

Summit Materials is a vertically integrated construction materials producer of asphalt, aggregates, and cement products and provider of paving and construction services. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Summit joined NAPA in 2010. Summit partners with local communities to solve infrastructure needs, guided by three pillars of social responsibility, including social impact, land reclamation, and carbon reduction. Now, Summit is partnering with NAPA on The Road Forward to deliver on a shared mission to reach net zero through efficient practices that benefit communities, companies, and the environment.

Summit Materials’ leadership have a long-standing commitment to the industry and to NAPA, including service on NAPA’s Environmental Committee by Senior Vice President, Safety Performance, Brad Okoniewski and Vice President Todd Swenson.

“Summit is grateful for NAPA’s partnership in helping us progress towards our 2030 and 2050 targets for carbon emissions reductions, including a strategy for achieving net zero emissions by 2050,” commented Karli Anderson, Summit EVP of Environmental, Safety, Governance and Head of Investor Relations. “For example, NAPA has provided important insights, tools, and support as Summit seeks to be the leading company to obtain published Environmental Production Declarations (EPDs) for our asphalt plants. In recent months we’ve obtained EPDs for our Mount Pleasant Asphalt (Texas), Paris Asphalt Plant (Texas), Greenville Asphalt (Texas), Silverthorne Asphalt (Colorado), Roland Asphalt (Colorado), and Texarkana (Arkansas). We plan to have the rest of our permanent facilities in Texas completed by the end of the year, with plans to expand across our footprint in 2023 and beyond.”

In the year ended January 1, 2022, Summit Materials sold 64.2 million tons of aggregates, 2.4 million tons of cement, 5.8 million cubic yards of ready-mix concrete, and 5.1 million tons of asphalt paving mix across more than 400 sites and plants. In 2021, 13% of its asphalt tons were recycled.

In supporting The Road Forward, Summit Materials is providing industry leadership, in alignment with their own corporate commitments, on climate action. Their support will help fund ongoing research and education to aid the entire U.S. asphalt industry in producing net zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.

“We are thankful to Summit Materials for embracing a shared commitment to environmental reporting through NAPA’s Emerald Eco-Label EPD software and to industry innovation through The Road Forward,” said NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “Their support not only propels our collective vision for sustainable communities and commerce connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements, but also demonstrates the positive impact that asphalt pavement producers can have in their own communities.”

For more information about The Road Forward, including details on the industry goals and a full list of sponsoring companies, visit AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About Summit Materials

Summit Materials is a leading vertically integrated materials-based company that supplies aggregates, cement, ready-mix concrete and asphalt in the United States and British Columbia, Canada. Summit is a geographically diverse, materials-based business of scale that offers customers a single-source provider of construction materials and related downstream products in the public infrastructure, residential and nonresidential end markets. Summit has a strong track record of successful acquisitions since its founding and continues to pursue growth opportunities in new and existing markets. For more information about Summit Materials, please visit www.summit-materials.com.

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In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the results or conditions described in such statements or our objectives and plans will be realized. Important factors could affect our results and could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the factors discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Summit Materials’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 1, 2022. Such factors may be updated from time to time in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), which are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Committing to the industry-wide initiative to achieve net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements by 2050, two additional member companies have pledged their support for The Road Forward, an initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA). They are Associate member Kraton Corporation and Producer member Kokosing Materials, Inc.

A NAPA member since 1985, Columbus-based Kokosing Materials, Inc. (KMI), is a third-generation family-owned company with asphalt plants throughout Ohio, producing hot-, warm-, and cold-mix asphalt pavements.

By joining The Road Forward, KMI is furthering its commitment to reducing its environmental impact in the communities it serves. Their three-pronged approach to environmental leadership includes investing in continuous improvement, partnering with customers to support environmental goals, and promoting a global sustainable legacy.

“At Kokosing Materials, we’re always looking for ways to improve our sustainability and to be the industry leader in new technologies to achieve this goal,” said Corporate President Lee Schloss. “The Road Forward is moving our industry in the right direction and we look forward in helping lead this initiative.”

Houston-based Kraton Corporation joined NAPA in 2011. Kraton is a global producer of innovation-based, sustainable polymers, and developed the first commercially viable styrenic block copolymers. Kraton supplies SBS polymers used to modify asphalt binders for paving and roofing applications. Kraton’s commitment to sustainability recently earned them the EcoVadis Platinum rating for the second consecutive year. The Platinum rating places Kraton within the top 1% of more than 90,000 companies evaluated by EcoVadis for integrating sustainability principles into their business.

Kraton’s engagement with NAPA is quite extensive. Dr. Bob Kluttz, Senior Manager, Market Development, has served in many volunteer leadership roles, such as the Committee for Asphalt Research & Technology. He has also been active on the Sustainability Committee since 2018.

“Our core beliefs align with The Road Forward, and we are proud to support these efforts, connecting Kraton’s 40 years of experience in extending pavement life into pursuing a sustainable asphalt industry,” said Bill Davis, Kraton’s Director of Sales, Performance Products. “Kraton believes in sustainability across all fronts – efforts that have been recognized by EcoVadis and that are evidenced in our support of this net zero initiative.”

In supporting The Road Forward, Kraton and KMI are providing industry leadership on climate action. Their support will help fund ongoing research and education to aid the entire U.S. asphalt industry in producing net zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.

“We are thankful to Kokosing Materials, Inc., and Kraton Corporation for embracing a shared commitment to The Road Forward,” said NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “Their support of The Road Forward not only propels our collective vision for sustainable communities and commerce connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements, but also demonstrates the positive impact that both mix producers and additive suppliers can have in their communities and beyond.”

For more information about The Road Forward, including details on the industry goals and a full list of sponsoring companies, visit AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About Kokosing Materials, Inc.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Kokosing’s primary business lines include heavy industrial, transportation, pipelines, water/wastewater treatment and marine work. Additionally, Kokosing owns construction material supply companies. Known for unwavering integrity and exceptional safety and quality, Kokosing provides extensive resources for its customers throughout the Midwest and mid-Atlantic regions.

About Kraton Corporation

Kraton Corporation is a leading global producer of specialty polymers and high-value performance products derived from renewable resources. Kraton’s polymers are used in a wide range of applications, including adhesives, coatings, consumer and personal care products, sealants, and lubricants, and medical, packaging, automotive, paving and roofing products. As the largest global provider in the pine chemicals industry, the company’s pine-based specialty products are sold into adhesive, road and construction and tire markets, and it produces and sells a broad range of performance chemicals into markets that include fuel additives, oilfield chemicals, coatings, metalworking fluids and lubricants, inks and mining. Kraton offers its products to a diverse customer base in over 70 countries worldwide. Kraton, the Kraton logo and design are all trademarks of Kraton Corporation or its subsidiaries or affiliates.

CRH Americas Materials, North America’s largest asphalt paving company and asphalt producer, has joined The Road Forward, an industry-wide initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) to achieve net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements. The move is the latest in many steps CRH has taken to proactively address the challenges and opportunities of climate change.

Sustainability is deeply embedded in all aspects of CRH’s business. CRH is committed to building a more resilient, circular, and sustainable world, which includes product innovation in warm-mix asphalt and recycled asphalt pavements, both of which are key components to achieving the industry goals established in The Road Forward. Moreover, CRH’s Innovation Centre for Sustainable Construction (ICSC) partners with industry and academia to develop new and innovative technologies to advance environmental goals and solutions, with more than 60 research projects under way.

“CRH’s leadership in the areas of sustainability and environmental responsibility, both at the company level and at the Association level, have been tremendous,” remarked NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland. “Through innovation, leadership, and profound commitment, CRH sets an example for asphalt mix producers and pavers throughout our industry.”

A NAPA member since 1986, CRH’s active leadership in the association has made a significant contribution to advancing the industry. Executive Vice President John Keating served as NAPA Chairman of the Board in 2013, a role that CRH Americas Materials New England Group President, Christian Zimmermann, will embrace in 2023.

“In addition to delivering a more sustainable built environment, our decarbonization efforts often have the added benefit of reducing the cost of asphalt pavement materials, improving their performance, or both,” said Ron Sines, CRH’s Vice President, Sustainability & Decarbonization. Sines chaired NAPA’s Climate Stewardship Task Force, which developed The Road Forward based on extensive research and input from producers, suppliers, and academia. “By formally joining The Road Forward initiative, CRH will help further advance emissions reduction technologies and practices, generating value for pavement owners, industry, and other stakeholders.”

“CRH’s commitment to and support of The Road Forward further propels our collective vision for the future: sustainable communities and commerce, connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements,” said Copeland.

To learn how your company can support The Road Forward before 2022 sponsorships close on September 30, visit AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About CRH

CRH (LSE: CRH, ISE: CRG, NYSE: CRH) is the leading building materials business in the world, employing c.73,000 people at c.3,200 operating locations in 28 countries. It is the largest building materials business in North America and Europe and also has regional positions in Asia. CRH manufactures and supplies a range of integrated building materials, products and innovative solutions which can be found throughout the built environment, from major public infrastructure projects to commercial buildings and residential structures. A Fortune 500 company, CRH is a constituent member of the FTSE 100 Index, the EURO STOXX 50 Index, the ISEQ 20 and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Europe. CRH’s American Depositary Shares are listed on the NYSE. For more information visit www.crh.com.

The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR® program as a partner. Through this voluntary partnership with ENERGY STAR, NAPA will encourage its members to reduce energy consumption and costs at asphalt mixture production facilities by employing proven energy-saving technologies and practices.

“NAPA’s new partnership with ENERGY STAR complements The Road Forward initiative, an ambitious goal for the asphalt pavement industry to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050,” said Audrey Copeland, NAPA President & CEO. “Recent inflation and volatility in energy prices provide further impetus for NAPA members to reduce their financial risk by improving energy efficiency, while also maximizing the impact of projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”

As part of its continued commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability, NAPA is also launching the Asphalt Plant Energy Performance Peer Exchange (APEX) Program. The APEX Program is available to asphalt mixture producers who want to reduce environmental impacts associated with asphalt plant operations, reduce energy costs, and receive formal recognition from the ENERGY STAR program for managing and reducing energy consumption.

In a pilot of the APEX program, 22 companies received training and peer networking opportunities to better manage and reduce energy consumption at asphalt plants, and even helped draft an asphalt mix plant energy guide. A tool that will allow existing plants to become ENERGY STAR labeled is in development. More information about the APEX program is available at AsphaltPavement.org/Expertise/Sustainability/Tools.

“Improving the energy efficiency of our nation’s manufacturing sector is critical to protecting our environment,” said Cindy Jacobs, Chief of the EPA ENERGY STAR Commercial & Industrial Branch. “Thanks to NAPA’s leadership, we have an opportunity to engage with companies across the asphalt pavement industry, from small family-owned operations to multinational publicly traded corporations, which share a common goal of wanting to make their operations more efficient.”

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including nearly 40% of the Fortune 500®—partner with EPA to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions that protect the climate while improving air quality and protecting public health. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners have helped American families and businesses save 5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity, avoid more than $450 billion in energy costs, and achieve 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions.

For more information about the ENERGY STAR Industrial Energy Management Program: https://www.energystar.gov/industrial_plants

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

For more information about The Road Forward: AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

An industry leader in sustainability, Granite Construction (NYSE:GVA) has joined The Road Forward, an initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) to achieve net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements by 2050. The move is the latest in many steps Granite has taken to demonstrate its commitment to social responsibility, environmental stewardship, dependable governance, and enduring value in pursuit of sustainability.

Granite has been involved in the development of The Road Forward since its inception. Granite’s Sustainability Manager, Raven Adams, serves as Vice Chair of NAPA’s Sustainability Committee and represented Granite and fellow asphalt producers on NAPA’s Climate Stewardship Task Force, which developed The Road Forward goals. “The Road Forward represents a comprehensive effort to guide our industry in adapting to the challenges presented by climate change,” said Adams. “How we rise to these challenges will define this generation of business leaders, and Granite intends to be at the forefront.”

Granite has made significant progress in its sustainability efforts. Last year, 20 Granite asphalt plants were recognized with NAPA Diamond Achievement Sustainable Commendations, which assess the social, economic, and environmental efforts of an asphalt production facility to gauge how well it puts the principles of sustainability and community engagement into action—above and beyond the Diamond Achievement Commendation. Other 2021 highlights include 26 NAPA Quality in Construction Awards, 1.03 million tons of waste diverted from landfills by recycling asphalt pavements, and investments of $1.85 million in energy efficiency improvements. In addition, Granite aligned its annual Sustainability Reports with standard frameworks (GRI, SASB, and TCFD) and developed a climate target to reduce scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030 from a 2020 baseline.

“Sustainability is central to our business purpose and strategy,” said Granite President and CEO Kyle Larkin. “At Granite, we understand that our industry must adapt to the evolving needs of society, and that includes tackling the challenges of climate change. We are proud to support NAPA’s vision to achieve net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements by sponsoring The Road Forward.”

A 23-year NAPA member, Granite is recognized as one of the 25 largest construction companies in the country. As a full-suite civil construction provider and a major producer of construction materials, Granite’s commitments to sustainability are impactful. In addition to The Road Forward, the company also participates in the United Nations Global Compact and was a founding sponsor for two nonprofits that created frameworks used to assess infrastructure sustainability: the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, which created the Envision rating system, and Greenroads.

“Granite is living its value of sustainability, setting an example for other companies, and—importantly—sharing its knowledge and experience with the asphalt pavement industry, the construction industry as a whole, and its fellow NAPA members,” remarked NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “Granite’s commitment to developing and supporting The Road Forward further propels our collective vision for the future: sustainable communities and commerce, connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements,” she added.

For more information about The Road Forward, including details on the industry goals and how your company can support this work, visit AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About Granite

Granite is America’s Infrastructure Company™. Incorporated since 1922, Granite (NYSE:GVA) is one of the largest diversified construction and construction materials companies in the United States as well as a full-suite civil construction provider. Granite’s Code of Conduct and strong Core Values guide the Company and its employees to uphold the highest ethical standards. Granite is an industry leader in safety and an award-winning firm in quality and sustainability. For more information, visit the Granite website, graniteconstruction.com, and connect with Granite on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Committing to the industry-wide initiative to achieve net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements by 2050, two asphalt producers have pledged their support for The Road Forward, an initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA).

Sacramento-based Teichert Materials is a 20-year NAPA member that produces asphalt in northern California and northern Nevada, along with other construction products and services. “We are excited to join other asphalt producers across the country to sponsor The Road Forward,” said President Dana Davis. “Moving toward producing net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements is another example of our industry’s commitment to deliver the right materials for sustainable communities.”

A new NAPA member, Holcim US offers asphalt pavement products in 46 states. Parent company Holcim Group, Ltd., was the first global building materials company to sign the United Nations Global Compact “Business Ambition for 1.5°C” initiative, with 2030 targets validated by World Resources Institute’s Science Based Targets initiative.

“Our greatest challenge and opportunity is to build a net zero future that works for people and the planet,” said Jay Moreau, US CEO of ACM at Holcim. “We are always in search of ways to strategically partner with organizations that hold the same values as we do to drive a more sustainable and climate-conscious focus across all our operations.”

In supporting The Road Forward, Holcim US and Teichert are providing industry leadership on climate action. Their support will help fund ongoing research and education to aid the entire U.S. asphalt industry in producing net zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.

“We are pleased that long-time member Teichert and new member Holcim US have joined The Road Forward to share their environmental expertise and lessons learned while serving diverse communities across the country,” remarked NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “Their support of The Road Forward propels our collective vision for the future: sustainable communities and commerce, connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements.”

For more information about The Road Forward, including details on the industry goals and how your company can support this work, visit AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About Holcim

Holcim builds progress for people and the planet. As a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions, Holcim is enabling greener cities, smarter infrastructure and improving living standards around the world. With sustainability at the core of its strategy Holcim is becoming a net zero company, with its people and communities at the heart of its success. The company is driving circular construction as a world leader in recycling to build more with less. Holcim is the company behind some of the world’s most trusted brands in the building sector including ACC, Aggregate Industries, Ambuja Cement, Disensa, Firestone Building Products, Geocycle, Holcim, Lafarge and Malarkey Roofing Products. Holcim is 70,000 people around the world who are passionate about building progress for people and the planet through four business segments: Cement, Ready-Mix Concrete, Aggregates and Solutions & Products.

In the United States, Holcim US, includes close to 350 sites in 43 states and employs 7,000 people. Our customers rely on us to help them design and build better communities with innovative solutions that deliver structural integrity and eco-efficiency.

About Teichert

Teichert Materials is a division of Teichert, Inc., a construction company operating in California since 1887. Over the years, Teichert has grown into a diverse mix of businesses, most notably Teichert Construction and Teichert Materials. Teichert Materials provides a variety of construction products for the aggregate, asphalt, and concrete industries. With our commitment to our family of employees, high quality of work, strong customer satisfaction, and giving back to the community, Teichert will continue to flourish in the 21st century and beyond.

Cradle-to-gate emissions associated with asphalt mix production in the United States represented approximately 0.3% of total U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2019. By comparison, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data indicate that transportation emissions from fossil fuel combustion represented 27.8% of total emissions in 2019, while industrial emissions represented 25.3%.

That’s according to a new report from the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), authored by its Director of Sustainable Pavements, Joseph Shacat; Vice President of Engineering, Research, & Technology, J. Richard Willis, Ph.D.; and TriSight LLC Partner Ben Ciavola, Ph.D.

The report, GHG Emissions Inventory for Asphalt Mix Production in the United States (SIP 106), is the first national cradle-to-gate assessment of GHG emissions associated with the production of asphalt pavement mixtures that uses a life cycle assessment-based methodology. The emissions inventory includes upstream raw materials inputs, transportation of those materials to the production site, and plant emissions (including upstream energy processes) for the years 2009-2019.

“Publishing this report puts NAPA and the asphalt pavement industry at the forefront of transparency among carbon emitters,” said NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, Ph.D., P.E. “We’re demonstrating our commitment to doing better – as prescribed in The Road Forward initiative we announced in January – by taking stock of where we are and identifying proven as well as innovative strategies to reduce carbon emissions.”

“To our knowledge, this is one of the first cradle-to-gate GHG emissions inventories for any major U.S. industry,” added Shacat. “While there are several studies that show cradle-to-gate emissions intensities for various industries, we’re not aware of any publicly available reports that add up all of the emissions for a given industry nationwide.”

Jim Mertes, Director of Environmental Affairs at Construction Resources Management, Inc., A Walbec Group Company, and Chair of NAPA’s Sustainability Committee, described the report as “a comprehensive industry benchmark, which can be used to measure future industry improvements in carbon reduction.” What’s more, said Mertes, “It identifies what we can achieve using existing strategies and technologies and demonstrates the unprecedented technological challenge ahead to get to net zero.”

By identifying ‘avoided emissions,’ the report demonstrates how existing environmentally preferable technologies like reclaimed asphalt pavements (RAP), reduced-temperature asphalt mix production (called warm-mix asphalt, or WMA), and switching to alternative fuels for plant operations have already had an industry-wide impact on limiting emissions.

In 2019 alone, the industry avoided 2.9 million metric tons (MMT) CO2e emissions – equivalent to the annual emissions from approximately 630,000 passenger vehicles.

The authors note that increased implementation of such measures could further reduce emissions by up to 24% relative to 2019. In fact, each ton of RAP used in new asphalt mixtures reduced 2019 GHG emissions by approximately 27 kg CO2e.

However, they caution, “Although the report provides an estimate for the national average GHG emissions associated with asphalt mix production, it is not an industry average Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and should not be used as a benchmark for project-level decision making during procurement or project delivery.”

Nonetheless, the report “will be a valuable tool as discussions with government, agencies, and owners accelerate in the coming years,” said Ron Sines, P.E., Vice President, Performance – Asphalt, CRH Americas Materials, Inc. “Additionally, it provides clear direction on what the industry should be doing today, as well as what the industry could do in the future, if the identified obstacles can be overcome,” added Sines, who chaired NAPA’s Climate Stewardship Task Force, which created The Road Forward, the industry’s goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

To advance that goal, the report states, “New technologies and additional innovative practices will need to be developed and implemented to achieve more significant GHG emission reductions.” The industry, along with its suppliers, partners, and customers, must invest in emission reduction strategies related to materials, transportation, and mix production. Examples include carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS); use of carbon sequestering bio-based materials; use of local recycled materials and alternative fuels for trucking; and technologies that reduce burner fuel consumption.

Raven Adams, Vice Chair of NAPA’s Sustainability Committee and Granite Construction’s Sustainability Manager, remarked, “NAPA’s publication of this document will empower our industry to advocate for the funding, research, and support needed to allow us to respond to climate change.”

Two additional funding partners have pledged their support for The Road Forward, an industry-wide initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) to achieve net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements. They are NAPA associate member Surface Tech, LLC, and producer member Gallagher Asphalt Corp. By adding their support to the initiative, Gallagher and Surface Tech bring the number of current supporting members to six, while demonstrating their commitment to climate stewardship.

Gallagher Asphalt is a fourth-generation family company and a Founding Member of NAPA. As a paving contractor performing commercial, industrial, and governmental projects, Gallagher operates three high-capacity asphalt plants in the Chicago suburbs.

Surface Tech, which counts sustainability among its foundational pillars, produces aramid-based reinforcement solutions for asphalt mixtures. Headquartered in La Jolla, Calif., the company has been a NAPA member since 2019.

In supporting The Road Forward, Gallagher and Surface Tech are exemplifying their shared value of innovation to provide industry leadership on climate action. Their support will help fund ongoing research and education to aid the entire U.S. asphalt industry in producing net zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.

“Innovation and integrity are our cornerstones, and both values will continue to serve us and this community well as we march together to net zero carbon emission production,” said Surface Tech President Steve Santa Cruz. “A lot to learn, collaborate, and change; we are looking forward to the challenge.”

“As a member of the Climate Stewardship Task Force, I realize that net zero by 2050 can sound like an impossible dream. But with innovation and the goals and tactics that NAPA has laid out, I believe it is fully attainable,” said Gallagher Asphalt President Dan Gallagher. “I am confident that Gallagher Asphalt will continue to play a meaningful role in supporting this initiative under the leadership of the fourth generation.”

Both Santa Cruz and Gallagher currently serve on NAPA’s Advisory Council, while Gallagher also serves on NAPA’s Board of Directors as Chair of the Past Chairmen’s Council and was Vice Chair of the Climate Stewardship Task Force that developed The Road Forward initiative. “The leadership of these two innovative companies, Gallagher Asphalt and Surface Tech, have volunteered their time and expertise, advancing both the association and the industry,” remarked NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “Their support of The Road Forward further propels our collective vision for the future: sustainable communities and commerce, connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements.”

For more information about The Road Forward, including details on the industry goals and how your company can support this work, visit AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About Gallagher Asphalt Corp.

Founded in 1928 and now in its fourth generation of family management, Gallagher Asphalt Corp. provides “paving peace of mind” as Chicago Southland’s premier paving contractor. With state-of-the-art, high-capacity plants strategically positioned in key south suburban locations, Gallagher effectively and efficiently services commercial, industrial, and municipal customers across more than 3,000 square miles. The company’s divisions – Gallagher Asphalt, Gallagher Materials, Hot-in-Place Recycling, Sheply Motor Express, and StreetPrint Asphalt Pavement Texturing – provide a full complement of services from the family company serving your community for nearly a century.

About Surface Tech, LLC

Surface Tech is an innovation platform company serving the asphalt community. It is the first additive company in North America to have obtained an EPD certification, in January 2022, for its flagship, aramid product: ACE Polymer Fiber. Central to its mission, Surface Tech’s stewards and resources are committed to bringing needed but proven solutions to its partners and customers.

Two funding partners have pledged their support for The Road Forward, an industry-wide initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) to produce net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements. They are NAPA associate member Ingevity and producer member Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC. In joining inaugural sponsors Cargill Asphalt Solutions and Peckham Industries, Inc., Ingevity and Ajax are demonstrating their commitment to climate stewardship while advancing the asphalt pavement industry.

Family-owned Ajax Paving operates eight asphalt plants across Florida’s Gulf Coast and constructs various projects from runways to design-build. The company’s President, Vince Hafeli, has served on NAPA’s Board of Directors since 2015 and is currently the Vice Chair of the Southeast Region Advisory Council.

A NAPA member since 2002, Ingevity manufactures sustainable specialty chemicals and materials for a variety of markets, including preservation products for asphalt pavements and warm-mix asphalt (WMA) additives like Evotherm®. Ingevity recently published an environmental product declaration (EPD) for Evotherm M1, making it the first chemical additive supplier to be included in NAPA’s EPD tool, Emerald Eco-Label.

In supporting The Road Forward, Ajax and Ingevity are exemplifying their values of innovation and ownership, providing industry leadership on climate action. Their support will help fund ongoing research and education to aid the entire U.S. asphalt industry in achieving net zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.

“Ajax Paving Industries of Florida is excited to be leading the asphalt industry in paving the path forward in sustainability,” Hafeli said. “The journey to a net zero future is difficult to even comprehend. However, with NAPA as a partner, we are excited about the upcoming journey, which ties directly into Ajax being the Employer, Contractor, and Partner of Choice.”

“Ingevity is very pleased to support NAPA and The Road Forward initiative as we work together to move the asphalt industry towards net zero emissions,” said Andrew Crow, Vice President of Pavement Technologies. “At Ingevity, sustainability is at the center of all we do. Our company’s heritage of providing renewable raw material-sourced products that promote environmental stewardship has long enabled us to help customers and end users reduce their

ecological footprint, and we are excited to bring our expertise in sustainable paving technologies to the industry as we work to meet our shared climate goals.”

“For decades, Ingevity and Ajax Paving Industries of Florida have demonstrated their respective commitments to innovating on behalf of their customers and communities,” remarked NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “Their support of The Road Forward fuels our vision for the future: sustainable communities and commerce, connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements.”

For more information about The Road Forward, including details on the industry goals and how your company can support this work, visit AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC

Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC, provides asphalt manufacturing, along with managing and building small to heavy civil infrastructure projects from roads to runways, across southwest Florida. The company was founded in Michigan in 1951 by Herbert H. Jacob and expanded to Florida in 1981 with a vision that is expressed today as being the Employer of Choice, the Contractor of Choice, and the Partner of Choice. The “A Team” delivers construction services and products that exceed expectations on safety, quality, and value. Learn why Ajax Paving is the asphalt contractor of choice at AjaxPaving.com/Florida.

About Ingevity

Ingevity provides products and technologies that purify, protect and enhance the world around us. Through a team of talented and experienced people, we develop, manufacture and bring to market solutions that help customers solve complex problems and make the world more sustainable. We operate in two reporting segments: Performance Chemicals, which includes specialty chemicals and engineered polymers, and Performance Materials, which includes high-performance activated carbon. These products are used in a variety of demanding applications, including asphalt paving, oil exploration and production, agrochemicals, adhesives, lubricants, publication inks, coatings, elastomers, bioplastics and automotive components that reduce gasoline vapor emissions. Headquartered in North Charleston, South Carolina, Ingevity operates from 25 locations around the world and employs approximately 1,850 people. The company is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:NGVT). For more information visit ingevity.com.

The Road Forward, an industry-wide initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) to produce net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements, welcomes two inaugural funding partners that are demonstrating their commitment to climate stewardship while advancing the asphalt pavement industry. The inaugural sponsors are producer member Peckham Industries, Inc., and associate member Cargill Asphalt Solutions.

A NAPA member since 1973, Peckham Industries produces hot-, warm-, and cold-mix asphalt in New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts. A NAPA member since 2016, Cargill offers a line of asphalt additives including rejuvenators, warm- and cold-mix additives, and anti-strip to help producers increase performance and profits.

“Peckham Industries is excited to take part in The Road Forward and join NAPA on their journey to a net zero future,” said Will Hadeka, Sustainability Lead for Peckham Industries. “Since 1924, our company’s foundation has been built on family values, and we are committed to building a sustainable future for our employees, customers, and communities for generations to come. The Road Forward allows us to unite across the country to help move our industry forward as we pave the way to a sustainable future.”

In supporting The Road Forward, Peckham and Cargill are further demonstrating their commitment to climate stewardship. In fact, in a recent collaboration with the City of Yonkers, New York, Peckham doubled the maximum recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) content from 20 percent to 40 percent using Cargill’s Anova® Rejuvenator. Now, their support will help fund ongoing research and education to aid the entire U.S. asphalt industry in achieving net zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.

“Cargill provides sustainable asphalt technologies and solutions around the world, and we are on board with NAPA to help advance environmental stewardship in the asphalt industry through The Road Forward initiative,” said Justin Black, Cargill Asphalt Solutions Category Leader. “Cargill Asphalt Solutions is delighted to collaborate with NAPA and the asphalt mixture community,” added Dan Staebell, Cargill Asphalt Solutions National Business Development Leader. “We are proud to bring our scientific expertise, connections in the industry, and drive for innovation to this initiative.”

“Cargill and Peckham’s foresight in sustainability is an example for our industry and our customers – DOTs and road owners,” remarked NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland, PhD, PE. “Their support of The Road Forward fuels our vision for the future: sustainable communities and commerce, connected by net zero carbon asphalt pavements.”

For more information about The Road Forward, including details on the industry goals and how your company can support this work, visit AsphaltPavement.org/Forward.

About The Road Forward

An initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in January 2022, the multi-year effort will engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

About Cargill Asphalt Solutions

Cargill’s Asphalt Solutions is one of the key markets within Cargill Bioindustrial that utilizes various bio-based chemistries to create specific, innovative solutions for our road construction asphalt additive customers. With a worldwide presence in the asphalt industry, we delivery results for hot mix plants, DOT agencies, refineries, and asphalt mix plants that draw on the whole Cargill portfolio of products and services.  Anova® Rejuvenator, Anova® Warm Mix Additives, Anova® Modifiers, Anova® Cold Mix and Anova® Anti-Strip, help our customers increase performance, and lower costs – all in a responsible, sustainable manner. For more information, visit Cargill.com/AsphaltSolutions.

About Cargill

Cargill’s 155,000 employees across 70 countries work relentlessly to achieve our purpose of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. Every day, we connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients, and people and animals with the food they need to thrive. We combine 156 years of experience with new technologies and insights to serve as a trusted partner for food, agriculture, financial and industrial customers in more than 125 countries. Side-by-side, we are building a stronger, sustainable future for agriculture. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.

About Peckham Industries

Peckham Industries Inc. (PII) has been a family-run business since 1924 headquartered in Brewster, New York, employing nearly 1,000 people at more than 36 facilities located across the Northeast. Peckham Industries believes its “family by choice” philosophy delivers value as the trusted supplier of construction materials, products, and services in the communities we serve. Through its extensive network of hot mix asphalt and ready-mix concrete plants, quarries, and liquid asphalt terminals, PII delivers the highest quality materials and custom solutions to thousands of road construction and road maintenance customers. In addition, the company’s construction operations include paving and road reclamation services, as well as precast/pre-stressed concrete production and erection of multi-level parking structures, specialty buildings, and bridge components.

This morning, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released its Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) Implementation Guidance, unlocking $6.4 billion in formula funding over five years to help states and localities develop carbon reduction strategies.

While the CRP was established in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), NAPA sought inclusion of paving activities by highlighting asphalt pavement’s many climate-friendly technologies, to help states and localities meet their climate goals. Such efforts included a February letter to Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works Chairman Tom Carper and Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito requesting support for including the Stabenow and Wicker amendment to add eligibility for “projects using pavement technologies, including designs, materials and practices that reduce carbon emissions.”

Thanks to sustained efforts by NAPA and our transportation construction partners, the CRP guidance makes low-carbon pavement technologies eligible for this important program.

“NAPA worked to bring a coalition of stakeholder groups together to advocate for this,” said NAPA Executive Vice President for Advocacy Jay Hansen. “It opens opportunities for our industry to provide carbon-reduction solutions for the citizens and communities we serve across the country.”

The CRP guidance includes low-carbon asphalt pavements as follows:

Sustainable pavements technologies that reduce embodied carbon during the manufacture and/or construction of highway projects could be eligible for CRP if a lifecycle assessment (LCA) demonstrates substantial reductions in CO2 compared to the implementing Agency’s typical pavement-related practices. The LCA Pave Tool can be used to assess the CO2 impacts of pavement material and design decisions.

What this means:

• There is a new core highway program in which low-carbon asphalt pavement technologies are now eligible.
• This is NOT a mandate on state transportation agencies or the industry, but a free-market approach to utilize ready-to-go pavement technologies that reduce carbon emissions.

Detailed information is available directly from FHWA.

The availability of funding for low-carbon pavement technologies supports the asphalt pavement industry’s goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, outlined in The Road Forward, which will require working with partners like FHWA and state departments of transportation. NAPA is launching a webinar series, The Road to Zero: Making Sense (and Cents) of Climate Stewardship, beginning with An Introduction to The Road Forward on May 2.

National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) President & CEO Audrey Copeland, Ph.D., P.E., issued the following comment in response to President Joe Biden’s infrastructure statements during his State of the Union Address on March 1, 2022:

"Noting in his State of the Union Address last night that American infrastructure ranks 13th in the world, the President celebrated the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) of 2021 and its historic investment in improving our national infrastructure. Now, we call on Congress to deliver a bipartisan omnibus appropriations bill, releasing BIL's historic funding to states. The skilled and dedicated asphalt pavement industry workforce stands ready to fulfill the President's promise to start fixing more than 65,000 miles of deteriorated highways over the next year. Our expertise is repairing, maintaining, and building the roadways that connect all of us and our shared prosperity. We will succeed by working and innovating together to propel the 'infrastructure decade' and rebuild America."

‘The Road Forward’ Is NAPA’s Member-Driven Initiative to Reach Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050

At its Annual Meeting last week, the National Asphalt Pavement Association announced the asphalt pavement industry’s plan to join other industries and sectors around the world in curbing climate change.

The member-driven and expert-defined research and implementation roadmap – The Road Forward: A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry – calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products, and processes to achieve Scope 1, 2, and 3 net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The direction set forth in The Road Forward conforms to the basic ideas of the Paris Agreement as well as the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

In a rousing presentation that punctuated NAPA’s Annual Meeting – which also included two climate-focused educational workshops and two general sessions on corporate sustainability – NAPA Vice President for Engineering, Research, & Technology J. Richard Willis, Ph.D., unveiled The Road Forward with an inspiring video, mission, and vision.

“This is one mission and one vision for the entire industry to point us where we need to go to proactively lower emissions and accelerate beyond the industry’s past efforts in environmental stewardship and sustainability,” he said.

Crafting a Sustainable Direction

Over the past year, the 21-member Climate Stewardship Task Force studied the issue carefully to craft a direction for the industry. The result is The Road Forward – a mission, vision, and roadmap outlining the direction the industry needs to take over the next two decades in the pursuit of net zero carbon emissions in the production of asphalt pavements. It includes four goals, 19 tactics, and eight research and implementation gaps.

“We as an industry need to take it upon ourselves to be responsible, to make these changes, and, where we can, get help. But we need to take ownership and start today,” urged Willis.

2022 NAPA Chairman of the Board and President of Superior Paving Corp., Jim Mitchell, described this latest initiative as the next in a long series of steps the asphalt pavement industry has undertaken to preserve resources and continue implementing environmentally friendly practices.

“We know that, by embracing our decades-long spirit of innovation, we can and will do more toward sustainability. Asphalt pavement is the number-one recycled material in the country. As an industry, we reused 87 million tons in 2020 alone,” he said. “This plan includes greater use of existing technology such as recycled and warm-mix asphalt, while spurring development and implementation of new technologies to further reduce emissions.”

Multi-Year Initiative Begins with Education

While research gets under way, NAPA is engaging the asphalt community to further educate them on what, to many, is an unfamiliar landscape filled with new concepts and terminology.

“NAPA has a plan and now it’s up to the individual companies to pick up the ball and run with it,” said Ron Sines, PE, Vice President for Asphalt Performance at CRH Americas Materials and Chair of NAPA’s Climate Stewardship Task Force. He added, “The first thing you can do is get educated on this topic – and educate your employees. Before we can move forward as an industry, everyone needs to develop a shared understanding of what net zero is and why we are pursuing it. We only have one planet and we better take care of it.”

To ease the learning curve, NAPA developed Sequestered, a word game and accompanying glossary that help people get comfortable with industry-related climate change terminology. A deep-dive webinar series will launch early this year.

Also early this year, NAPA will publish a report documenting current emissions – a starting point for the industry to understand the depth of this challenge and to begin envisioning the path toward a net zero future. Then, over the next several years, NAPA’s Committee for Asphalt Research and Technology will spearhead new research and the Council for Engineering, Research, and Sustainability will develop best practices that will serve as a framework for member companies.

The Environment Is Everyone’s Responsibility

To make meaningful advancements, The Road Forward includes the entire U.S. asphalt community – from members and suppliers to road owners.

“As a multi-generational, family-owned company, we’re not being pressured by investors and customers to do this. We’re taking the initiative ourselves,” said Dan Gallagher, President of Gallagher Asphalt Corp. and Vice Chair of NAPA’s Climate Stewardship Task Force. “Because when I think about my children and grandchildren, I know this is what we need to do for our families, our communities, our companies, and our industry.”

Best-selling author on megatrends, Andrew Winston, said in his keynote address to NAPA’s Annual Meeting attendees, “This is systems change. You have companies setting goals in all sectors for their suppliers. We cannot get there without each other.”

Willis added, “I encourage everyone to learn the terminology and understand the impacts. Every single person makes a difference in how we move forward.”

Gallagher agreed, “Each of us has a role to play and a responsibility to act now.”

Mapping The Road Forward Online

NAPA has dedicated a section of its website, AsphaltPavement.org, to The Road Forward. It is accessible via AsphaltPavement.org/Forward or by clicking on the Climate tab from any page of NAPA’s website. As new research and events become available, this section will grow to house reference materials, research, best practices, and event information like the aforementioned educational webinar series.

Right now, visitors to AsphaltPavement.org/Forward will find:

• Industry goals & tactics
• A PDF brochure detailing the business case, goals, tactics, and gaps
• A glossary
• Information on how to support this extensive initiative through funding partnerships
• Contact information for those wishing to get engaged

A short inspirational video is available on the site and on YouTube.

Acknowledgements

The Road Forward was developed by a team of visionaries spanning the U.S. asphalt community, the Climate Stewardship Task Force:

LEADERSHIP

• Chair: Ron Sines, CRH Americas Materials Inc.
• Vice-Chair: Dan Gallagher, Gallagher Asphalt Corp.
• NAPA Staff: Richard Willis & Joseph Shacat

PRODUCERS

• Chris Abadie, Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel Co.
• Raven Adams, Granite Construction Inc.
• Andy DeCraene, Ajax Paving of Florida LLC
• Dan Ganoe, Lindy Paving Inc.
• Allen Hendricks, Eurovia USA
• Gerald Huber, The Heritage Group
• Jay Lemon, Haskell Lemon Construction Co.
• Jamie Moretz, CWR Contracting Inc., a Construction Partners Inc. Co.
• Craig Parker, Silver Star Construction Co. Inc.
• Robert Ponton, Colas Inc.
• Susan Witt, Gerken Materials Inc.

ASSOCIATE MEMBER COUNCIL

• Britt Blacklidge, Blacklidge

STATE ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATIONS

• Bruce Barkevich, New York Construction Materials Association
• John Hickey, Asphalt Pavement Association of Oregon

ACADEMIA

• Ben Bowers, Auburn University
• Adam Hand, Consultant
• Steve Muench, University of Washington

About The Road Forward

The Road Forward is an initiative of the asphalt pavement industry, with the committed support of NAPA members, staff, and partners, to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. By accepting this challenge, we are choosing to work toward solving tomorrow’s problems today. The multi-year initiative will ensure long-term viability and prosperity of our industry and the diverse communities we serve coast to coast.

Mission: Engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community to produce and construct net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.

Vision: Sustainable communities and commerce, connected by net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements

Eurovia Atlantic Coast, dba Northeast Paving Co. LLC., and Pennsylvania DOT Earn 2021 Sheldon G. Hayes Award

The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) announced today the winner and finalists of the 2021 Sheldon G. Hayes Award for excellence in construction of an asphalt pavement. The award, bestowed annually since 1971, recognizes the country’s highest quality highway pavements.

Eurovia Atlantic Coast, dba Northeast Paving Co. LLC, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation – District 12 were named the winner of the 2021 Sheldon G. Hayes Award for their work on I-70 in Washington, Pa.

Finalists for the award were Seaboard Construction Co. and the Georgia Department of Transportation for I-95 in Camden County; and Shelly & Sands Inc. and the Ohio Department of Transportation District 5 for I-70 in Muskingum County.

The Sheldon G. Hayes Award winner and finalists are determined through a two-year evaluation process. All highway pavement projects using more than 50,000 tons of asphalt are eligible for consideration. Initially, the project must win a Quality in Construction (QIC) Award, which is determined by numerical scores given by an independent pavement engineer on the basis of how well the contractor met specifications and achieved density on the finished pavement. All pavements that meet a benchmark figure earn the QIC Award.

The year after a project wins a QIC Award, it is eligible for consideration for the Sheldon G. Hayes Award. The top-ranked projects from each year are tested for smoothness, and then visually inspected by an independent pavement consultant with many years of experience in the industry. This year, the evaluator praised all the candidates for their high-quality construction practices, which resulted in smooth, safe, and durable pavements.

At NAPA’s 67th Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., the winner and each finalist were presented with an award for their achievement. “The asphalt pavement industry is committed to building quality pavements that deliver high performance and drivability to the public,” said James Winford, NAPA 2021 Chairman.

The award is named for Sheldon G. Hayes, a founder of NAPA and the association’s first chairman. Hayes spent his entire career striving for better construction techniques and improvements in the quality of asphalt pavements.

For more information, contact Kelly Kanaras, KKanaras@AsphaltPavement.org.

Award Honors 10 Highest-Rated Quality in Construction Award Projects Under 50,000 Tons

The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) announced the winners of its 2021 Larry H. Lemon Quality in Construction Award for excellence in construction of an asphalt pavement utilizing less than 50,000 tons of asphalt. The winning companies received their awards during NAPA’s 2022 Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The Larry H. Lemon Quality in Construction Award recognizes the 10 highest-scoring projects submitted for a Quality in Construction Award in the General Paving (less than 50,000 tons) category.

“The asphalt pavement industry is committed to building high-quality projects that deliver superior performance to the traveling public. All contractors’ projects earning a Quality in Construction award are measured against best practices designed to live up to that commitment,” said 2021 NAPA Chairman James Winford.

The 2021 winners and their projects, arranged alphabetically, are:

• Barrett Paving Materials Inc. of Middletown, Ohio, for Various Roads in Springboro, Ohio
• Cadillac Asphalt LLC, A CRH Co., of Farmington Hills, Mich., for Grafton Road in Monroe County
• Dunn Construction Co. Inc. of Birmingham, Ala. for the I-65 project in Jefferson County
• Jagoe-Public Co., of Denton, Texas, for FM 1378 in Collin County
• Payne & Dolan Inc., a Walbec Group Co., of Gladstone, Mich., for M-94 in Marquette County
• Preferred Materials Inc., A CRH Co. of Tampa, Fla., for 49th Ave. North in Pinellas Park, Fla.
• Rogers Group Inc., of Columbia, Tenn., for US 64 in Lawrenceburg, Tenn.
• Shelly & Sands Inc. of Zanesville, Ohio, for SR 682 and SR 691 in Athens County
• The Shelly Co., A CRH Co., of Thornville, Ohio, for Morgan Run Road in Coshocton, Ohio
• The Shelly Co., A CRH Co., of Thornville, Ohio, for Winchester Pike in Franklin County

Projects submitted for a Quality in Construction (QIC) Award are evaluated by an independent pavement engineer who assigns each project a numerical score based on how well the

contractor met specifications and achieved density on the finished pavement. All pavements that meet a benchmark figure earn the QIC Award. The Larry H. Lemon Award honors the 10 highest-scoring projects, as determined in the review.

The award is named after Larry Lemon of Haskell Lemon Construction in Oklahoma City. Lemon served faithfully on the NAPA Awards Committee for 18 years, before serving as Chairman of the association’s Board of Directors in 2010 prior to his retirement. Lemon was instrumental in the creation of the rating system for the Quality in Construction Awards, which require qualitative analysis using data and test results to determine the winners.

For more information, contact Michelle Kirk, MKirk@AsphaltPavement.org.

Awards Program Celebrates Safety Innovations and Community Involvement

The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) announced today the winners and finalists of its 2021 Operational Excellence Awards.

“NAPA members strive for excellence beyond constructing high-quality asphalt pavements. The two categories of the Operational Excellence Awards – Asphalt Operations Safety Innovation and Community Involvement – recognize a company’s commitment to operations that make them good contractors, good industry ambassadors, and good neighbors,” stated NAPA 2021 Chairman James Winford.

The 2021 winners and finalists honored include:

Asphalt Operations Safety Innovation Award Winners:

• Kokosing Construction Co. Inc. of Fredericktown, Ohio, for Asphalt Cement Loader
• Superior Paving Corp. of Gainesville, Va., for Portable AEDs

Community Involvement Award Winners:

• Callanan Cares at Callanan Industries Inc., A CRH Co., of Albany, N.Y., for Callanan Cares
• Ajax Paving Industries of Florida LLC of North Venice, Fla., for Pave it Forward

The Operational Excellence Awards honor leaders in the asphalt pavement industry for excellence in community outreach with the Community Involvement Award and innovative safety practices with the Asphalt Operations Safety Innovations.

The Operational Excellence Awards are a counterpart to NAPA’s annual Quality in Construction Awards, which recognize asphalt paving jobs completed in line with best practices and standards known to yield high-quality asphalt pavements.

The NAPA Awards Program recognizes and encourages continuous improvement in all aspects of paving and asphalt operations.

For more information about the NAPA Awards program, or to nominate a project or company for an award, visit AsphaltPavement.org/Awards. Or contact Michelle Kirk, MKirk@AsphaltPavement.org.