We have watched our roadway grow - from a raw piece of ground and a pile of rocks to a paved road - and learned a little bit about the skilled workers on the crews who put it all together. But there is more than this to a paving company. Behind the scenes are very important support groups including testers, drivers, mechanics, and office staff. It takes everyone, working together in unison, to make the whole operation function properly.

On the job site, in the pits, at the asphalt plant, or in the lab, you will find the testers. They are everywhere, checking every aspect of the materials going into the job to maintain a strict quality control. At the crushing operation, material samples are taken. These will be washed, dried and checked for gradation and moisture content. Site conditions and soils are studied and tested to determine the elements required for the proper asphalt mix for the specific job. When the asphalt is being laid, they are there again, testing density, oil content, gradation and volumetrics of the asphalt. This quality control work is critical to the completion of a successful job. Technicians are always going through certification programs and schooling to keep up with the constantly changing industry.

For the drivers, the miles roll on - moving equipment from one location to another; hauling crusher stockpiles from the pits to the hot plant or job site; or getting hot mix from the plant to the paving crews. It takes skill and concentration to handle the "monster trucks" and heavy payloads. The driver must be prepared for any change in traffic, weather and road conditions, or unexpected road hazards. The daily inspection and safety check of his (or her) rig is not always a safeguard against blowouts or breakdowns. At such times, a quick reaction time and lots of ingenuity may be required to get the equipment and/or materials delivered safely and on time.

Now what about all this equipment - crushers, hot plants, pavers, graders, rollers, loaders, and trucks, trucks, trucks? Do they keep running indefinitely? Hardly, just ask the guys in the shop. The mechanic's domain is one of the busiest places in the whole company. Winter months, when the jobs are shut down, is the time when the biggest maintenance/rebuild jobs are done. Vehicles and equipment are repaired, rebuilt, and repainted. When the summer season comes, the mechanic's time is spent on regular maintenance and repair while keeping an ear tuned to the radio. Unexpected breakdowns and other emergencies must be handled immediately to keep the crews working and the projects on schedule.

And last, but certainly not least, are the workers behind the desks and at the computers - the office staff. This is the glue that holds the whole thing together. A variety of skills and knowledge are evidenced in this group. Estimators keep the jobs coming in. Project managers schedule the crews and coordinate the logistics of materials and equipment. Office managers and their assistants track production and delivery of materials, production costs, do invoicing, code and process time cards for payroll, and handle a myriad of details and reports which must be recorded on every job. In Payroll, the staff handles multiple pay scales, taxes and government reporting, while making sure everyone has a paycheck each pay period. Accounting merges all of this information into a cohesive picture of the growth and profitability of the company. Add to all of this the Human Resources staff, Information Systems specialists, Health and Safety specialists, receptionists, secretaries, supply and file clerks, and you can begin to get a picture of what it takes to run a successful paving company.

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