The ADC Paving Contractor Blog

Asphalt paving contractors have never been at the forefront of customer service. National giants and local paving companies alike have rarely even been considered “middle of the pack” when it comes to customer satisfaction. For the vast majority of us who are residential or commercial paving contractors, we are outside in the field and up to our elbows in bitumen. It can be hard to find the time or energy to provide a high level of customer service, but customer expectations are growing, and the asphalt paving industry is more than a sloppy patch job from catching up.

Traditionally speaking, a residential customer would look up a paving company in the yellow pages, see an ad in the paper, or ask the neighbors and family members for recommendations. A commercial customer might have a few more resources by requesting information from another business owner, connecting at a chamber of commerce event, or perhaps know of a good properties management group. All of these methods can still be very effective, and one could probably get by at that level of operation for another five years. But for many of us (myself included), we are looking to grow and succeed by conducting professional work and providing a growing number of job opportunities in our communities.

“Where to start?” can be a daunting question, but it does not have a complicated answer. Start with what you know, even if it feels like you are asking stupid questions. Now is the best time to have simple questions answered. So, if you have wondered what abbreviations like SEO or PPC mean, if you heard Facebook ads are cheap, if you feel like a particular old form of advertising is letting you down, the time is now to start investing or, at very least, researching.

Use the resources you have. Unless you are grimier than an old hopper at the end of an august day, you will know someone who has tried anything you are thinking about for improving your company. An idea might seem too crazy or cheap to work, but if you ask, an answer almost always appears with ease. Three resources I have used when upgrading anything pertaining to customer service or acquisition are: search engines, young people, and the doers.

I will be putting more time into explaining how I utilize those three research methods for next week’s thoughts, but I want to finish with customer service because business begins and ends with customer service. Learning new ways to present your customer information so that it is easier for them to make a decision, followed by that customer leaving you a great review is the fastest way to start your journey to bigger and better opportunities.

Take care,

-ADC Paving

Self-dialogue about when to sealcoat a parking lot or driveway happens when you own or manage a property. The cost, time, and mess can push your good intentions months or years down the road. The job might seem easy enough to where you purchase the supplies at Lowe’s or Home Depot and tackle it yourself. For a more rapid solution, you may call on a sealcoating company or experienced handyman. For more significant properties, you may not feel like you have a choice. No matter your course of action (and we would love for you to call us), acknowledging the benefits and understanding proper time frames for applying asphalt sealcoating could save you big money.

Identifying if your asphalt pavement needs sealcoating is the first step. The first sign of too much wear is finding sand at the corners. If rocks or sand is showing, this means deterioration of your asphalt is occurring. The second sign is the color of the asphalt. If your parking lot is grey with sealcoat layers or striping beginning to peel, water will soon penetrate the surface. If there are cracks and potholes, water and other elements have already started to breakdown your foundation. Sealcoating significantly slows down the aging process in all three instances. If your asphalt is aged or the damage is more pronounced than we have described, it is time for milling, patching, minor paving, and replacement.

The timing of when you apply your sealcoat is more critical than the frequency. It would be easy to assume that you should apply sealant every 3-5 years. As described above, wear and tear, weather, or improper installment might warrant you to sealcoat sooner. No matter the timeframe, if your pavement is cracking or starting to fail, addressing the issue can save you a lot of money in the long term.

The mixture ratio is also vital, especially when dealing with sealcoating contractors. If you decide to tackle the project yourself, the responsibility is clearly on you. Read the instructions for proper mix ratios needed, and you are on your way. If you do not feel like spending your summer days using a squeegee or scrubbing sealcoating off of your skin, a contractor is often the way to go. Most sealcoating companies can provide you a finished product that looks decent enough. But if you want to know that your asphalt is protected and not just painted, we have supplied a video from our supplier of choice, Neyra.

Many new products are also manufactured for diverse needs. For the first time in 30 years, the sealcoating industry is starting to offer new products that make a difference. There are now products for dust control, removing oil spots, quick setting, and reducing heat, to name a few.

It is unfortunate, but often smaller companies and single-person enterprises do not invest in proper resources or continuing their education. Sealcoating is a trade in which it is easy to produce a subpar product without the client recognizing it until a year later. Watered down solutions, skimping on the product, and an overall lack of pride are present in most companies.

We have made a substantial commitment in 2020 to expand our services to add a full sealcoating division to ADC Paving. We have provided sealcoating services for years, and we are now dedicating tools and education to a specific team dedicated individuals. We are striving to be the best Asphalt Paving and Pavement Maintenance Company in Louisville, if not the region, if not the nation. We take this challenge with the utmost sincerity as asphalt longevity truly matters when building relationships in this industry. We are proud to offer our employees this opportunity because they have shown their pride in their work and are indeed professionals. We want to show that professionalism in sealcoating to the Louisville area and beyond.

Let us know if you have any questions.

Take Care,

-ADC Paving

Whether you choose to admit it or not, technology makes growing a business easier. Areas of your life are abundant where technology is a pain in the ass. Digital password resets, unrecognized user errors, internet speeds, and frozen computer screens can make you want to open a window and toss that modern marvel as far as possible. Just the amount of programs and resources can be overwhelming but finding systems that enable effective communication between your team and your clients are vital for financial and interpersonal growth.

Today I thought I would write about processes and two programs that have worked for us as a local paving company since our change to enhanced digital solutions began a few years ago. These items are for enabling better communication. There has been plenty of trial and error, but we have seen results in customer satisfaction, company organization, and turn-around speed.

The first and pivotal step I wanted to take in our digital rehabilitation was to make files available for all managing members of the ADC Paving team. Instant access to documents, proposals, notes, photos, and videos would reduce hassle. We tried sharing email threads, handwritten notes, and community file cabinets, but essential items and thoughts were either physically lost or lost in translation. Paper and pen were an acceptable method, at best, for years. As we began to grow and take on additional salespeople and expand our marketing efforts, paper-filing was no longer sustainable. Even when we started saving digital copies of valuable items, only one person in the company might have access.

Microsoft OneDrive has been a reliable file-sharing solution for us. Having files accessible and granting access to people within our company who might utilize the data has been a profitable time-saver. The number of emails, calls, and texts interrupting a foreman’s or manager’s day has been greatly reduced. Management now knows where to go for a specific proposal, project photos, notes for current leads, or something as simple as our official company logo. Each team member has access to their digital file system and can share it with team members and clients.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that clients have access to our files, but if an employee wants to pull up previous work, aerial photos, or supporting documents, they can. After some practice, putting a proposal together or looking up information can become a speedy process. Also, referencing sources or looking up historical data on a specific client or project has been more accessible.

The second piece of software that we have been utilizing is Go iPave. (I want say upfront that this company has not approached me to promote them in any way.) Go iPave has been a tremendous digital next-step in the sales and proposal process. At the very least, it is a dedicated platform for taking and keeping measurements, analyzing materials, and assisting in the overall proposal creation process. It gives our clients a better chance of understanding our proposed method, phasing, and pricing while being a consistent resource for our sales team and office staff.

Both Microsoft OneDrive and Go iPave will take some getting used to and, yes, cause a little frustration at first. These may not be the best asphalt paving solutions for you, but I encourage you to test out highly reviewed programs that could improve your digital processes. The sooner you explore that next potential step in digital technology, the better your chances are to get that next job and achieve overall financial growth in the commercial paving industry.

Take Care,

-ADC Paving

Whether you run an asphalt paving company, a local restaurant, or are a waitress serving at a local chamber meeting, you have heard the conversation about gaining customer reviews. Whether it’s a customer who clicked on the fifth star or one who wrote about the demise of her/his life because of the pebble found in their yard, customers are important, and so are their opinions on the internet. As a manager or business owner, it is vital that you take control of the conversation that is happening about your business on Google. Even if your website is shallow, understanding a few basics about search engines and customer reviews can boost your reputation.

No matter the depth at which you choose to participate in the internet, your business is listed there, and it is where the overwhelming majority of customers are finding their next purchase or hire. Word of mouth can still be a strong lead generator, and there are plenty of community reference sites like Angie’s List or review sites like Yelp. However, Google is the most significant lead generator in the paving industry. I have our own ADC Paving statistics to back up my thoughts and some fundamental steps to digest if you agree with our findings.

ADC Paving has invested a lot of time and energy into developing the look and feel of our website and expanding social media presence. Social media, in particular, has been valuable in developing relationships within the paving and pavement maintenance industry. Our website won “Best of the Web” by Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction Magazine this year (*link below). Though we are thrilled that those communication methods are opening doors, neither may be as important as great reviews from a customer. Even though we started advertising on Facebook and LinkedIn this year, and we place a great amount of emphasis on being genuine within the paving community on Instagram, 47% of our traffic still comes from customers who start with Google.**

That’s right. We started advertising on Facebook, and leads from that social giant are up 30% from this time last year. If you’ve seen our Instagram account, we have begun “swipe up” campaigns where we link to special offers or blog writings like this one. We are in community publications and resources, and attend chamber of commerce and HOA meetings. Not all web visitors used Google. 25% of people who visit our website went direct to “adcpaving.com” for one reason or another. 

However, even with all of the advertising (zero of which is Google Ads), 46.7% of potential customers went to Google and typed in something like “asphalt paving” and clicked on our website.

So, what do reviews have to do with Google? The easiest way for a customer to leave a review is to simply visit the resource that they used to find your company, Google. Here are some stats that indicate how essential reviews are***:

• 82% of consumers read reviews for local businesses, including 93% of people aged 35-54

• The more reviews, the better (even if some are negative)

• 48% of consumers only pay attention to reviews written within the past two weeks.

If you want to improve your Google rankings or want to get started with acquiring reviews, here are some action steps:

1. Go to or search “Google My Business” and claim your company so you can alter your company information and respond to Google reviews.

2. Respond to reviews, especially the negative ones. If it is negative, calmly and PROFESSIONALLY explain your answer from your business perspective and how you attempted to provide excellent service.

3. Ask happy customers to leave a review.

4. Set a reminder to check reviews left for your company, at minimum, every two weeks

5. Ask friends and family who have used your service to leave you a review.

The statistics are out there that you should take your reviews on Google seriously. If you don’t have the capital to hire help or have put off educating yourself on the importance of Google, the steps above are steadfast starting points. They won’t let you down. Regardless if you track how potential customers find you, they are currently looking for you on Google. 

Take Care,

-ADC Paving

Standing on top of, or even being anywhere near, 300-degree asphalt while it is being laid down immediately supplies you with a healthy respect for what asphalt paving workers go through. Add 90 degrees of heat from the sun and a blanket of humidity and even the toughest humans and elite athletes might be ready to throw in the towel. Keeping my employees happy and healthy has been paramount, especially if we want to hit our goals for the year.

As a business owner, it can be hard to take my foot off the gas for a day that does not involve rain. In the Louisville, KY area, we see our fair share of all four seasons. Sometimes during ridiculously hot and long days, the thought of a cold, winter-weekend day doing absolutely nothing is what keeps us going, but that doesn’t mean we continue on and ignore healthy habits. Proper education and reminders throughout the year have been vital for me and everyone involved at ADC Paving.

Rain days can be treated as days of rest, but even as little as three of four days in a row of sweltering heat can cripple any paving company if not properly respected. When we see those hot spells in the forecast, we address it in our morning meetings. Part of our culture shift over the last few years has been to hold everyone accountable for everyone at all times, and this certainly cannot stop at the weather. It is a blessing to have work lined up but even more of one to have a solid crew who takes pride in their work.

Keeping an eye on the weekly weather reports, proper scheduling, healthy hydration (water, Gatorade, and vitamin waters), and breaks in the shade are essential for maintaining efforts for an entire year. For asphalt paving contractors, construction crews, or any work completed outside while drenched in sweat, hydration and rest are non-negotiable. Reminding yourself of the signs of a problem is a good first step, especially if you’re tired and in the heat. For information about staying cool, staying hydrated, heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and warning signs along with Louisville, Kentucky specific resources, see the link below.

https://louisvilleky.gov/news/use-caution-dealing-extreme-heat-louisville

Take Care of your crews,

-ADC Paving

Being a leader in these strange times can be overwhelming. With all of the resources, advertisements, and studies about workplace productivity and time management, the idea of holding meetings in the year 2020 is sited as being potentially detrimental to progress. As a paving contractor, our schedule and goals can change over the course of the day, but starting the day in our remodeled crew-quarters going over pictures and potential hangups for the day’s jobs has improved results from paving a parking lot to neighborhood streets and subdivisions alike. Holding these morning meetings has several advantages. So, I thought I would share them with you if you are looking to possibly refine your processes.

Being on Time:

Running an asphalt paving company is like leading many other businesses and teams. Every worker has a responsibility for the job and day, and if a person is missing, the rest of the group spreads thin and has to fill the gap. Having a morning meeting sets the precedence for what is acceptable for being considered “on-time.” It is easy for everyone to see who is there and ready to go.

Highlight leadership:

These meetings are a great way for the team to communicate in an organized setting before getting tired for the day. Though some of the time might fall under the time-wasting category, this is a much better place for workers to vent, learn new things about techniques, and to show leadership. Though it takes years for people to learn foremen responsibilities, many workers have earned chances to step up by being fully respectful and present in these meetings.

Quality on the front end:

We have worked to improve all aspects of our company. Better preparation and information from our sales team to our paving crew has been a large piece of the puzzle. Our estimators are now responsible for not only giving accurate proposals, but providing our foremen and team with any potential problem areas before we get on site. The daily morning meeting allows all of our crew to see the day’s work and prepare as a single unit.

Many positions and working relationships do not need a daily update, and there are several reasons I would advise against daily meetings. But, with each new paving job comes unique challenges and every job is different. We aim to customize a smooth experience for both clients and crew members. Meeting to review weather, changes, potential problem areas and special requests from clients has proven useful for performance, morale and the emergence of leaders within ADC Paving. We hope everything we do translates to a quality paving job for each and every client.

Take care and keep moving forward,

-ADC Paving 

Protecting your asphalt driveway is a great investment. The savings you can achieve through simple driveway maintenance will be noticeable in the long run. Plus, your property will look great. With simple crackseal and sealcoat applications every couple of years, you can more than double your asphalt pavement life, save money, and improve your property value.

~ When you fill out the form linked here (or at adcpaving.com/contact), someone from the ADC offices will get back with you shortly! ~ 

Identifying if your asphalt pavement needs sealcoating is the first step. The first sign of too much wear is finding sand at the corners. If rocks or sand is showing, this means deterioration of your asphalt is occurring. The second sign is the color of the asphalt. If your parking lot is grey with sealcoat layers beginning to peel, water will soon penetrate the surface. If there are cracks and potholes, water and other elements have already started to breakdown your foundation.

Sealcoating significantly slows down the aging process in all three instances. If your asphalt is aged or the damage is more pronounced than described here, it is time.

If you live in Louisville, Kentucky and would like a bid for your driveway, simply visit the link, fill out the form, and an ADC representative will get back to you shortly!

~ Click here to fill out a request for a proposal! ~

-ADC Paving

I have never been one to accept the status quo or be okay with coasting. Even when relaxing or spending time with my family, I find myself looking for ways to be productive or researching the next best way to improve myself or the well-being of my family and friends. I do not say this to act superior in any way. This insatiable characteristic has often led to exploring bad habits or has taken my attention away from what is truly important. In small doses, this persistence does come in handy when owning a company. It allows me to think about the future and all of the positives that could come from doing things with trustworthiness and forward-thinking. With nearly a decade under my belt of owning a paving and pavement maintenance company in Louisville, Kentucky, I have learned that the reason this industry is so far behind is that very few paving companies (and even contractors in general) look to secure their future through integrity, and even fewer through innovation.

After winning a bid, performing exceptional work is hardly a requirement for paving contractors. Most contracting industries fall under this umbrella. You can get away with performing low quality work while hoping the client will not notice the difference. If they identify problems, you can chase paychecks all day and, in today’s age, hope they do not leave a bad review. If this happens while you are in the growth stages, it is okay. You can get better. I have found, though, there is no way for me to grow a company based on that type of foundation.

To someone working in a traditional blue-collar setting, change and forward-thinking can often be met with some confusion and denial. When you walk into a meeting and aim to provide your first pep talk to your crew that things will be different going forward, you will hear murmuring and see inattentive eye-rolls. (Most of those people are no longer with us… the company… they are still alive.) The shift from rude behavior, routinely lazy and late employees, and subpar standards to a values-based approach focusing on Passion, Respect, Integrity, Dedication, and Excellence will be undermined in the whispers behind your back. I have always been one to give second chances, but once you decide to change your culture, it is truly for the best that you uphold these standards in both your work and crew. One cannot work without the other. There are plenty of companies that will take a physically-abled body with lackluster standards.

“Working smarter, not harder.” Has always been a bit of an awkward balancing act for me. In my first years owning and operating ADC Paving, I took on every job that called our office and went hunting for more in my spare breaths. We completed jobs at a blistering pace while eroding morale and spending significant time correcting our mistakes. As painful as the transition was, stepping back and analyzing what was wrong with our approach and looking at the industry as a whole was the catalyst for changing the trajectory of ADC Paving. Not to mention improving my quality of life and the lives of our crew and staff.

The first thing I did was to look at how the process for the customer works. I want to take this time to remind you that, when I started as President of ADC Paving, we were operating by all of the traditional standards, the ones I have been seeking to change now for the last three years. When I was starting out, I would stop to ask, “Why are things done this way?” and then never give the question a second thought. Finally, I did stop to ask the following questions:

~ Does the attitude of an employee really matter on-site in the paving industry? 

~ Does a good culture really mean a better experience for the customer?

~ Is there a point in improving our brand and competing when the top local paving companies own a quarry?

~ Are properties managers, facilities managers, and business owners sitting down with five quotes on paper in front of them and simply choosing the cheapest one?

~ Would improving our marketing really help get better, higher dollar customers?

There were many ways for me to self-inspire when looking into why and if I wanted the answers to these questions. When I needed a push, I turned to Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin and Shackelton’s Incredible Voyage (still my favorite book of all time). However, most of my energy relates back to that insatiable characteristic I talked about at the beginning. The motivation was high, but I was not doing was taking a moment to stop, step back, and be brutally honest. I eventually realized that there was simply no way to achieve my goals if they were not based on an attainable future and an honest evaluation of where I am right now.

Whether or not any of these goals come to fruition, I have determined that they are guiding principles. If followed, they would help me create a company I am proud of, an environment worth working in, and opportunities otherwise unavailable:

~ Establish a base of men and women who take pride in their work and actively provide and assist them with opportunity 

~ Make it easy for decision-makers to find and approach ADC Paving

~ Provide decision-makers with quality work and become their full-time partner in Paving and Pavement Maintenance

~ Stand by my words and guarantees

~ Create a company and culture that I would be proud to hand to my sons

It is not my goal to change an industry, but without change, this is an industry I would not want to be a part of. If I don’t challenge the standards and stop to ask, “Why?”, what are we as a company really working towards?

~ Click here to fill out a request for a proposal! ~

I thought I would give you a break. A majority of people in this country are sitting on pins and needles while shouting and waving an ax above their heads. Maybe I shouldn’t say a majority of people, but many of those who care to share their opinion are certainly doing just that. I wanted a vacation from those related thoughts sneaking into my head, so I decided to think about the politics of being an asphalt paving contractor and what being a business owner means in both my personal and business lives.

A paving company might seem like a straightforward business, but there is no doubt that it takes a particular set of skills and certain bulldogged determination for growing year after year. Even simply maintaining or breaking even requires finding good help and showing up to guide those trusted people every day. We are in year three of a promising culture change within ADC Paving, and I feel putting on my boots and leading from the paver is necessary.

About this time last year, I decided to let go of our long-time foreman. This opening meant that I would completely forgo 97% of sales calls and high-dollar meetings and rejoin the crew in 2020. Even though we did very well last year, I had to adjust and make a best decision for the company as a whole. What we sell is founded on the product we provide, and a season of decline in quality would be detrimental for years to come. Many quality workers and qualified leaders wear the ADC Paving logo to work every day, but even a single year of being with the crew hopefully forges integral attitudes and strategies that will last until our leaders gain experience. That decision was difficult to make and that foreman was hard to let go.

My office staff is incredible thanks to some existing leadership that continues to step up and embody and shape the growth of ADC Paving ~ Thanks Cindy. They are almost always the first and last people who talk to our customers and they govern the heck out of our operations. Sometimes letting people do their work while getting out of their way is the best way to lead. I have also received the hint that a wall and door should be between us at some points as well.

When thinking about my family and business politics, I dare say that when in the moment, it seems every bit intense as any discussion or talking point ever. My wife and I purchased ADC Paving from my wife’s family (my family) as third-generation owners. My brother-in-law was raised on blacktop and he has come back to very successfully head our sealcoat division. There isn’t a dinner, barbecue, vacation, or swim day with my family that doesn’t involve decision making and the sharing of business ideas. Some people find this to be too much shop talk. However, I have that bulldogged determination and always seem to be thinking about how to improve the asphalt paving industry.

Now, we are in a new age of technology. If you think you can successfully operate a business without dedicating time to technological issues and advancements, you simply aren’t passionate about surviving in the long term. From paving technology that allows for higher quality work, to digital communication, digital marketing and google reviews, it’s all a part of being a good business owner today, especially in small businesses. If you want to be at the top of the list, you have to meet customers where they are. Once you get there, you have to impress them and convince them to give you a chance. For sustained growth, you have to convince them that you wish to provide them continued support and education while showing up when they need you.

No matter how this election goes, I am still proud to lead the hard-working men and women who show up to ADC Paving and give their best every day. It is in their integrity and enjoyment of a job well done that inspires me to lace up my boots. As long as I still have a business to run and jobs to provide, I will wake up tomorrow and do both of those things to the best of my ability.

“The best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

~ Theodore Roosevelt

Thanks for your time,

-ADC Paving