Hot Mix January 2005

Major news stories for the pavement industry.

Bebo, Gowan join Pavement Board

Jim Bebo, president of ACI Asphalt Contractors, and Rachel Gowan, president of Vern's Parking Lot Maintenance, are the newest contractors to be named to the Pavement Advisory Board.

They succeed Gerry Kesselring, Contract Sweepers & Equipment, Dayton, OH; and Dennis McCard, Raleigh Paving, Raleigh, NC.

Bebo, who began sealcoating part-time in college, started ACI, Maple Grove, MN, as a general contracting firm in 1992. In 1995 ACI acquired one of its subcontractors, merged the two companies, and in 1999 became a full-service pavement maintenance firm. Since then ACI has grown from $1 million to more than $7 million in sales, employs 40 people, and offers paving and patching, sealcoating, cracksealing, and design-build services. The company outsources striping, concrete, and curb-and-gutter work and also offers a program to assist clients in setting up pavement management plans.

"I don't think we would have been as successful as we've been if we hadn't been exposed to the people and programs of National Pavement Expo," Bebo says. "My staff and I have benefitted greatly from the classes and from the relationships we've developed at the show."

Rachel Gowan, incoming president of North American Power Sweeping Association (naPSa), became sole owner of Vern's Parking Lot Maintenance, Grand Forks, ND, from her father, Vern, in 1997. Gowan and her father sold what at the time was the state's third-largest garbage hauling and recycling business and kept her affiliated sweeping business.

Gowan's company has 12 employees with seven street sweepers and several water trucks for dust control. Gowan says 50% of sales comes from parking lot sweeping, 25% is from dust control, and 25% is from municipal and county work, including street, chip, and milling sweeping.

"We run nice sweepers and we have become a strong company with a good reputation," Gowan says.

The Pavement Advisory Board consults with Pavement magazine, National Pavement Expo, and National Pavement Expo West on article and seminar content.

Letters

I would like to commend you on your recent article highlighting National Service Providers (NSP) in the October/November issue of Pavement. As an advisory board member, I always take notice of each issue; however, this article really hit home. For over 30 years, Rose Paving Company has specialized in parking lot management for corporations with locations nationwide. Over the past seven years, we have developed a very successful business model as an NSP and, along the way, have helped other independent contractors strengthen their businesses and gain recognition. Until now, I have not seen much focus given to NSPs and the benefits of aligning with one.

While your article focused on the sweeping industry and its associated services, contractors might be interested to know that there are trusted NSPs out there that specialize in one select service. For example, as an alternative to aligning with an NSP that performs multiple services, specialized asphalt contractors can look to an NSP that is proficient in parking lot management. The benefits are worthwhile for independent contractors and their customers; after all, you wouldn't have your asphalt serviced by the same person that repaired your air conditioning unit.

Once again, thank you for producing cutting-edge reading material for the pavement industry; I look forward to reading your publication for years to come.

Alan J. Rose, President
Rose Paving Company

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