Bonsal American Acquires Surface Coatings Company

In December Bonsal American Inc. announced it ahd acquired Surface Coatings Company Inc., Auburn Hills, MI, a manufacturer of asphalt pavement maintenance products. With the acquisition Bonsal American, which has a location in New Boston, MI, expands its presence in the Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Ontario market areas.

“The acquisition fits very well with our long-term growth strategy. It will provide our existing customers with a greater depth of expertise in sealcoat, crack sealant and other solutions for pavement maintenance,” said David Maske, president of Bonsal American. “Additionally, it provides our new team members from Surface Coatings with access to GemSeal’s network of plants, R&D focus and new customers.”

Bonsal American’s Pavement Maintenance Division (PMD) manufactures specialty pavement coatings and other GemSeal-branded products from nine plants that service the 32 easternmost states.

During 2013, PMD will merge its existing Michigan sealer production in New Boston into the Surface Coatings plant. The existing site will remain active as a southern Detroit distribution point to service an active base of drive-up business. Doug Lorkowski, GemSeal’s Michigan area manager, will continue to service his customer base after the acquisition.

“We are focused on a seamless transition of Surface Coatings into Bonsal American, with as little disruption as possible for our customers and our employees,” said Jeff Lax, chief operating officer for PMD. “Surface Coatings is an outstanding company with an excellent reputation in the market for making outstanding products and taking care of customers. We are looking forward to maintaining their superior level of performance and further developing our business together.”

The newly combined operation is headed by Surface Coatings’ Lee Lowis, who is the new Territory General Manager. John Camburn, former president of Surface Coatings, has accepted the position of Strategic Advisor and will support the integration of Surface Coatings into Bonsal American and the implementation of strategic initiatives.

In describing the transaction, John Camburn said, “We are excited to be part of Bonsal American, which shares many of the same core values, including quality and customer service,
that have made our business successful. Contractors, property managers, and employees will benefit from the combination of two outstanding companies focused on setting the standard for excellence in the pavement maintenance market. Lee and I look forward to working with the GemSeal team to continue providing great products to our customers.”

To ease the customer transition to new ownership, Bonsal American plans to continue using the Surface Coatings name in the marketplace. Customers can continue contacting their established GemSeal and Surface Coatings representatives.

SealMaster Michigan Relocates

SealMaster of Michigan has moved to Romulus, MI, from Detroit. The new location, which combines the Detroit and Ypsilanti operations, is located at 27989 Van Born Rd., Romulus, MI 48174. The cmpany also has branch locations in Grand Rapids and Auburn Hills.

Mike Laser, president, said the move will position the cmpany to better serve its customers. "We are close to the Detroit Metro Airport having almost immediate access to surrounding major roadways such as I-94, I-275, I-75, and I-96 making it convenient," he said. "Our ultimate goal is to provide the best products and services to our customers, that is why we moved and totally re-tooled the entire operation with all new state-of-the-art mixing equipment at our new location."

Group forms Rubberized Asphalt Foundation

Noted experts on rubberized asphalt processes have joined together to establish the Rubberized Asphalt Foundation (RAF), a research organization dedicated to the science and practical use of recycled tire rubber in asphalt. The organization includes individuals from academia, government and industry whose work focuses on the technical development of rubberized asphalt applications.

“Asphalt rubber is a sustainable alternative to natural resources that provides many advantages beyond the obvious environmental benefits of recycling scrap tires,” said George Way, chairman of RAF and retired chief pavement design engineer for the Arizona Department of Transportation. “This is a cause we all believe in, and this foundation is the evolution of many years of work by individuals and organizations who are dedicated to developing rubberized asphalt for broad use.”

RAF is dedicated to becoming a comprehensive resource focused on rubberized asphalt by developing a web-based repository of valuable data, including projects, studies, specifications and other information that is valuable to those exploring and/or deciding on the use of recycled rubber in asphalt. As the organization gains membership, RAF intends to host forums and events, and develop original research presented as white papers and case studies. 

For more information, please visit www.ra-foundation.org.  

 

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