Family Tradition

Many people dream of running a successful family business, and for J & J Asphalt in Rapid City, SD, it’s been a dream come true. After being in business for more than 35 years, the company proudly remains family owned.

Throughout the years, many things have stayed the same at J & J, such as the company’s values and its loyal employees. Another thing that hasn’t changed is its preference of asphalt plants. In fact, one could say it’s become a family tradition.

J & J entered the asphalt business with humble beginnings. Founded in 1977 by owner and president Jerry Wagner, the company started small, taking on a variety of patching and driveway paving jobs. Because of Wagner’s hard work and dedication, J & J grew. In less than 10 years he decided it was time to invest in an asphalt plant, which would allow him to control production.

“In 1985 we bought our first plant from Asphalt Drum Mixers,” says Wagner. “It was a used plant that I bought in new condition. It could produce up to 35 tons per hour.”

As the company continued to grow, it expanded its offerings. In addition to driveways and patching jobs, Wagner began taking on new types of paving jobs, including city streets, new housing developments and parking lots, as well as an occasional state highway. He also took on a larger territory, which today covers a 50-mile radius from Rapid City, including the entire Black Hills area.

Due to the increased workflow, J & J eventually outgrew its asphalt plant. So, in 1993 Wagner returned to ADM with an order for an 80-tph plant, which more than doubled the capacity of its previous 35-tph setup.

For more than 15 years, the 80-tph plant served Wagner’s needs well, but around 2010 he began considering the purchase of yet another plant. However, this time the main motivation for upgrading was not increased capacity, since the economic conditions at the time caused a slowdown in new housing developments.

Instead, the reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) trend was the biggest reason for the switch. “We needed to start using recycled material in our mixes, but our 80-ton-per-hour plant wasn’t compatible with it,” said Wagner.

Because of his positive experiences with the first two asphalt plants, Wagner returned to ADM for the third. “From day one they’ve been excellent to work with,” he says. “I like that we can go directly to the source for sales and service, rather than going through a middle man. We have the office and cell phone numbers for ADM’s sales and parts department people, although we very seldom have to call them. And they always get back to us quickly, even on weekends and holidays. I just wish there were more companies like them.”

After working with ADM, Wagner purchased a RoadBuilder Series plant. RoadBuilder plants are available in portable and stationary versions with capacities ranging from 110 to 350 tph. Wagner’s specific model is stationary and produces 180 tph under his conditions. It features a parallel-flow drum that uses a unique flight design to move moisture-laden aggregate in a rotating veiled pattern away from the burner for efficient dying.

Since purchasing the RoadBuilder, Wagner has also added several used silos and recycle bins to meet state and local government mix designs. “The city allows us to use up to 15 percent RAP,” he says. “We can go up to 25 percent for residential and commercial paving jobs.”

Today, J & J produces between 70,000 and 100,000 tons of asphalt per year with its plant, making it the second largest asphalt producer in the Rapid City and Black Hills area. In addition to supplying its own needs, J & J generates extra revenue by selling asphalt to other companies in the area

Company culture

Wagner takes pride in the company’s culture, which he feels is the heart of his business. J & J currently employs 39 people — many of whom have been with the company from 12 to 30 years. Among the employees are Wagner’s two sons.