In a few short weeks, paving and pavement maintenance contractors will converge to the Charlotte Convention Center for the 2022 National Pavement Expo and Conference. The four-day event brings together industry professionals to share ideas and network with other like-minded individuals, all under one roof.
There more than 50 conference sessions that address common problems or issues that business professionals face on a regular basis. Attendees can share their insights and thoughts during the roundtable discussions or get more in-depth on a topic during the workshops.
“You can’t beat the networking aspects that the conference sessions provide,” said Morgan Wilson, group show director for National Pavement Expo. “So much information is exchanged during those discussions, on the trade show floor and in the organized networking events.”
Leadership Track
Why Culture Matters: Mike Shereck | Friday Feb. 25 | 8:00 am - 9:30 am
Every organization, group, company or team has a culture. The question becomes are the cultures adding to the performance of the organization or getting in the way of performance. We will look at the impact of an Aggressive Culture, what it creates, provides and generates and also what impact it may have, We will look at Passive Culture, how that influences the people in it and the performance of the organization. We will look at the desired culture of an organization and see if it matches the actual, and finally we will look at a Constructive Culture and the impact that can have on the performance of the organization. The promise of this program is you will be able to identify the actual culture of your organization and identify first steps in either reinforcing it or beginning the shift to one that you desire more.
The Practical and Sustainable Way to Build a High-Performance Culture: David Friedman | Thursday Feb. 24 | 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
World-class organizations have long recognized the powerful influence their cultures have on the performance of their people, and by extension, the performance of their companies. Not surprisingly, while most organizations allow their cultures to evolve naturally, top-performing ones don't leave this to chance. Instead, they're amazingly intentional about how they create and drive the culture they want to have. How they do it is the topic of this program. This is not your standard abstract or theoretical program about the importance of creating a vision or mission statement. Rather, it's a practical, actionable, no-nonsense program designed to give participants the tools to leverage their corporate culture as a distinct competitive advantage.
Good to Great by Leadership and Culture: Keith L Callway and Keith Callaway Jr. | Wednesday Feb. 23 | 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
The pathway to success of any organization is a culture where the people at the top must act, live, and perform the way they want those under them to act, live, and perform. Lead by example with humility and wisdom, which means always striving toward improvement first.
The New Generation of Future Owners: Matt Slawson and Todd Eichholz | Thursday Feb. 24 | 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Have you ever thought, "this company is pretty profitable now doing things the same old way, if only they would implement new approaches or technologies, we would make even more"? While many have considered that question, not everyone realizes the unique challenges in executing such an approach. Whether you're planning to take over a family business, considering purchasing the company you're at, branching off and starting your own, or even just want to be part of a leadership team down the road, this session will help you understand the unique challenges and solutions with bringing a company (new or existing) to the forefront of your market in a way that honors the past and embraces the future.
Managing Your Business Mind: The Most Important Class You’ve Never Taken: Nick Howell and Kellie Madsen | Saturday Feb. 26 | 8:00 am - 9:30 am
You started your company because you had a skill and drive and you wanted to strike out on your own running your own pavement maintenance business. You're learning the business side and you've added other pavement maintenance skills and you're growing. You had and have big plans. But how do you manage, control and guide what's on your mind as you work to implement those plans? When does your reach exceed your grasp? When is the risk too great? When does holding back threaten your long-term survival? How can you know when to expand and when not to? Pavement Advisory Board member Nick Howell has faced these and many similar situations and in this one-of-a-kind session he'll team up with Certified Life Coach Kellie Madsen, and let you in on the issues he faced, how he came to terms with them, and decisions he made (and didn't make) that enabled him to become the successful owner he is today. Managing your mindset is one of the most important skills you can develop. You'll leave this session with information and solutions you've probably never thought about and steps you can put to use to help you manage your mind and as you continue to grow your business.
Sales and Marketing Track
Landing the Customers You Want with Online Marketing: Brandon Stanton | Thursday Feb. 24 | 8:00 am - 9:30 am
The internet is not going away! It's getting stronger and becoming a more integral part of our everyday lives. This results in new doors being opened to you and your competitors. How well we tell our story and shape our brand matters! 2020 sped up the evolution of shopping with limited contact. This is why you have to leverage this powerful tool. The internet, if not already, may become your best lead generation and sales tool! There are so many options, confusing steps, and misinformation which can make internet marketing feel overwhelming. Your company is going to need an evolving plan and a strategy on attracting new clients and communication on why you are the best option for them.
Expanding Through Subcontracting: Robert Kordus | Friday Feb. 25 | 10:00 am - 11:30am
The commercial paver must always employ good paving practices. This is even more important when facing the challenge of sculpting pavement to meet extreme geometric and grade constraints. In this session, attendees will learn the challenges of commercial paving, understand the principles of quality construction and discover what best practices are necessary in getting an award-winning job.
Video and Values: How Documentary-Style Marketing Changed my Business: Kevin Gary | Friday Feb. 25 | 1:00 pm - 2:30pm
In this session-Video and Values: how documentary-style marketing changed my business you will learn:
- Getting past initial hurdles of old methods
- Decision Making, Change, and Leadership Opportunity
- Increasing opportunity through your strengths and genuine content
- Finding gaps in your market to fit the strengths of your company
- Having productive work conversations for improved company image
- Cost and Synergy: The actual value of a good, productive team member
If Prices is the Problem, What is the Answer: Roger Bostdorff | Saturday Feb. 26 | 8:00 am - 9:30 am
What do you do when it appears that almost every sales opportunity comes down to price? Is this the new "way of the world" or is there something you can do to minimize price-based buying decisions? How do you handle it when your market puts you in a price-focused position? In this executive conference you will learn what buyers are really focusing on when buying on price and how to position your company to minimize the times price is the deciding factor in any buying decision. Plus you will learn what to do when confronted with a price-focused customer, including tips on how to handle that objection without giving away all of your profit. Take home solutions that will get you the sale, your profit and protect your business.
How to Choose and Use Today’s Technology to Improve Your Contracting Business: Guy Gruenberg | Friday Feb. 25 | 2:00 pm - 3:30pm
Equipment technology helps you do a quality job efficiently but what about technology to improve the management side of your business? In this new session, you'll learn about the new and different ways contractors are deploying technology to win contracts, reduce costs, and generate more profit. Technologies covered will include lead generation through online research, customer tracking with CRM, job costing with integrated spreadsheets, data collection and analysis, aerial measuring, and how to create compelling proposals. Plus learn how digital photography and video are instrumental in communicating and cataloging what happens on your jobsites. This seminar won't solve all your technology problems, but it will open your eyes to new cost-effective tools that will improve the management side of your business and your bottom line.
Management Track
Managing Millennials Workshop: Neal Glatt | Thursday Feb. 24 | 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Managing millennials is the number one challenge that business owners are facing today. While sales and operations can stay strong in today's economy and with modern technology, finding and retaining great people regularly kills company growth, and the reality is that this is largely due to millennials composing nearly half of the modern workforce. Millennials are the most misunderstood generation in history and are dramatically disrupting the way we work. Managers need a new outlook and new approach to engage this generation and realize real business results.
Measuring Crew Performance and Productivity: Brad Humphrey | Wednesday Feb. 23 | 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Brad has brought into this workshop specific "metrics" you should be tracking to ensure your crews are hitting the right numbers more consistently. You will be able to take the tools and techniques from this workshop and implement them immediately in your company.
Recruiting in Today’s Labor Market: Eric Faggioli | Saturday Feb. 26 | 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Today's labor market is scarce with candidates who want to WORK. Good luck finding people eager to get into the paving and construction field. With the cards stacked against us how do we recruit and train the next generation?
Top 100 Things to Run a Better Pavement Maintenance Business: Tom Merry | Thursday Feb. 24 | 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Buckle up. In this fast-paced, 90-minute session, industry veteran Tom Merry will share the top 100 things he's learned over the course of 2 decades that he wishes someone would have told him when he started his business. Any business owner or leader in upper management must wear many hats and understand broad business principles to successfully weave things together. This session will cover best practices and nuggets of wisdom from sales, HR, fleet management, operations, hiring, company culture, training, estimating and more.
Industry Segment Specific Track
Ins and Outs of the Auto Layout: Jim Panzenhagen | Friday Feb. 25 | 8:00 am - 9:30 am
We will be going into great detail of the menus on the auto layout machine, understanding which menu to use and when to use it. Will be showing how to measure, premark, and stripe the lines.
Asphalt, Aggregates and Mix Design, What you Need to Know: Wayne Jones | Thursday Feb. 24 | 8:00 am - 9:30 am
Can I pave a tennis court with the DOT mix the architect specified? How can I avoid customers holding up payment complaining that the mix "looks too coarse"? What is MSCR and how will it affect my operation? These are typical of the material-related questions that you will be able to answer after attending this session. Developed specifically for the National Pavement Expo to provide attendees the basic knowledge of asphalt materials and mix designs, this session is based on the Asphalt Institute's 3rd edition of their MS-22: Constructing Quality Asphalt Pavements manual.
Improving Your Infrared Pavement Repair Operation: Kimberly Mazzoni and Thomas Eosso | Friday Feb. 25 | 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Thomas Eosso, of Eosso Brothers Paving and Kim Mazzoni, of Power Patch Infrared Specialists are here to teach you the ins and outs of infrared patching. They’ll cover the basics of the infrared process and how to perform the work (including a step-by-step explanation of a basic infrared repair). Using real-life project photos and on-the-job video, Tom and Kim will “work through” examples of the variety of jobs and repairs that can be completed successfully using infrared technology. Additionally, specific infrared field techniques and approaches to help make infrared pavement repair efficient, successful and profitable.
When, Why and How to Sealcoat: Jeff Cayton | Wednesday Feb. 23 | 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
The first and most vital step in sealcoating is understanding the overall purpose and benefits of this pavement maintenance practice and being able to determine when it is the right method of treatment for an asphalt surface. Knowing how to properly evaluate asphalt conditions is crucial in determining whether sealcoating is a good fit for your customer's needs as well as in the success of product application. During this course, attendees will learn how to appropriately sell sealcoating to their customers by gaining a better understanding of the benefits of sealcoating, the life cycle of pavement surfaces as well as the negative side effects of not having a pavement maintenance plan.
Power Sweeping Industry Standards: What They are and why They are Important: Josh Ferguson | Wednesday Feb. 23 | 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Josh will discuss the industry standards and the impact they have on defense of a lawsuit. He will share some case examples and how ANSI standards in other industries, like snow and ice management, have been used by attorneys and experts to both prosecute and defend cases.
This is just a look at all the sessions and workshops offered during the NPE conference. To find the full agenda and register for this years event visit nationalpavementexpo.com.
