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"I got tired being at the mercy of a producer; tired of seeing their projects always take priority; tired of being told what hours they will work, when their scales were going to be open, and on and on," Long says. "So when this piece of property came available - 140 acres of land that once housed a little-used quarry operation - we jumped on it."

That was in 1997. Today, Long is at no one's beck and call. His pit provides all the aggregate he needs, both for his own operation and for sale to others in the area.

Energy-driven growth

It might strike some as odd that Long is expanding his operation at a time when most other businesses are struggling just to make ends meet. His answer to that is simple: the Riverton, WY-area economy has been a recipient of a "trickle-down" from the recent boom in energy costs and demands.

"Ask most people which state leads the country in coal production and chances are pretty good they will say West Virginia or Pennsylvania," he says. "The fact is Wyoming mines three times more coal than West Virginia, its closest competitor. That, and an abundance of natural gas and oil, has bolstered the state economy resulting in more funds being available for road repair, new road construction, and other projects."

Long says ensuring his customer base is diverse has also played a big role in his company's success. Though he does relatively little state paving work, almost half his yearly output of 20,000 tons goes toward supplying asphalt to WYDOT for its projects. The rest of his business is a combination of asphalt supply, aggregate supply and private paving projects.