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The company foresees FDR continuing to grow in future. "We are in a situation now where it is time to get creative with our pavement preservation and maintenance solutions," Ryan states.

Resources such as virgin aggregate and oil will become increasingly expensive. "There are a few things that can hurt the milling process but help the stabilization equipment," Kowalski states. "One is the cost per ton of oil. Last year, we saw oil prices go into the $800+/ton range, and people were not doing the typical mill and fill. They wanted to know if there was something else out there that... would give good results at a cheaper cost. This is where pulverization and stabilization comes in."

Mt. Carmel Stabilization Group uses Portland cement to reclaim and stabilize a new base. "All of the existing asphalt is staying in place," says Ryan. "So you are reclaiming that with any aggregate sub-base and soil, building a new cement-stabilized base. Over the top of that, you need a very thin layer of either chip seal or a very thin layer of asphalt."

Because FDR doesn't take much more to design than a mill and fill project, it has also benefitted from ARRA funds. "Certainly, the states that we work in - specifically, Ohio and Indiana - have really increased the work they are actually letting and also the frequency of their lettings," says Ryan. "There is a lot of work out there that I don't think we would have seen otherwise."

States are looking for solutions to stretch their investment, as well. "Right now, everybody is looking to get creative. A lot of the things the industry has been promoting for years and years are being recognized as creative ways to save money, and they are [more] permanent solutions," Ryan asserts.