Hot Mix

Pavement LIVE Conference and Trade Show on Hiatus

Cygnus Business Media has announced that its Pavement Live conference and trade show will go on hiatus. Started in 2000 in Phoenix as National Pavement Expo West (NPE West), the annual event served the western U.S. paving & pavement maintenance market and helped thousands of contractors grow their business while helping equipment manufactures and material producers reach the West Coast market.

Las Vegas hosted NPE West for 10 years before it was rebranded in 2011 as Pavement Live and moved to San Diego with a successful outdoor demonstration program in addition to the popular conference and trade show. “There was a huge re-marketing effort to grow the event based on attendee and exhibitor feedback” said Amy Schwandt, show manager. “While we made great strides in re-inventing this popular event, we need a stronger economic climate to expand the show to its potential.”

Cygnus said it will focus on growing National Pavement Expo (NPE), which will hold its 28th annual event January 23-26, 2013, in Nashville, TN. Earlier this year in Memphis the 2012 NPE saw a 5% increase in contractor attendance with exhibitors reporting significant sales as a result of the show.

Despite the pause in the Pavement LIVE schedule Cygnus will continue its support of the paving & pavement maintenance industry through varied products including NPE, Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction magazine, Blacktop Update e-newsletter, and the industry’s comprehensive construction website www.forconstructionpros.com.

 

Letter to the Editor

“How to Sealcoat 420,000 sq. ft. by Hand”

Despite the absurdity of this headline my first reaction is to think… Why would you? After reading this article in the March/April 2012 issue of Pavement Magazine I feel strongly compelled to convey my thoughts and comments regarding its content and the “Grand Illusion” that it portrays.

Your article basically describes your typical low- level start up and unfortunately those types of businesses are common in today’s pavement maintenance industry and permeate all market areas throughout our nation.

Glorifying this type of operation leads to the impression that this “record setting” franchise is the epitome of sealcoating expertise and professionalism when in fact reading between the lines tells a slightly different story.

I have worked tirelessly for the past 12 years (38 in the industry on many levels of participation) building my company into a highly respected professional pavement contractor providing professional services to our list of prominent clients. With extensive investment in real estate and equipment and the burden of extreme overhead that accompanies running a truly professional well-equipped organization, I am dismayed at their presentation or the suggestion that they are my equal. This company’s method of operation described in your article should be taken within the context of reality -- not perception. I am dismayed that you have given these individuals a national forum to advertise their services and lent what amounts to a good deal of false credibility to their now claim to fame of being “recognized as one of the bigger companies in our area.”

By offering this “contractor” the high-profile privilege of being featured in your publication, they are now fortified with reprints of your article to further infiltrate and disrupt what is already a very difficult pavement maintenance market.

I can certainly relate to the trials and tribulations of a startup business in this industry. I also understand you need to find and create content and articles for your publication. We all have a job do to. However, I would hope that future features/articles describe and portray a business model and method of operation that we can all aspire to emulate rather than one to avoid.

Keith Reardon,
Superior Surfacing Systems
Middletown, NY

 

 

Industry Appointments

Stephen Nelson is business development manager for Atlas Copco Construction Equipment, Commerce City, CO...David L. Myers is executive chairman of RoadSafe Traffic Systems, a  provider of traffic safety and pavement marking services, with 30 branches in the East, Southeast, Midwest, MidSouth and Western regions of the U.S.

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