Thirty years ago in October 1986 Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction published its first issue (originally titled just Pavement Maintenance). Since then we’ve published more than 250 issues of how-to information to help contractors grow their business and become more profitable. And just as we’ve asked some select industry leaders to reflect on the past and look to the future (see page XX), we’re going to offer our own insights.
First, the industry has become more cohesive. What used to be a loose collection of businesses who happened to do some type of pavement maintenance work has matured into the pavement maintenance industry. Contractors are unquestionably more professional. Productivity, job costing and return on investment are part of the successful contractor’s lexicon. “Quality” is key, and defining it and achieving it now receive intense focus.
In addition, while specialists still work in each industry segment, more and more contractors have diversified, to both provide a one-stop (or almost one-stop) shop for their customers and to protect their business from the economic fluctuations that are bound to occur. We used to write that the pavement maintenance industry is “recession proof,” and it used to be. But after 2008 we altered that to “recession-resistant” because property managers reevaluated how they spent their maintenance dollars and in many cases cut back as their rents declined while vacancy rates increased.
That said, it’s these same property managers – your customers – who have become smarter in the ways of pavement maintenance. They know more when you visit them, they expect more (and more options) when you bid a project, and they have become adept at trying to compare apples to apples when evaluating bids. And that’s clearly the result of contractors stepping up to teach their customers what they need to know to get the most out of their pavement investment.
We like to think Pavement and National Pavement Expo have played a role in some of this. But the dominant role has been played by the contractors who have been willing to share their on-the-job and business management insights and the manufacturers and material producers who have been unselfish in their willingness to raise the technological bar as they develop new equipment, improve existing lines and teach their contractor customers more of the scientific and technical aspects of the work.
These are only some of the changes the industry has undergone since we first published – read XX more insights from select commentators starting on page XX – but we’re sure glad we’ve been along for the ride.
