National Pavement Expo 2019, which will be held Feb. 27- March 2 in Nashville, TN, will offer 54 conference sessions including 37 sessions that are new to NPE; 42 of the sessions are 90 minutes long while a dozen sessions offer a more in-depth look at various topics.
The conference, which along with exhibits will be held at the downtown Music City Center, include 30 management-focused sessions designed to cut across all pavement maintenance businesses and 24 technical sessions specific to industry segments.
As in the past NPE will offer a day-long “boot camp” by Brad Humphrey, Pinnacle Development Group. The 2019 boot camp, which will be presented on Jan. 26, the day before NPE officially begins, will focus on what Humphrey terms “’No Excuse’ Leadership.” He’ll cover topics including how to “strengthen your personal influence to improve employee performance, upgrade workplace efficiencies – and help your company ‘win’ your market.”
NPE’s conference also offers 11 in-depth three-hour workshops, seven of which are new to NPE. Those new workshop sessions are:
- Secrets – and Impact – of Successful Job Costing, presented by Guy Gruenberg, Grow Consulting;
- Developing a Business Success “Roadmap”: How to Design and Achieve Your Plan for 2019 – and Beyond!, also presented by Gruenberg
- Sales Success through Organizational Support and Improved Personnel Sales Skills, presented by Jeff Stokes, Next Level Contractor System, and Brian Hess, Top Contractor School LLC
- “Field Execution” for Crew & Project Leaders, by Humphrey
- Coaching the Emerging Leader, also by Humphrey.
- Your Business: Run it Like it Was “For Sale,” presented by Ken LaCroix, TrackPoint Business Advisors
- Confronting 2019’s Critical Issues:Strategies and Tactics for Getting Work, Retaining Employees – and Keeping Profits, by Gruenberg and Humphrey
Pavement Repair Focus
In addition to 14 paving sessions, including the in-depth ""Applying 'Best Practices' to Your Paving Operation" by John Ball, Top Quality Paving, NPE will offer a number sessions related to pavement repair.
New to NPE 2019 is How to Improve Crack Sealing Processes to Double Your Profits. Presented by Jordan Miles and Teri Miles, Top Job Asphalt Inc., contractors who regularly place a semi-truckload of sealer in a day, have a goal of helping contractors “reduce labor costs, increase your lay down rate – and double your profits!” They’ll cover not only the equipment that will improve productivity but also will explain how to modify or customize existing equipment for higher production rates. Cracksealing methods that apply principles of ergonomics, decrease worker fatigue, and increase safety – all while improving worker productivity – will be presented. Plus they’ll discuss how to work as successfully as possible with your inspector.
In a returning and updated session, Tom Eosso, Eosso Brothers Paving and Pavement Magazine Advisory Board member will present Improving Your Infrared Pavement Repair Operation to help contractors integrate infrared repair equipment into their pavement maintenance operation. A “contractor-focused” session will cover the infrared process and how to perform the work, including a step-by-step explanation of a basic infrared repair. Eosso will also “work through” examples using photos and on-the-job video of the unusual variety of jobs that can be completed successfully using infrared technology. Tips and techniques will also be provided.
Nick Howell, T & N Asphalt Services, a Pavement Advisory Board member and author of “From the Owner’s Desk” column in Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction magazine, will present Basic Pavement Defects: Causes, Solutions – and How Set Your Price! Howell examines alligator (fatigue) cracking, “normal” cracking, potholes, surface oxidation and raveling and then ties together the defect, its cause, the repair solution – and how to price the work. “Best practices” for repairing each type of pavement problem are covered, then Howell goes through a job-costing example to uncover all the cost elements to include before adding in your profit and determining.
NAPSA Members 3 Free Sessions
Members of the North American Power Sweeping Association (NAPSA) will be able to attend three 90-minute sessions as part of their NAPSA membership. Those sessions are:
- Hiring Process Strategies to Improve Results & Manage Risk, presented by Kathy Cole, DK Cole Co., a construction-hiring specialist, who will present processes and strategies to improve your hiring process and mitigate risk, including how the speed of your process impacts your results, how to prevent bad hires and potential legal problems, and how to increase your candidate pool.
- 4 Ways to Grow Your Business: Take Your Pick! Presented by Dave Sulkin, American Asphalt Company, this session will examine the four ways (maintain the business you have, sell more work to current clients, sell new services to current clients, or develop new business) and help identify which approach (or combination of approaches) is best for your business.
- Why You Should Be a “Systems-Driven” Company – and How to Make it Happen will be presented by Mike Rorie, Go iPave, who will outline the five major advantages systems-driven companies enjoy over their competitors, and the steps you can take to implement repeatable, scalable systems at your pavement maintenance company.
WSA Members 3 Free Sessions
World Sweeping Association (WSA) members can attend three 90-minute sessions for free as part of the WSA membership. Those sessions are:
- Preparing for and Executing a Successful M&A Transaction, presented by Mark Herbick, Pursant Inc., who will make clear that contractors can't wait until “the last minute” if they hope to maximize their chances of success when exiting their business. He'll answer questions such as, What do you need to do to increase your business’ value over the long term? What can you do to increase value over the short term? What are common deal terms, structures, processes, timelines and other key metrics?
- Mentorship Excellence: The Key to Personal and Industry Leadership. Gary Rabine, Rabine Paving, is a proponent of the mentoring process and he'll discuss how it works and how it can instill leadership characteristics and develop leaders – in place of or in addition to a formal education -- and how to establish a mentoring program within your company.
- You Want Change? Here’s How to Make Changes Stick! Bill Silverman, Springboard Business Coaching, will offer tips and insights to help you make lasting, positive changes in your business by learning how to spot the barriers and resistance points that derail most change efforts, by providing “best practices” that will accelerate change and make your business improvement efforts stick.
For details or to register visit www.nationalpavementexpo.com. Registration is expected to be live in September.
