Corporate Profiles 2022 Supplement Offers a Look Inside
BY AsphaltPro Staff
Editor’s Note: The staff of AsphaltPro magazine is not responsible for the opinions expressed in the Corporate Profiles supplement. Statements made have not been verified, thus producers/contractors are still encouraged to use best practices when implementing new advice or making purchasing decisions.
The staff at AsphaltPro magazine sought a way to give original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) a chance to speak directly to asphalt professionals in 2021. We wanted to give the partners in our mission the chance to show you who they are and what they bring to the market to enhance your bottom line. This year, we extended that invitation once again with new questions to bring new insights to you, the contractors and producers who make decisions to not only build the infrastructure of North America but also seek ways to improve your environmental stewardship.
We posed specific questions to those partners who support us, thus your operations, and left their answers raw and real. This special section to the July edition is our second annual Corporate Profiles supplement and it represents an inside look at the OEMs who want to help you make the most of your business, improve your overall asphalt quality and succeed in your march toward industry net zero goals.
Merge for Success
The aggregate/asphalt industry has seen its share of mergers and acquisitions among companies in the past 12 to 24 months. Manufacturers supplying the equipment and services to enable operations have similar changes taking place. In last year’s Corporate Profiles supplement, Astec Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTE), Chattanooga, spelled out its mission with all its former subsidiaries folding into OneASTEC. This year, Astec’s news concerning an acquisition in the plant controls arena immediately prior to World of Asphalt/AGG1 in March 2022 was still a talking point at press time.
The company announced entering into a definitive agreement to acquire MINDS Automation Group Inc. (MINDS), headquartered in British Columbia, Canada, with locations in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Belgium. The company develops user-friendly, advanced, customizable plant automation control systems for drum, batch, combo/hybrid hot mix plants, emulsion plants, liquid terminals, silo load-out, ticketing and data management for the asphalt industry.
“MINDS technology complements our existing offerings for asphalt production joining Astec Controls and Grathwol Automation as we build out a digital platform across our Rock to Road value chain of products,” said Barry Ruffalo, president and CEO Astec Industries. “Our combined business will provide the knowledge and resources to further invest in industry leading innovations that drive value for customers.”
MINDS Inc. CEO Pierre Vidaillac and the leadership team will stay with Astec to support the advancement of automation and controls technology and the overall Rock to Road digital platform.
Sustain Success
You’ll see one of the areas in which we invited OEMs to share philosophies was that of asphalt sustainability. OEMs are invested in helping contractors and producers reach the net zero goals of the National Asphalt Pavement Association’s The Road Forward initiative. It’s natural to think of the strides made toward zero emissions at the asphalt plant, but manufacturers are looking out for your best practices at the paving site as well.
From thermal mapping equipment to intelligent compaction systems to robust means of gathering density data, OEMs have placed importance on getting the optimum percentage of air voids compacted right out of a new mat for a long-lasting pavement. Industry is teaching agencies that a resilient pavement is an environmentally friendly pavement, and OEMs are answering the call to help contractors build it.
Companies like TransTech Systems out of New York offer environmental “credit” to contractors. “Most people don’t realize that TransTech’s PQI 380 assists our customers in being good stewards of the environment,” the company shared. “Not only does the PQI 380 not emit any harmful nuclear radiation, but the primary benefits derive from its ability to help our customers build longer life roads with smoother surfaces, thereby enhancing fuel efficiency of all vehicles and reducing energy consumption.”
Also in the field, “Blaw-Knox is always looking for ways to improve performance while reducing the environmental effects normally associated with operating heavy machinery,” the company shared. They listed the example of their power-adaptive engine for reducing ambient noise pollution and improving fuel efficiency by lowering engine rpm.
These innovations and optimizations join the arsenal of product and service options available to our industry. AsphaltPro invites you to thumb through the profiles included herein for a look inside the companies bringing those options to you. Let them know you saw them in the pages of AsphaltPro!